Similarly, metal-production techniques for ribbon manufacture and designs for audio transformers have also been improved. R-121 Pro Audio Review Royer R-121 Ribbon Microphone by Russ Long Jun-99 R-121 Electronic Musician Electronic Musician - Editors Choice Award January 2000, Microphone (ribbon) Jan-00 R-121 Recording Magazine Royer Royer is a stellar company! A low impedance is usually the best option when looking for high sound quality. Electric guitarists, in particular, could well find that this is the microphone for capturing their sound, as it really does seem to be designed for this application above all others! The mic also sounded extremely sweet on acoustic guitar and even in front of a loud electric guitar amp. The region between about 80Hz and 1kHz is flat to within a decibel and is roughly 1dB below nominal zero. It is relatively expensive and most would probably see it as a luxury item, but the R121 is a fairly versatile tool which would find a lot of applications and add very useful warmth and character to many sources. Our posts may include Amazon links throughout. The Royer R-121 performs best with instruments that most microphones shy away from: electric guitars, brass instruments, and drums. PreSonus StudioLive 32SC Series III Mixing Console. First Look: Pro Tools | Carbon. Mastering Essentials Part 3 - How loud should I master? There is life before and after recording guitars with a Royer R-121 on the cabinet. The specifications state that it can handle more than 130dB SPL which means that this mic can be placed in front of electric guitar cabinets, brass instruments and even percussion without too much concern. Their popularity soon faded, however, when a burgeoning industry of capacitor microphone technology began to take their place. The Royer mic design takes that one step further by working with high sound-pressure levels while still being able to deliver a sound that is smooth and suave, making it an ideal part of any musician’s studio. Beautifully flattering sound quality with almost any source and unusually high SPL capability, though it still needs to be handled with a little more care than most other microphones. Placing them in front of a source which was on the loud side of comfortable would not be a terribly good idea either! The R-121’s proprietary offset ribbon transducer is able to position the ribbon element closer to the front side of the microphone, giving the ribbon more room within the prime magnetic field. For comparative purposes, a good dynamic mic such as the Beyer M88 would exhibit pretty much the same sensitivity and a typical capacitor mic such as an AKG C414 might be expected to be 10dB more sensitive (around -44dBV/Pa). The microphone needs to be treated with a little more respect and care than most of its siblings and I wouldn't recommend its use on the live stage, but in the relatively clean and controlled conditions of a studio environment the R121 is capable of delivering a very nice sound indeed. I have used this in a number of different situations, mostly using it for recording guitar amps and acoustic instruments. While the R-121 may be fairly pricey, it’s a versatile tool that’ll make a great addition to your studio set up. Being a ribbon mic, the Royer has a true bipolar or figure‑of‑eight polar response, with the front and back lobes being equally sensitive and remarkably consistent with frequency. The frequency response, figure-of-eight polar patterns and sensitivity, however, are all very similar to those of the R121. Thanks to advancements in technology, Royer Labs has brought the ribbon mic back into the game. Royer's partner Rick Perotta is more involved with the production side of the business. From about six inches away and going further out the sound remains completely uniform and well balanced so, to all intents and purposes, the proximity effect can be ignored. Musicians hoping to capture the best of their instruments will find that this mic is the perfect investment. Lauded by Recording Magazine as “one of the classic microphones of the 21. century,” the Royer 121 is the company’s flagship microphone. It was susceptible to mechanical noise transmitted through the microphone cable or the mic stand, but was not unduly prone to external magnetic fields although it picked up buzzes and hums from most power transformers when placed within about six inches. All rights reserved. In the early days of the professional audio industry, ribbon mics were a much more popular option when compared to the present. Personally, I liked the 122's over the 121 due to the fact I am recording piano and I don't like putting the mics over the strings. Way back when the professional audio industry was in its infancy, ribbon microphones were extremely popular, being capable of far better results than the moving-coil microphones of the day. It sounds sweet and at the same time like it is capturing the full spectrum of your guitar sound. Prior to starting in the microphone business, Perotta was production chief with Matchless Guitar Amplifiers, and before that he helped to set up Baby‑O Recorders in Los Angeles, during the 1980s. The equivalent noise figure for the mic can be approximately calculated as being about 14dBA, which is pretty darn quiet and allows a dynamic range in excess of 120dB! Taking all these developments together, it has become possible to revisit the ribbon-microphone concept and produce a very high-quality device with similar size and sensitivity to a conventional moving-coil microphone. The output impedance of the review model was 300(omega), although a 200(omega) model is also available. Can I get a level meter plugin that goes below -60db fo... One Synth Challenge V - The Filter Strikes Back! Balancing the two voice levels is just a case of moving the mic along the axis between the two vocalists. What is the Directional Characteristic of the Royer 121? You can edit your menu content on the Menus screen in the Appearance section. The R121 exhibits a strong proximity effect as would be expected of a pure pressure-gradient microphone like this, but only when the source is very close to the mic — and far too close for safety. Royer has a reputation for making great ribbon microphones, and the R-121 is one of their best models. On the human voice it was very smooth and complimentary, working well with both male and female singers, and I would imagine a pair would work wonders on a choir in a nice acoustic. The front and back lobes on the R-121 are equally sensitive and produce a consistent sound, while the side nulls are precise and sharp. sE Electronics sE2200a II C Microphone Review. For the sake of completeness, I should mention that Royer also produce a stereo coincident ribbon-microphone system called the Royer/Speiden SF12. A well-engineered microphone which revitalises the art and craft of the ribbon design. For example, neodymium magnets have been developed which are vastly more powerful than anything available before, allowing strong magnetic fields to be established using a fraction of the space required in the '50s. Although the diaphragms of ribbon mics are notoriously sensitive to air pressure and wear and tear, the R-121 comes with a lifetime warranty so you can rest easy. Use it with anything from a loud electric guitar amp, an acoustic guitar, a kick drum set, or a human voice, and you’ll get a sound that is smooth, complimentary, and completely natural-sounding. I tried out the mic a couple of feet in front of solo trumpet, clarinet and violin all with excellent results — particularly with the trumpet, which was detailed and crisp without being spitty or aggressive. The performance level of the R-121 is such that it’s actually birthed a range of spin-offs and copycats, though none of course match up to the original. Really needs a windshield and shock mount. Electric guitarists especially will find that  the R-121 may be the mic for them, as no other mic can capture their sound quite as well. The R-121 has beautiful sound quality with almost any source, as well as an incredible SPL capability. Q. A 2.5µm-thick pure-aluminium ribbon is supported between the poles of a powerful rare-earth neodymium magnet assembly. 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