Royer Labs R-122 MKII Ribbon Microphone

Product Reviews

The person who described this microphone’s sound as “darker” to amateur ears is true. My first impression was an SM57 was very bright and this Royer was dull. But in stereo, they complimented so well it popped. On Acoustic. So it seems it completes a frequency spectrum in this pairing. Alone on Acoustic its nice. On an Amp I find it smooths out harsh frequencies of some amps that the SM57 picks up. So thats cool. I like the combo on Acoustic better so I need more time to arrange it on amps to find The Spot or better placements. Its also true that the preamp is less affecting the tone on the 122 vs the 121. I had this on a BAE DMP, UA 6176 and an input on the UA Apollo Quad (no plugin) and it all sounded quite similar unless I jacked up the tubes on the tube gear, but that made the sound too fat. All in all, 100% worth it on Acoustic for me. Guitar Amps will take some time to form an opinion, but its a keeper. I wouldn’t get this as my first mic. Ive used a cheaper Se VooDoo with great effect, but this mic grows on me and will stay. So its not been any head-over-heels honeymoon but a steady growing respect for a piece of gear that has its place and sits well, esp in harmony with a brighter mic. As to cost, thats always subjective. I think there are cheaper mics you can get great results with. The money in higher mics like Neumanns & Royers etc seem to go into being more robust manufacturing for a working studio. I only use it for home so it should last. That said, the ribbons, as tough as these aluminum ones are compared to other more fragile materials is still rather fragile. Original owners get 1 free re-ribbon in a certain time period. So I would recommend buying new unless you know how to treat one and then buying used are prepared to have it immediately reribbon’d on principle. My first pro mic was a U87ai and worth every penny (used) but I still lacked good acoustic recordings. This completes acoustic recording desire but still needs that brighter mic to complete and balance it. Put that way this is more a luxury than necessity for a home amateur. But its a solid upgrade to recorded tone for acoustic instruments at the very least which is why I got it over the 122: versatility. Id also get this if you have a shittier preamp that won’t make a 121 sound good any way you use it.

By Dennis B on November 10, 2022

Incredible ! Had a bass player with 2 cabs
2x10 and 1x15 w/ horn. Set the mic 2' from the front. What a warm, round sound I captured. Every nuance perfect. Great job Royer, incredible mic.

By Tom D on October 14, 2022

Really loving this mic! Has condenser like response because of the phantom power. Incredible on acoustic guitars and use the pad and you can record the most powerful loud amp cabinets! Really versatile mic! I am looking forward to using it on horns and stand up bass, violins, and cellos! Wish I had the money for 2!

By Evan W on September 5, 2021

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