​The Royer R-122 MKII Ribbon Microphone is a favorite in the recording studio!

The Royer R-122 MKII Ribbon Microphone is a favorite in the recording studio!  The R-122-MKII from Royer Labs is truly a jewel of a microphone and has become one of our favorite microphones in the studio. The phantom-powered impedance matching amplifier takes the already legendary performance of the R-122 MKII to a whole new place of sonic luscious definition in the realm of ribbon microphones. In the recording studio we have found that this microphone works exceptionally well for a wide variety of applications, be it for drums, cymbals such as high hats and rides, electric guitar cabinets, acoustic guitars, bowed stringed instruments, and even bass guitar cabinets. 

We have been a fan of ribbon microphones for hi-hat mic-ing and the R-122 MKII is excellent in this regard. The figure-8 pattern is choice for canceling the bleed from the left crash cymbal. Acoustic guitars sound natural with a tight mid-range. The thicker ribbon which is characteristic of the Royer microphones really helps to maintain this incredible focus and the aforementioned 'weight' to the mid-range. The R-122 MKII's are perfect for finding their spot in a dense mix, which is why they are so popular with rock engineers. Plus, they just love being close in on loud sources. We mean, just get one right in on the grille of a guitar amp. It won't complain. The R-122 MKII's can even go in on the outside of kick drums - Just make sure that you angle the ribbon downward by 45-degrees so that the sound pressure gradually goes across the ribbon instead of smacking it flat. The benefit is that you get good rejection of the cymbals and other drums off the top of the mic. And as drum room mics in a small room, we sometimes like to angle the R-122 MKII back so that the sound of the kit goes across the length of the ribbon somewhat. This gives a good natural ambient sound that does not compete with the overheads - it's a good natural spacial-reverb in a way instead of adding more energy into the drum mix which can overly cloud your drum mix. But you can always distance mic the drums (or strings, ensembles, whatever...) with these as your primaries and you should be pretty happy. 

And, as is the case with the Royers (and many other ribbon mics), the R-122 MKII can be turned around and you'll experience a slightly lifted high frequency response by recording into the rear of the mic. Though the sound off of the front is not dull, this is still a great option for eking a little more top-end out of the sound. When measured up, the Royer R-122 MKII is a no-brainer. And, with a Royer R-122 MKII Ribbon Microphones (Matched Pair) these will be your studio's faithful workhorse for years. There is a reason why the Royer R-122's have a host of first-call, top-rate, and legendary engineers using them. Isn't it time you find out for yourself what it is that these mics do for them? Trust us; you'll know why right away!