Royer R-121 Leitfaden

ROYER Labs

Model R-121

Ribbon Velocity

Microphone

Operation Instructions

Manual & User Guide

Made in U.S.A

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Model R-121 Ribbon Microphone

Revised January 2004

Table of Contents page 1

Introduction page 2

Description page 2

Applications page 3

Ribbons in the Digital World page 3

User Guide page 4

Amplification Considerations page 6

Equalization & Ribbon Microphones page 8

Hum, Noise & Mic Orentation page 8

The Sweet Spot page 9

Other Types of Microphones page 10

Proximity Effect & Working Distance page 11

Microphone Technique page 13

Stereophonic Microphone Technique page 17

Specialized Recording Techniques page 20

Care & Maintenance page 21

Features & Specifications page 22

Electrical Specifications page 23

Mechanical Specifications page 24

Polar Pattern & Frequency Response page 25

Notes page 26

Warranty page 32

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of a Royer Labs model R-

121 ribbon microphone. The R-121 is a handcrafted precision

instrument capable of delivering superior sound quality and

exceptional performance.

This operator’s manual describes the R-121, its function and

method of use. It also describes the care and maintenance

required to ensure proper operation and long service life. The

user guide section of this manual offers practical information

that is designed to maximize the performance capabilities of

this microphone.

Royer Labs products are manufactured to the highest industrial

standards using only the finest materials obtainable. Your

model R-121 went though extensive quality control checks

before leaving the factory. Normal care is all that is required to

assure a lifetime of trouble-free service.

Please read the manual thoroughly in order to become familiar

with all of the R-121’s capabilities. It will assist you in making

the most of your microphone’s superior acoustic properties.

This owner’s manual is a handy reference guide and we suggest

you refer to it whenever questions arise on the use and care of

your R-121 ribbon microphone.

Description

The R-121 is a compact bi-directional (figure-eight) velocity

type ribbon microphone designed for professional applications.

The figure-eight pick-up pattern allows the R-121 to be

addressed from either side with equal sensitivity. The in-phase

signal is achieved when the microphone is addressed from the

front, indicated by the “ROYER” logo.

The R-121 is reasonably tolerant to shock and vibration, and

performance is unaffected by changes in temperature or humid-

ity. However, ribbon microphones are somewhat more sensitive

to direct blasts of air, and the R-121 is no exception to this rule.

Discretionary use of a windscreen or pop screen, such as the

Royer PS-101, WS58 or equivalent, is highly recommended for

close-miking vocalists or certain types of percussion and wind

instruments.

Applications

The Royer Labs model R-121 is a versatile microphone and is

ideally suited for many critical recording applications. Its

smooth frequency response characteristics and ability to cap-

ture detail make it a fine choice for many instruments, as well

as for general broadcast applications. Its gentle low-frequency

proximity effect makes it especially useful for announcers and

vocalists. Female vocalists often benefit from the R-121’s abil-

ity to capture high frequencies without distortion or edginess.

Orchestral instruments are captured in a natural-sounding way

and free from microphone-induced “hype.” The R-121 has

exceptionally smooth high frequency characteristics. Phase-

related distortion and irregular frequency peaks are conspicu-

ously absent. Theater organs and electric guitar amplifiers

sound big and fat, without unnatural coloration, when repro-

duced with the R-121. These features make the R-121 ribbon

microphone an ideal choice for strings, woodwinds, percussion

and amplified instruments. Acoustic pianos can be captured

accurately without the comb-filtering effects associated with

condenser microphones.

Ribbons in the Digital World

Digital recordings benefit greatly from the properties inherent

in ribbon microphones. Since A to D converters cannot distin-

guish between the sound source being recorded and the com-

plex distortion components often associated with condenser

microphones, they sometimes have difficulty tracking the sig-

nal, resulting in ringing and edgy sounding tracks. With ribbon

microphones, ringing is almost non-existent due to the ribbon’s

lack of distortion artifacts and high-frequency peaks. A to D

converters have less difficulty tracking the ribbon generated

signal, resulting in very smooth digital recordings free of

microphone-related edginess.

User Guide

Using the R-121 Ribbon Microphone

There are a few important facts about ribbon microphones that

are key in understanding how to use them intelligently.

1. The R-121 is a side address, bi-directional microphone and

its rejection in the “dead” areas is very strong. Due to this direc-

tionality, the R-121 should be placed at 1.3 times the distance

normally used with omni-directional microphones, or about the

same distance used for cardioid microphones. This method is

used to achieve the same ratio of direct to reflected sound.

2. In the horizontal plane, the R-121 does not discriminate

against the highs off axis; nor does it boost highs on axis.

Therefore, several instruments or vocalists can be placed in

front of the microphone without favoring the performer in the

center of the group.

Several performers can be grouped at both the front and back of

the microphone, with one proviso: since the outputs are out of

phase at the front and back of the microphone, cancellation can

result if, for example, two tenors are placed at opposite sides at

equal distances and they are singing in unison, so listen to the

feed before committing to it.

3. When using the R-121 to record loud signal sources, placing

the microphone slightly off axis to the signal source (either hor-

izontally or vertically) minimizes the effect of high pressure

sound levels displacing and possibly damaging the ribbon ele-

ment.

4. The R-121 requires no power supply and is safe to use on

consoles with phantom microphone powering, provided that the

cabling is wired properly. It should be noted that not all ribbon

microphones are compatible with phantom-powering systems,

so check the manufacturer’s recommendations before using

other ribbon microphones. It should also be noted that faulty or

improperly wired cables could cause problems with your R-

121. Do not patch an R-121 through the mic tie lines of a patch

bay if phantom power is enabled on any of your mic pre’s, as

this will give the ribbon element a brief but damaging phantom

power jolt.

5. Never attempt to “test” the R-121 or any ribbon microphone

with an ohmmeter. A blown ribbon could result.

6. Always provide adequate protection for your R-121, or any

ribbon microphone. If the microphone is to remain set up on a

stand when not in use, place a “mic sock” (supplied with every

Royer microphone) over it until it is to be used. Do not carry the

microphone around without placing a mic sock over it. Failure

to follow this commonsense practice may yield a stretched rib-

bon and compromised performance.

7. Do not allow the microphone to be dropped on hard surfaces

such as floors or tables - depending on how the mic falls, you

could stretch the ribbon. The microphone would likely contin-

ue to operate, but performance could be compromised and re-

ribboning the microphone would be necessary to restore normal

operation.

Amplification Considerations

The performance of any non-active ribbon microphone is

directly affected by the microphone preamplifier it is paired

with. With so many mic preamps on the market, how do you

select one that gives the best possible performance with a rib-

bon microphone? Additionally, what kind of performance can

you expect from the preamplifiers built into your mixing desk?

While most preamplifiers will handle ribbon microphones well

in most recording situations, some preamps that work perfectly

well with condenser or dynamic mics may prove to be poor per-

formers with ribbons.

To begin with, we must understand the fundamental differences

between ribbon microphones and other popular types, namely

condenser and moving coil dynamics. A ribbon microphone is

actually a dynamic microphone that uses a flat, extremely low

mass ribbon element, rather than a coil/diaphragm assembly.

For this writing, any mention of “dynamic” microphones will

relate to moving coil dynamics.

All condenser microphones have a built-in preamplifier called

a head amp, and therefore put out a hefty signal. Because the

signal is buffered through the head amp, the output impedance

is rather low and less affected by the input impedance of the

microphone preamp. Most dynamic (moving coil) microphones

generate a healthy enough electrical current to work well with

a variety of preamps, and their limited frequency response char-

acteristics make mic loading less of a concern.

Ribbon microphones generate a highly accurate signal, but the

average ribbon mic generates approximately 20dB less output

than condenser microphones. Remember, the ribbon transducer

does not have the benefit of a condenser mic’s built-in “head

amp,” so a ribbon microphone relies solely on the microphone

preamp for all its gain!

The so-called ideal preamplifier is the proverbial “straight wire

with gain.” This may be considered the technological ideal and

does not include “coloration” as a desirable feature. However,

coloration is often desirable and has given rise to the populari-

ty of certain preamps and even preamp stages in mixing desks.

Neve preamps and the famous Trident A Range mixing console

are highly praised for their classic sound.

So what should we use with our beloved ribbon microphones?

The features that translate into top performance for a ribbon

microphone are the following:

1. Lots of gain! A ribbon microphone works best with pream-

plifiers that have at least 60-70dB of maximum gain.

2. Low noise is a must! With the amount of gain required for

efficient operation of a ribbon microphone, the noise character-

istics of the preamp play a pivotal role in overall performance

of the captured acoustic event.

3. Load characteristics: A suitable preamplifier should have

input characteristics that impose the least amount of loading on

the ribbon element. In other words, the input impedance should

be high enough that its effect on the performance of the mic is

negligible. A good rule of thumb is to have a preamplifier with

input impedance at least five times the impedance of the micro-

phone. For example, if the mic is rated at 300 Ohms (as Royers

are), the preamp should have an input- impedance of at least

1500 Ohms. If the impedance of the preamp is too low, the

microphone will lose low end and body.

4. Transparency: A good preamp should sound natural, with no

edginess. Tube preamps sound warm, yet wonderfully transpar-

ent. Transformer coupled preamps sound punchy. When record-

ing with condenser or dynamic microphones, engineers often

choose mic preamps that help “warm up the mic,” but warming

the signal up does not need to be a consideration with ribbon

mics because they are by nature warm and realistic sounding.

At this point personal taste should prevail over anything.

In conclusion, try to find the best preamp you can afford that

has good gain characteristics and low noise. Coloration is

optional.

Equalization & Ribbon Microphones

One of the great strengths of ribbon microphones is how well

they take EQ. Even with substantial amounts of equalization,

ribbons retain their natural, “real” quality. For example, when a

lead vocal is being performed on an R-121, you can actually

boost upper-end frequencies to the point where the R-121 emu-

lates the performance curve of a condenser mic with excellent

results. This is not to say that a ribbon microphone can substi-

tute for a quality condenser mic in all cases, but the EQ friend-

liness inherent in ribbon microphones does allow for an enor-

mous amount of flexibility.

The reason that ribbon mics take EQ so well is their inherent

low self-noise (less than 15dB), unusually smooth response

characteristics, and freedom from off-axis coloration. Dialing

in high amounts of equalization on condenser or dynamic

microphones also brings up equal amounts of the microphone’s

distortion products and noise; garbage that contributes to an

unnatural, unpleasant sound. Because distortion and self-noise

are almost nonexistent in ribbon microphones, high levels of

EQ can be used without adding harshness or excessive noise.

Hum, Noise & Mic Orientation

All dynamic microphones, including ribbons, are electromag-

netic devices and are, to some degree, susceptible to picking up

stray alternating magnetic fields. Power transformers (such as

those found in guitar amplifiers) and alternating current motors

are the most likely sources of radiated noise. Building wiring

and electrical utility transformers are other likely sources. A

well-designed microphone provides shielding to minimize the

effects of stray magnetic radiation, but complete isolation is

impossible and the result can be hum or buzz. Ribbon micro-

phones can potentially manifest this condition to a greater

degree because of their higher gain requirements. Vintage rib-

bon microphones often have poor shielding and the problem

can be worse. The cure for this problem is to identify the source

of the noise and move the microphone away from it. Another

trick is to alter the orientation of the microphone in such a way

that the noise is cancelled out. If you ever experience this situ-

ation while in the studio, try rotating the microphone to identi-

fy the “null” point, then reposition the mic and the sound

source. This is much like having a guitar player with single coil

pickups turn around until amplifier hum disappears.

The Sweet Spot

Finding & Working with the Sweet Spot

Good engineers know the benefits of finding and working with

the “sweet spot” of a given microphone. The sweet spot will be

defined as the optimum placement (working distance and angu-

lar position) of any microphone relative to the sound source.

Each microphone has its own sweet spot whether it is a ribbon,

dynamic or condenser type. The sweet spot will vary with the

type of sound source and its volume intensity, the polar pattern

of the microphone and how consistent it is with frequency, and

the acoustic environment.

Being in the sweet spot means the microphone and the sound

source are in a harmony of sorts; the acoustic information is

exciting the microphone in such a fashion that the resulting

reproduction is very desirable, usually without the need of addi-

tional equalization or electronic manipulation.

There are only general rules as to where the sweet spot may be

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