royer Active Ribbon R-122, Operation Instructions Manual & User Manual

Page 1: ...Royer Labs Model R 122 Active Ribbon Velocity Microphone Operation Instructions Manual User Guide Made in U S A ...

Page 2: ...et Spot 9 Other Types of Microphones 9 Proximity Effect and Working Distance 10 The Sound That Is More Real than Real 10 Microphone Techniques 11 General Tips for Using the Royer R 122 11 Recording Loud or Plosive Sounds 12 Stereophonic Microphone Techniques 14 Classic Blumlein Technique 14 Mid Side M S Technique 14 Specialized Recording Techniques 16 Recording on the back side of the R 122 16 Car...

Page 3: ...ds using only the finest materials obtainable Your model R 122 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 this manual thoroughly in order to become familiar with all of the R 122 s capabilities It will assist you in making the most of your microphone s superior acoustic propert...

Page 4: ... the R 122 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 122 is reasonably tolerant of shock and vibration and performance is unaffected by changes in temperature or humidity However ribbon microphones are somewhat more sensitive to direct blasts of air and the R 122 is no ex...

Page 5: ...ded to the microphone This aspect of an active ribbon microphone is in sharp contrast to the common wisdom normally applied to ribbon microphones where phantom power usually spells danger or destruction to the ribbon element Royer s active series ribbon microphones require phantom power to operate To ensure long service life for your R 122 active ribbon microphone care should be taken when connect...

Page 6: ...reas is very strong Due to this directionality the R 122 should be placed at 1 3 times the distance normally used with omni directional microphones or at 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 122 does not discriminate against the highs off axis nor does it boost highs on axis ...

Page 7: ...es are usually secondary and fall into the category of conveniences or interface capabilities such as digital or optical outputs A good preamplifier should sound natural with no sign of edginess or excessive noise Vacuum tube preamplifiers sound warm yet wonderfully airy and transparent Do not expect a vacuum tube preamplifier to be as quiet as a solid state preamp as electron emissions from tubes...

Page 8: ...cause 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 electromagnetic devices and are to some degree susceptible to picking up stray alternating magnetic fields Power transformers such as those found in guitar amplifiers and altern...

Page 9: ... rule of thumb starting point for future microphone placement with similar sound sources Remember this If it sounds good it s probably right If it doesn t move the microphone It s often more effective to reposition the microphone than to start fiddling with knobs Knob twisting can affect headroom and phase coherency and add unwanted noise The following is a list of variables that account for sweet...

Page 10: ...an be turned to an advantage If an instrument such as a trumpet is extremely close miked and the bass is cut to restore flat response unwanted low frequency sounds are cut back by upwards of 20dB compared to an unequalized microphone with a flat response This discrimination is independent of the microphone s polar response Typical relationship of microphone distance to frequency response for ribbo...

Page 11: ...ry placing the microphone slightly above the instrumentalists and angled down a distance of three or four feet will do the trick nicely Pianos sound excellent when recorded with R 122s and are free of phase related comb filtering The bass is full and rich while the top remains clean with no clatter Mic the piano at a distance of one foot to several feet depending on taste A more direct up front so...

Page 12: ...e Example 3 This microphone position also provides good kick drum isolation because the top of the microphone which does not pick up sound is aimed at the rest of drum kit Recording Loud or Plosive Sounds With all ribbon microphones wind is the enemy Air movement is far more damaging to ribbon microphones than high SPL s Some sound sources can generate powerful blasts of air that should be avoided...

Page 13: ...ue to the microphone s pickup pattern sound will not be affected 3 Side View of Kick Drum Miking Technique A Close miking angle mic so that pressure wave is off axis B Standard miking position 4 Horizontal Positioning Technique Applied to kick drum similar to that utilized for other loud or percussive instruments 13 ...

Page 14: ...ely feeds one speaker in a stereo system and due to the directionality of the microphones the result is a very well defined stereo effect on playback For classical music particularly the reproduction can be very satisfying Figure 1 Classic Blumlein or coincident miking technique Mid Side M S Technique In the early days of stereo radio broadcasting the mid side recording technique was developed to ...

Page 15: ...mage will narrow until with the side microphone turned all the way down you have just the mid mic panned center for a mono pickup Figure 2 Typical M S Miking Technique If the outputs of the mid and side microphones are recorded on separate tracks the electrical connections shown in Figure 3 can be made at the mixer outputs and the adjustment of the stereo separation can be done during mixdown rath...

Page 16: ...e an authoritative quality or rich texture to their voice Cautionary Note It is important to note that the SPL handling capability of the rear side of the R 122 is lower than its front side The R 122 is rated for 135dB SPL on its front side but recordings on the rear side should not exceed 115dB SPL When tracking loud sounds on the front side the R 122 s offset ribbon design allows ample space for...

Page 17: ... Leave disassembly of the microphone to a trained technician Disassembly of the microphone will void your warranty There are no user serviceable parts inside Caution Keep recorded tapes spring wound watches and personal credit cards using magnetic coding away from the microphone to prevent possible damage caused by the transducer s powerful magnets Features Very high overload characteristics maxim...

Page 18: ...monaural microphones are also available in matched pairs Mechanical Specifications High grade Neodymium magnet assembly in Royer s patented Flux Frame 1 5 x 3 16 x 2 5 micron ribbon assembly Stainless steel internal baffle and dampener Dimensions 206 mm L x 25 mm W 8 1 8 L x 1 W Weight 309 grams 10 9 ounces Finish Dull Satin Nickel or Matte Black Chrome Accessories Protective wood case protective ...

Page 19: ...Polar Pattern Frequency Response 19 ...

Page 20: ...date of original purchase and for the respective periods specified above Royer Labs agrees to repair at its sole expense all Royer Labs products which are defective in material and workmanship EXCLUSIONS This warranty does not cover the following 1 Defects or damage caused by accident fire flood lightning or other acts of nature 2 Defects or damage caused by abuse misuse negligence or failure to o...