The R-121 delivers wonderful ribbon mic detail with the strength of a modern microphone.

Ten years ago, most people, myself included, knew two things about ribbon microphones. First, they provide wonderfully detailed sound. Second, they’re too fragile to be a viable option for my studio. Enter David Royer. He set out to create ribbon microphones for the working man. In 1998, he introduced the R-121, which delivers all the wonderful ribbon mic detail with the strength of a modern microphone.

The first thing I noticed was the beautiful wooden box that housed the microphone. Then, when I opened that box, there was a nice velvet-like pouch holding the microphone. While all this was a nice touch, the question still remained: how does it sound?

If I only choose one word to describe the R-121′s sound, it would be “thick.” The detail in the lows and low mids provides everything you need to have a sound as thick as it is clear. The proximity effect on this mic will add even more bass and still retain all the clarity. I was absolutely blown away by the sounds of this microphone. Imagine, I recorded my guitar and it sounded just the way I heard it. I never thought thick tones could come so easily. Add a standard instrument dynamic mic to bring back some more high-end, and you have instant rock guitar (thought it goes far beyond just rock). It was like I’ve always dreamed. I can’t wait to try it on everything else I own.