Unbelievable

I do not normally write reviews unless I am completely blown away, or see that something needs to be stated that is not in the description or in another review.

Let me start of first by saying that this is not a Royer 121, nor does it need to be compared to one. Just because it is an R Series mic does not mean that it sounds like a 121. Just like you can't compare an SM7b to a SM81 even though they are in the SM line of products.

This microphone will soon become a classic, it has the ribbon sound of warmth that comes from slower transient response and a relatively flat frequency response. The first time I tried this mic (I use it live by the way) I asked the guitar player to turn his amp way down and I baffled it off (something I would not normally do, but did this time as an experiment) and put this mic and an SM57 on it. My jaw hit the floor when I heard that what this mic reproduced and what the amp normally sounded like cranked naturally were the same. Such a big guitar sound. I didn't even bother mixing the SM57 with it because the R 101 gave me everything I needed and more. This mic is now a staple for me and finds its way onto every stage I mic.

Royer R-101

I finally gave in to all the buzz surrounding ribbon mics (specifically Royer) and electric guitar cabs and decided to get the R-101 to try it out. I had previously tried a Woodpecker to some degrees of success but was not completely happy. Not so with the R-101. Not only am I completely happy but I will reach for it first time out for guitar cabs from now on.

Tracks recorded with the R-101 sit very nicely in a mix with little or no eq needed. I find the midrange to be accurate and the high end to be pleasing. Too many times there is a lot of hash in the high end that comes with electric guitars. No so with the R-101. Makes sense with the nature of ribbon mics. I also find this mic captures the sound in the room very precisely. Get a good sound in the room and stick the Royer in front and you are good to go. Obviously you can still manipulate sound by mic placement but it's harder to get poor tone.
I have not tried the mic out on any other sources as I was really looking for a mainstay guitar cab mix. This is it. Well worth the money.

Amazing Value and Phenominal Quality!

I've had my R-101 for about 6 months now. It is my go-to on electric guitars. While not identical to a 121, it is just as usable. I can be 100% happy using either mic on guitar cabs.

Kick drum, meet your new best friend. I've started using this on the outside kick. I must say it is a great complement to a Beta 52 on the inside. Make sure you angle it as to not blow the ribbon.

Percussion, yes please. Makes tambourines, shakers, and other percussion smooth as silk without the harshness that is so easily achieved with a condenser.

My next goal is on overheads and rooms, but I only have one. My next is soon to come. This mic does it all!

Buy it Buy it!!!

great great mic nice nice sound.....!!!!! have only so far on electric guitar.... but WOW!!!!

Great Ribbon Mic

After researching ribbons mics for my personal studio. I was leaning towards an audio techinica offering which is a great mic from the reviews ive seen. So I went to sweetwater and asked them about the ribbon mics I was looking at. Then they showed me the R-101. I already knew about the royer ribbon reputation and knew about the price tag it came with. Then the salesman showed me the R-101 saying that royer wanted a mic that was more affordable but didnt sacrifice quality. I bought the mic and took it home to my studio where I put it on the drum kit and it sounded great. So great I will be picking up another in the near future and possibly getting the coveted R-121 as well. This is why I love buying from sweetwater I explain to them what im looking for and they know what Im talking about and get me a product that does exactly what I want it to. Thanks Guys you did it again

This Brought Back the "Awe" Factor.

The high frequency "sheen" of a decent condenser mic we're all used to is not what you're going to hear upon your first impression of a 101. It's honest. I'd heard, (never owning a ribbon until now) ..that it tracks electrics like there should be no other mic used in the recording of electric guitars. So naturally the first thing I threw it up on was my amp. The only way to describe what it does is to parallel the idea of a loss in volume when you throw on the cans. (Unless you have your levels set equivalent to what's coming out of your amp outside the cans.) If you spend quality time dialing in the tone you want to put to tape, then what goes in the Royer is what you're going to hear on playback. You're gonna need a preamp with some nads. I have the newest Duet 2 from Apogee and they have 75db of gain on the preamps. That's sufficient. Don't blast this puppy with a jolt of 48v. It's like capital punishment for a ribbon. bzzzz, kapow. Watch some youtube vids of guys recording with ribbons... Plosives can be destructive too. But trust me, if you do it right, it's the most honest representation of what you spend all that time dialing in that I've ever heard. I've already started retracking my album with it. I'm primarily an acoustic player with a mid 90's Taylor 712 cedar top, indian rosewood back and sides. It's aged pretty well, and sounds amazing on your lap as it is. I wanted to capture that. I put the 101 by the neck and my SP CS1 by the bottom. (Another great workhorse you should consider if you're on a budget,... or even if you're not.) When I heard these two combined it was an instant "O" face. I bussed the two, threw a stereo comp on it and closed my eyes... This is where I believe ribbons should receive more noteriety. Flip the Royer around and swap the phase. (More "sheen".) Royers take EQ like a fat kid takes Little Debbie's also.... So don't be reserved on a little hype in the frequencies if it's what you want... All in all, I just dropped over 2 grand here at Sweetwater on a bulk purchase... the Royer is my sigh of relief. I truly have all the tools I need to make a good album now. BTW, I'm tracking an "in-the-box album." Complete with Superior Drummer 2.0, Komplete 5, Bass, electrics, acoustics, and vocals. I'm not rich by any stretch of the means. It took time to acquire what I have... But if you add all that up, it still falls miles short of a professional studio and the results I'm getting have been nothing short of absolutely professional....and believe me I'm picky. So take my word and don't blow thousands on gear in an age where technology has afforded the broke fella a means to sound pro if the music is good. The two main elements in mixing are EQ and Compression. I've tracked on outboard gear that I could trade out and get a house for. If your ears are good, (and this is the determining factor), you can achieve what you want. A good start however, is a mic that's gonna let you hear in playback what you spent all that time sounding like what you wanted it to. So in sum, The Royer R-101 is a worthy investment... Hope this helps!

Great Mic Period It's a must have!

Really shines on electric guitars!!! Have not tried it on anything else, because i bought it just for recording amps... everything just sets in the mix right...used with a Cloud lifter and the Mico pre amp.

Amazing Mic!!

The Royer R-101 is an incredible value. Amazingly well built and it comes with a great shock-mount and hard case.

So far I've only used it on electric guitar, but I can tell you that I've gotten the best tone, that I've ever had a chance to capture in 15+ years of studio work. I've always heard that Royers sound like you're in the room with the sound source, but what really surprised me is how much this mic captures the air around your tone. There's a sense of depth and punch to this mic that is absolutely stellar!!

Great Mic Period It's a must have!

This is my first Ribbon...I kinda jumped in the deeper end of the pool and I'm glad i did. Sounds fantastic on amps!!! It's really what I bought it for (have not tried it on anything else...Yet). I don't know how it stacks up against other ribbons but it sounds like what I always though a great guitar amp recording chain should sound like. Really improved how the guitar tracks sit in the mix. It's a must have for recording guitar amps.

Excellent Ribbon!

Bought this mic for the sole purpose of micing guitar cabs, and for that purpose this mic is a champ. It sounds great solo, as close to ear-neutral as I have heard from a mic, but even better mixed with a second source (right now I am favoring it paired with a Sennheiser e609). I have used it on a couple sessions and have been very happy both times. It feels very well built and sounds great, what else can I say. Very recommended!

Clear and Honest

Very nice for the price! Super clear and honest for fat electric guitar tracks. Sounds as good as ribbon mics twice the price, maybe not quite as versatile, but what a deal! I compared guitars parts recorded with this mic to tracks I did with the higher end ribbon mics and I really couldn't tell the difference. Add a Sen 421 to the mix and you'll be recording huge guitar tones!!!