Canadian Musician - November/December 2018 | Page 22

ROAD
TEST
Royer Labs R-10
Ribbon Microphone
By Adam Gallant
T
he Royer R-10 is a compact, passive
ribbon microphone designed for use
in the studio and in live performance
settings. Hand-built alongside the
rest of the Royer arsenal in the com-
pany’s Burbank, CA factory, the R-10 represents
the lowest-cost entry point into the Royer family
of ribbon microphones to date.
Overview
The R-10 comes in a sturdy, foam-lined hardshell
case with a swivel-mount and a cloth storage
pouch. The microphone is hefty in weight and
has an attractive shape and finish. It has a com-
pact size that makes it easy to position, and the
included mount is rugged with quality threads
on both the mount and microphone.
Royer ribbon mics are an industry-wide staple
on guitar amps, and the R-10 is no exception. It
captures low end and midrange warmth with
amazing attack times, all the while dodging abra-
sive high end and harshness. The R-10, like all
mics in the R line, handles aggressive EQ really
well and the resulting sound in a mix tends to
be controlled, rich, and natural.
In Use
On drums, I found the sound to be full-bodied
and realistic. The R-10’s figure-eight pattern does
a great job with direct drum sounds while offer-
ing ambience and depth. A single, compressed
R-10 in front of the kit sounds lively and can be
mixed in aggressively without feeling harsh or
stepping on vocals in the centre channel.
On voice, during our tests, I used the back
side of the microphone. This side of the mic has
a slightly brighter sound and outputs a little more
volume, as per the offset ribbon design (more on
that in a moment). I did notice that the proximity
effect (a boost in low end when moving closer
to the sound source) is less apparent on the R-10
when compared to our studio’s Royer R-122.
On strings and brass, Royer ribbons tend to
produce the most pleasing and realistic sound
on playback, as far as I’m concerned. I find that
with condenser mics, the top end on strings and
brass comes across as brittle and often takes up
22 • C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N
too much space in the high-end where I prefer
the vocal to sit. I compared the R-10 to our R-122
on violin, viola, and upright bass. In my opinion,
the R-10 beat out the R-122 for long, padded
violin sections though the R-122 did a better job
of handling the low end on upright bass and
plucked violia.
The R-10 can handle close-miked trumpets,
trombones, and other brass instruments with no
overloading and presents a very pleasing sound
on playback.
Musicians, especially string and brass play-
ers, tend to comment on the Royer’s sound on
playback more than any other microphone that
we use at our studio. I suspect this is due to its
natural and inviting sound. A lot of string and
brass players are used to hearing their instrument
in the room with its full-bodied sound and feel-
ing and Royer ribbons, the R-10 included, are able
to reproduce that feeling on playback.
The R-10 contains the same patented offset
ribbon transducer as the ever-popular R-121.
The aluminum ribbon is positioned toward the
back of the microphone, which allows for high
SPL handling (up to 160dB @ 1 kHz) on the front
side as well as the option of a brighter response
when recording lower SPL sources (acoustic gui-
tar or vocals) on the back side. The transducer
is also internally shockmounted, isolating the
ribbon element from shocks and vibrations and
increasing its durability. The R-10 utilizes a Da-
vid Royer custom-designed transformer for high
overload threshold, which minimizes saturation
at extremely high SPLs. All this to say, the R-10
makes a great microphone for recording loud
rock instruments at close proximity. If used on
low-level sound sources, a nice preamp with lots
of clean gain and a high impedance will offer
the best results.
Summary
The R-10 is unprecedented in its value. At its core,
it shares the same handmade transducer as the
costlier R-121 and R-122. Manufacturing costs
were lowered by having the body and internal
frame made in China (at the same factory that
produces parts for the Mojave line of micro-
phones). With that said, the R-10 is of the utmost
quality and produces results that are comparable
to our more expensive R-122 MkII.
The R-10 is available in matched pairs, and
in my opinion, that would be a perfect solution
for drum overheads, drum room mics, and stereo
acoustic guitar.
If you record a lot of electric guitar, drums,
strings, or horns, then an R-10 (or a pair) would
be a wise investment and a great introduction
into the world of Royer ribbon mics.
Adam Gallant has worked in all facets of digital
audio production, from music composition to lo-
cation and post audio for television and film. He
currently owns and operates The Hill Sound Studio
in Charlottetown, PE.