ROYER LABS R-10 Passive Ribbon Microphone

I still remember the first time I used a ribbon mic — a pair of Coles 4038s on drum overheads tracked in a lively old church building. The drum kit seemed to have a rugged ‘realness’ that a pair of condensers couldn’t quite capture the same way. The dark frequency response drew attention to the earthy texture of the drum skins and warm room reflections. I’ve jumped at the opportunity to set up a ribbon or two at a recording session ever since.

If you’re into ribbon mics, you’ve heard of Royer Labs. David Royer made his first mic in 1997, so it’s a relatively young company considering how far back you can trace other notable ribbon mic manufacturers like RCA, Coles and Beyerdynamic. But that hasn’t kept the brand from establishing itself as a studio staple. In a short time, the R-121