Royer Labs Debuts R-101 Ribbon Microphone

Burbank, CA (August 18, 2010) -- Royer Labs has introduced the new R-101 to their lineup of ribbon microphones. The R-101 brings the company's renowned ribbon mic quality with Royer's offset-ribbon design to a more affordable level. Here's what Royer has to say about the new microphone:

A pioneering design with high SPL (sound pressure level) capabilities and extremely low residual noise, the R-101 is ideal for both studio and live sound reinforcement applications. It offers exemplary performance for a wide range of miking tasks—at a price point that makes this new microphone a most compelling choice.

The new R-101 offers numerous technological advancements pioneered by Royer Labs. Chief among them is the microphone’s multi-layered wind screening for superior protection from air blasts and plosives, providing excellent protection for the microphone’s ribbon element. This unique screening system also reduces proximity effect, facilitating closer miking with less bass buildup. The ribbon element's smooth frequency response and phase linearity, coupled with sensitivity levels surpassing those of “classic” ribbon microphones, enable the new R-101 to provide an element of analog warmth so essential to today’s digital recording systems. The perfect choice for miking electric guitars, brass instruments, and drums, the R-101's figure-8 pattern also conveys superb ambience and depth when used for room miking applications.

The R-101 incorporates Royer's patented offset-ribbon technology and a low mass, 2.5-micron aluminum (99.9% pure) ribbon element. The ribbon transducer’s flux-frame and rare earth Neodymium magnets create a powerful magnetic field which increases sensitivity while reducing stray magnetic radiation.

The offset-ribbon design of the new R-101 positions the ribbon element towards the front of the microphone body, allowing for higher SPL handling on the front (logo) side of the microphone and the option of a brighter response when recording lower SPL sound sources on the microphone’s back side. This innovative approach results in the R-101’s ability to withstand 135dB SPL @ 30 Hz. The R-101 is a perfect choice for close miking, capturing the attack transients of percussion instruments, recording loud instruments such as brass and horn sections, or miking electric guitar cabinets. Equally notable, the R-101 is a great choice for miking strings, acoustic guitar, and piano.

It should also be noted that, with the new R-101, there are no internal electronics to overload or produce distortion up to the microphone’s maximum SPL rating and the ribbon element is not affected by heat or humidity. Equally significant, the extremely high quality of both the R-101’s manufacturing and its components results in an absence of high frequency peaks, “ringing,” and phase shifts and enables this new microphone to have extremely low residual noise.

Rick Perrotta, President of Royer Labs, commented on the company’s new R-101 Ribbon Microphone. “The R-101 has numerous benefits that make it a great choice for the audio professional,” says Perrotta. “This microphone employs some noteworthy manufacturing qualities, including the absence of nickel or black chrome plating. We decided to employ a high quality epoxy finish that is extremely durable and is environmentally friendly. We also incorporated an entirely new multi-layered wind screen design that provides better protection for the element, and we’ve included a shockmount, which can be a rather pricey accessory. Further, we designed the R-101 to exhibit less proximity effect—enabling people who may not be accustomed to using ribbon mics to achieve excellent results. All of these factors contribute to a very capable microphone that addresses those customers who may not be in a position to spend more than a thousand dollars.”

The Royer Labs R-101 Ribbon Microphone ships with a heavy-duty protective carrying case, a suspension-type shock mount, and a mic sock. The R-101 is expected to ship in early September, 2010 and carry an MSRP of $895.00.

For more information:
Royer Labs

Source: Press Release