R-122 MKII Tests – Electric Guitar & Dobro

Royer R-122 MKll Test Tracks

The R-122 MKll is an extremely versatile phantom-powered ribbon mic with a switchable -15 dB pad and a switchable bass roll-off set at 100 Hz, 6 dB per octave.

Electric Guitar:

Recorded by Michael Wagener at WireWorld Studio, Nashville TN.

Recording chain: R-122 MKll to Chandler TG2 preamplifier. Recorded to Nuendo.

Close miking electric guitars with an active ribbon mic can result in microphone or preamplifier distortion if:
1) the mic’s output is too hot for the following mic pre to handle.
2) the mic is plugged into a preamplifier with low input impedance, or
3) the phantom power is weak,

The R-122 MKll’s -15 dB pad reduces the mic’s sensitivity to 2 dB LESS than our non-powered R-121, giving the mic plenty of headroom even in torturous conditions.

In this video, we used a 100-watt Metropoulos 12,000 amplifier turned up LOUD but fairly clean. See recording notes below.

 

R-122 MKll Test Tracks Continued

Dobro:

Randy Kohrs playing Dobro. Recorded by Randy Kohrs at Slack Key Studio, Nashville TN.

Recording chain: R-122 to RTZ preamplifier. Recorded in Pro Tools

1) R-122 MKll on Dobro, flat with no switches engaged.
2) R-122 MKll on Dobro with low cut switch engaged.
3) R-122 MKll on Dobro with low cut switch and -15 dB pad engaged.
4) R-122 MKll on Dobro with low cut switch and -15 dB pad engaged. The RTZ preamp is turned up 15 dB to make up for the -15 dB pad, bringing in more of the personality of the pre.

Kings X – Full Mixes and Isolated Tracks

Electric Guitar – R-121
Drums Overheads – SF-12

Produced, engineered & mixed by Michel Wagener.
Recorded at Wireworld Studio, Nashville, TN.

Recording chain: All R-121s into Chandler TG2, TG Channel, and Germanium preamps. All preamps mixed to one bus, to Crane Song HEDD, to Euphonix AM713 A/D converter. Recorded to Steinberg Nuendo.

1) “Free” (Kings X)

a) Full Mix


 

b) Electric Guitar: two R-121’s on a Randall 4-12 stereo guitar cabinet. (See photos)


 

c) Electric Guitar: two R-121’s on a Randall 4-12 stereo guitar cabinet and an R-121 three inches from a Randall RM-20 small combo amp. (See photos)


 

2) “I Don’t Know” (Kings X)
Two R-121’s on a Randall 4-12 stereo guitar cabinet. (See photos)


 

3) “Move” (Kings X)
Two R-121’s on a Randall 4-12 stereo guitar cabinet and an 121 three inches from a Randall RM-20 small combo amp. (See photos)