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The designers at Royer Labs have taken some of the inherent disadvantages of ribbon microphone technology and turned them into strengths. Any reasons not to reach for a ribbon mic have been thrown out the window with the company's latest product, the R-122 MKII - a ribbon mic that can be used in virtually any application where a figure eight pickup pattern is desired.
The R-122 MKII is a phantom-powered ribbon mic - a revised version of Royer's R-122, which was released in 2002 as the world's first active ribbon mic. The MKII was created to be more versatile than its predecessor with the addition of two great features: a switchable -15dB pad placed before the microphone's electronics and a low-cut filter switch that attenuates 6dB per octave at 100 Hz. These switches now make the R122 perfect for close-miking any instrument.
Out of its wooden jeweler's case, my first impressions of the build quality and look were very positive. The mic has a lot of weight (309 grams) and the nickel finish is classic and elegant. The switches themselves are plastic but seem robust enough to last the life of the mic and are recessed to avoid...