Royer R121 Limited Edition 15th Anniversary Nickel

This is a special limited run of the award-winning Royer R-121 ribbon microphone. It has the same body and internal workings of the R-121, but sports the original black Royer logo that was issued when the mic debeuted in 1998. It is part of a limited run of 250 of these microphones, some of which are separated out to offer matched pairs. In that sense it is a very limited opportunity to own one of these rare and collectible microphones. The R-121 15th anniversary comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by David Royer.

That of course is a reason wholly apart from the best reason to own an R-121: the sound. Since its debut in 1998, the R-121 has been one of the most widely used and beloved studio microphones. Royer did away with the large, heavy, fragile "classic" approach to ribbon microphones and went in a completely new direction. The R-121 gives all of the warmth and natural sound that experienced engineers have long turned to ribbon mics for, but in a compact, light-weight, high output and tough-as-nails package that was unheard of in a ribbon mic before the R-121.

In its 10+ years in the market, thousands of R-121's have been sold around the world. It is well established as a standard for tracking electric guitar and brass. Like many of the best classic ribbon mics, the R-121 has a figure-8 pattern, output level comparable to a dynamic mic, and a warm, realistic tone and flat frequency response. But that's where the similarities end. By using advanced materials and a blend of cutting edge and old-school, hand-build construction techniques, the R-121 is an extremely versatile and user-friendly ribbon mic that can stand up to the most demanding tasks. Cranked up electric guitars, close up brass, drums - you name it, the R-121 will help you record it with realism you have to hear to believe.

The R-121's proprietary offset ribbon transducer (Patent # 6,434,252) is the first of its kind, positioning the ribbon element closer to the front (logo) side of the microphone. This arrangement gives the ribbon more room to move within the prime magnetic field while maintaining full frequency response during high SPL recordings. It's an integral piece of the magic of all Royer R-series microphones.