We’re excited to enter the wonderful world of easy* stereo recordings – with excellent analog sound quality – as the Royer SF-12 stereo coincident ribbon microphone can deliver. We put up the Royer SF-12 as overhead mic on drums – which in hindsight was appropriate for the session – a punk (speed punk) style of drumming with lots of hits (LOTS of hits) – from the kick drum to the snare to the cymbals. Here are some photos of the drum microphone setup for that session with the Royer SF-12 about 6.5feet high in the middle of the drum kit. Just one more sound weaving options for drummers – only at Sound Weavers. Enjoy the drum recording session photos.

The Royer SF-12 is an excellent choice for drum overheads, where its stereo imaging and realism help to create powerful, dynamic drum tracks. In a jazz setting, recording the kit flat provides extremely natural sounding cymbals, tom-toms and snares. In rock and pop recordings where you’d like to capture the meat of the kit but with more air on the cymbals to help them cut more aggressively, simply open the top end up with EQ.

More description from the Royer Labs site, the SF-12 combines high quality audio performance with outstanding stereo separation and imaging. It is a modern ribbon design with no audible diffraction effects or cavity resonance. An SF-12 is actually two matched ribbon microphones placed one above the other; each aimed 45 degrees from center in the classic Blumlein configuration. The frequency response is excellent regardless of the angle of sound striking the ribbons and off-axis coloration is negligible.

The SF-12 utilizes two 1.8-micron ribbons, each weighing approximately 1/3 milligram and producing superb transient response. The two ribbon transducers are magnet/pole piece structures that produce a wide, uniform frequency response with no substantial peaks or dips. The case is ingot iron and forms part of the magnetic return circuit, an effective system with low leakage flux which accounts for the relatively high sensitivity in a trim package. The SF-12’s extension cable comes with a Y adapter that splits into separate 3-pin male XLR connectors labeled “Upper” and “Lower,” for the upper and lower capsules of the microphone (when held vertically).

Sound Weavers has an assortment of classic and modern studio ribbon microphones to choose from, from the AEA R84 with DJV (DJ and Vocal option), a matched pair of Peluso R14 ribbon mics and a Royer Labs R-121, arguably one of the most sought after mics for electric guitars, pianos, horns, drums, acoustic guitars (alright, on almost all sound sources). Ask us about your sound and tonal options for your recording session. Gotta go, got to run more stereo recording experiments.

*note that the word easy stereo recordings is used with a TON of liberty. Aligning microphone capsules (even matched pairs) so that they are truly coincident and thus, none or minimal phase and correlation problems – takes a LOT of TIME. First you gotta pick a spot or position, then you gotta align the mics, then let the player play sounds through it, then make adjustments… with the Royer SF-12 it’s all easy due to the perfect placement of the ribbon elements – a 360 degree sound curtain – sweet. I know, lots of technical blah blah but the good thing is you don’t have to worry about it. Just listen and play your part, with “soul” alright?

Click here to view the microphones available for your recording sessions at Sound Weavers.
tags: Royer SF-12, Ribbon Microphone, Stereo microphone