Specialized recording techniques, Recording on the back side of the r-122v – Royer Labs R-122V User Manual
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If the outputs of the “mid” and “side” microphones are recorded on separate tracks, the electrical
connections shown in Figure 3 can be made at the mixer outputs and the adjustment of the stereo
separation can be done during mixdown, rather than during the actual recording.
Specialized Recording Techniques
Recording on the Back Side of the R-122V
The R-122V incorporates an “offset ribbon” design that enables it to handle high sound pressure
levels such as those produced by loud guitar amplifiers and other instruments. An interesting
phenomenon as a result of this offset ribbon construction is that the R-122V records slightly
brighter on its back side than on its front (logo) side, when the microphone is three feet or closer
to the sound source. This can be extremely useful when a brighter response is desirable, such as
when recording acoustic instruments or vocalists.
When recording vocals on either side of an R-122V, a quality pop filter (such as the Royer
PS-101 metal pop screen) is essential to protect the ribbon element from wind blasts. As with any
figure-8 microphone, the front side of the R-122V is in-phase and the back side is out-of-phase.
We suggest that you reverse the phase polarity on your microphone preamplifier to achieve in-
phase recordings when tracking on the back side of an R-122V.
Normal proximity effect (increase of bass), which is prevalent on the R-122V and all ribbon
microphones, starts to occur normally at 4-6 feet from the microphone and increases with
closeness. Vocalists and voice-over talents often work the microphone closely to take advantage
of proximity effect, which gives an authoritative quality or rich texture to their voice.
Cautionary Note:
It is important to note that the SPL handling capability of the rear side of the R-122V is lower
than its front side. The R-122V is rated for 135dB SPL on its front side, but recordings on the
rear side should not exceed 115dB SPL. When tracking loud sounds on the front side, the
Figure 3
Typical M-S connection set-up
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