Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - crowley and tripps naked eye versus royer 121 for guitars, overheads, etc.

Doc Mixwell · 18th May 2007

Hey guys,

The Crowley and Trip "Naked Eye" is a really great ribbon for Electric GTR applications. The front pickup lobe has a wonderfully "thick", traditional response and works incredibly well on rhythm tracks!!. The rear lobe is the brighter side that might be better suited for vocals, drum kit elements, horns, etc...etc... The Dual Voicing makes the Naked Eye a really versatile choice.

I have not tried the Naked Eye on overheads but i have used The Sound Stage, the Proscenium and the Studio Vocalist, and have loved each one in a much different way.

During a session with a top-notch drummer (JAY!!) I had some other ribbons on the overheads (ride side, hat side, about 4 to 5 ft above the kit placed in a parallel manor) and found that it was WAY too harsh, so we swapped them out for "Sound Stage's" and found that it rolled off the annoying harsh brightness and gave great clarity and definition to the cymbals and the overall picture of the kit.

They were very clear and present without mucking up the rest of the picture.

The Royer 121 has a much less "thick" texture, unless you smash it up against the grill of a REALLY loud amp. The 121 has a really full response and can seem dark on sound sources that are further away. I would recommend that you bring the pair closer to the kit so as to capture more of the direct sound.

hope this helps
peace
mixwell

18th May 2007	#9
Doc Mixwell 70% coffee & 30% beer Joined: Dec 2006 Location: Quincy, MA Posts: 7,718	Ribbon Mic Shoot-out Hey guys, The Crowley and Trip "Naked Eye" is a really great ribbon for Electric GTR applications. The front pickup lobe has a wonderfully "thick", traditional response and works incredibly well on rhythm tracks!!. The rear lobe is the brighter side that might be better suited for vocals, drum kit elements, horns, etc...etc... The Dual Voicing makes the Naked Eye a really versatile choice. I have not tried the Naked Eye on overheads but i have used The Sound Stage, the Proscenium and the Studio Vocalist, and have loved each one in a much different way. During a session with a top-notch drummer (JAY!!) I had some other ribbons on the overheads (ride side, hat side, about 4 to 5 ft above the kit placed in a parallel manor) and found that it was WAY too harsh, so we swapped them out for "Sound Stage's" and found that it rolled off the annoying harsh brightness and gave great clarity and definition to the cymbals and the overall picture of the kit. They were very clear and present without mucking up the rest of the picture. The Royer 121 has a much less "thick" texture, unless you smash it up against the grill of a REALLY loud amp. The 121 has a really full response and can seem dark on sound sources that are further away. I would recommend that you bring the pair closer to the kit so as to capture more of the direct sound. hope this helps peace mixwell __________________ Adam Brass adam@dspdoctor.com DSPdoctor "Pro Audio Gear And Advice for the Modern Recording Studio" ________________ "Any opinions above are worth exactly what you paid for them." Anonymous "If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward. Thomas Edison RTFM