good pre for a royer 121?/nice contrast to chandler germanium pre?

[meldar produxshu]

hey. first post here. i just got a royer 121 and i have to say i am not blown away with it plugged into a chandler germ pre. but as it goes, i am always looking for another pre that would work well with this highly praised ribbon, and be of nice contrast to the germanium pre and good for other uses . perhaps something less colored? maybe good with tube mics since my only other good mic is a rode NTK...let me know your thoughts.

[CrankyRayHanky]

I'm shocked...I thought the 121 germ was the guitar chain

[malaclypse]

maybe he's trying to use that chain on vox...

[Chunky But Funky]

Since you didn't address this in your post ... .have you experimented and exploited the "back lobe" of the figure 8 pattern being brighter (using the mic backwards)? Royer has great application guides on their site. Also, have you tried pulling it further back to give the cab some space to breathe? Otherwise, maybe try using it closer to the center of the speaker cone than you might usually try with a dynamic mic to brighten things up a bit. Just a few thoughts. You could also blend the Royer / Germanium with a Sennheiser 421 / API 512c. I can't see how you wouldn't get workable tones there. (I just read the above post after posting mine. I guess I assumed guitar chain as well!)

Doug

[boyinthebox]

AEA's TRP (The Ribbon Pre). Matter of fact, just a few days ago, I used a R121 with a TRP to great acclaim. Gobs of headroom for ribbon mics, all around wonderful pre. I have heard others using with it dynamic microphones, as well as powered tube microphones with great results. If you are not concerned with your choice offering phantom power, this bad boy is right up your alley and I highly reccomend putting your hands on one. If I am not mistaken, currently AEA is offering a Try Before You Buy demo of the TRP to anyone who is interested if you contact them!


Cheers.

[Grizzly]

I've never been blown away by a 121, although I find it useful on hats and amps (most of the time through a Phoenix DRS-2...)

Olivier.

[Suspects]

The classic guitar set-up would be a Chandler TG-2. Not nearly as colored as the Germ, but still has character (and works great on drums ).

Oh, and get a TRP too... for less than $800 it's a no-brainer and perfect for the clean stuff


Dave/Suspect Studios

[staudio]

Great River
Manley
Rupert Neve Portico
Grace Design
FMR RNP

All of these have given good results for me with the Royer's

The Manley in particular delivers every time with the Royer. Vocals, horns, strings, guitars. Rich and full.

[mcballs]

Can't go wrong with a Pacifica with the 121. Use the back side of the mic and back it off a bit. I use mine about 6-8 inches from the cone alongside a 57, both into the Pacifica. I do want to try the TG-2, though. Slightly off topic, but the 57 sounds way better (to me) through the Pacifica than my through Great River. With the 121, there is less difference.