r121 or u195?

[seaneldon]

they're two COMPLETELY different microphones. what are you looking for?

mercenary will loan you the mics if you have a credit card.

[tommyd]

If you've browsed this forum at all then I'm sure that you're expecting the answer that I'm about to give you..............................Buy them Both!
As seaneldon said you should get them in your room and see if they work for you, but once you do you'll want them both.
The Royer in conjunction with a 57 on loud guitar amps will give you great options, great for horns, acoustics, hell try it on everything!
Same goes for the u195. Works well on a variety of vocalists (but not all) great on acoustic, I have a pair that I use on drum overheads most of the time.
CHeck em both out, you can't go wrong.
TommyD

[rnt_u_listnng]

Both mics are great so you can't really go too wrong here. Each of these mics has multiple characters depending on how they are used. The R121s have a bright side and a dark side depending on which side of the mic you use. The U195 has a fat switch which totally changes the sound you get from that mic.

I find the 195 a bit more versatile since you can use it vocals, as a room mic for guitar or drums and for vocals. The Royer works well on guitar cabs (especially with a 57 it's hard to beat) and I like it on both acoustic guitar (mixed with other mics) and on cymbals - very sweet ride cymbal sounds. I haven't found the 121 very useful for vocals.

Either way, these are both super mics. Let us know what you decide to do

[norman_nomad]

The Royer 121 is fantastic for rock.... distortion guitar, overheads, room mic ... it pretty much kicks ass in all of these applications. It's a must have mic for those of us working in the digial world.

I have to warn you however that I was almost always underwhelmed with the Royer 121 running through my 002r preamps. The 121 needs a lot of gain, and running through the 002r it tends to sound dull and boring...at least in comparison to my Chandler TG2.... great pres really make the 121 shine.

My two cents...

[badperson]

thanks for the replies...


I have a great river me1nv as my "A" pre, so that should work pretty well,

I'm leaning towards the r121 because it's so widely used for guitar cabs, horns and all sorts of stuff.

but the u195....awfully tempting.


Can anyone talk specifically about the ntk and what kind of differences they've noticed? I read this forum all the time, so I know the room/performer/instruments/genre makes it really subjective, but thought I'd throw it out there.

Thanks in advance.


bp

[Faderjockey]

I love both together on rock gtr

[gwailoh]

Originally Posted by norman_nomad

I have to warn you however that I was almost always underwhelmed with the Royer 121 running through my 002r preamps. The 121 needs a lot of gain, and running through the 002r it tends to sound dull and boring...at least in comparison to my Chandler TG2.... great pres really make the 121 shine.

What he said. It might be worth looking at a 122 instead of a 121. Doesn't require as much gain from the pre-amp.

FWIW the 195 is the only thing I ever bought from Mercenary and returned. Bless their hearts for allowing customers to do that. I know that many people sing the praises of the 195 but for me it lacked character and sounded small. By contrast the 122 is the mic I use most often.

[Faderjockey]

I didn't think so...I like the U195 on gtr and bass cab...I really like it on outside kick...Not crazy about it on vocals...Bg vocal different. But didn't like it on a lead vocal.

I use my R121 with 3pres on gtr. Depends on the tunes..But for most rock I like the Royer running through TG2, LTD-1 and Great River MP2H.

[retropete]

It really depends on what you're using it for. If you're looking for a vocal mike, I wouldn't think of either of these as a first choice.

I use 2 U195s for overheads, I use the R121 for room mike and guitar cabs.

I have two NTKs that aren't being used anymore. I don't hate them the way some people do. I found them useful as overheads and vocal. For vocal, I'm using a Peluso 47 that I like IMMENSELY.

I've used the U195 for vocals, I didn't think it was a great match for either of the singers I usually work with.

YMMV

[illiummusic]

I am a big fan of both mics. The R121 works best if you have a pre with alot of gain and an impedance selector. You tend to have to play around with imp. settings to find the best sound. The U195 also is awsome on a kick. Especially if you take the front head off and it sits 1-2 feet outside. Although it helps if you build some type of tunnel to minimize bleed from the rest of the kit.