Royer R-10 Hot Rod

The R-10 “Hot Rod” 25th Anniversary limited-edition ribbon mic is our popular R-10 on steroids! The R-10 Hot Rod is fitted with a custom Anniversary Edition transformer that gives this microphone 5dB more output than the standard R-10, with a punchier feel and increased low-midrange focus. The R-10 Hot Rod also sports a 25th Anniversary black-accented trim package that looks as cool as this mic sounds.

Like our original R-10, the R-10 Hot Rod handles extremely high SPLs (160dB @ 1kHz), has an internally shock-mounted ribbon transducer & 3-layer wind screen system that combine to give the ribbon element excellent protection (making it our best choice for live work), features lowered proximity effect that make it an excellent for close miking instruments and singers, and carries a 5-year warranty with the first re-ribbon free. Like all Royer microphones, the R-10 Hot Rod is hand-built in Royer’s Burbank, CA facility.

The R-10 Hot Rod’s compact size and mounting system allow for flexible, unobtrusive positioning. Its 2.5-micron aluminum ribbon element is formed with our patented direct-corrugation process and the ribbon transducer is wired for humbucking to reject electromagnetically induced noise.

The R-10 Hot Rod’s built-in windscreen provides superior protection from air blasts and plosives. It also reduces proximity effect (bass buildup from close miking) so guitar cabinets and acoustic instruments can be close-miked with less bass buildup. The R-10 Hot Rod’s internally shockmounted ribbon transducer isolates the ribbon element from shocks and vibrations, increasing the ribbon element’s durability.

The mic’s open grill design minimizes standing waves and associated comb-filtering effects and its smooth frequency response, phase linearity and lack of self-distortion make it ideal for all digital recording and live sound formats.

The Sound

Royer ribbon mics are legendary on electric guitar and the R-10 Hot Rod shows some of its best stuff on studio and live electrics, capturing all the low end, midrange warmth and punch guitarists and engineers have come to expect from a Royer. If you want more bite in the highs but don’t want to multi-mic (particularly on live stages where blending microphones can create phase-related problems), the R-10 Hot Rod takes EQ beautifully.

Drums are full-bodied with realistic (not over-hyped) transients response, and the R-10 Hot Rod’s figure-8 pattern conveys superb ambience and depth when used for room miking applications. A compressed R-10 Hot Rod in front of the kit sounds huge and punchy.

R-10 Hot Rod recordings of violins, ukuleles, steel-stringed and nylon-stringed acoustic guitars, banjos, and other stringed instruments are warm and natural and fit into mixes easily. “Airing out” the recorded track by opening up a bit of 12K with an EQ often gives surprisingly good results. On these instruments, pairing the R-10 Hot Rod with our dBooster in-line signal booster gives even better results.

Vocals record warm and naturally on an R-10 Hot Rod, and the EQ-friendliness of the mic allows for dialing in completely different sounds with liberal use of EQ. Try experimenting with cutting bass at 100 Hz and opening up 12K by 3 to 6 dB (or more!). Some great vocal performances were recorded on highly EQ’d ribbon mics (Sixpence None the Richer “There She Goes Again” and “Kiss Me” for example). For audio examples of EQ’d vocals, visit our Audio/Video Library.