As a session guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and recording artist, Andrew Synowiec is immersed in a wide variety of recording projects ranging from albums and jingles to work on major film and television soundtracks. For years Andrew has specialized in acoustic guitars and “vibey” acoustic instruments, which cover the walls of his Los Angeles, CA studio where he’s often called to record 4 or 5 different instruments in a day. Capturing all those instruments accurately, naturally, quickly, and consistently is the goal. This is why he relies on his Royer R-121 Ribbon Microphones, R-122 MKII Active Ribbon Microphones, and dBooster2 two-channel inline mic lifter.
Synowiec is a Grammy award-winning musician who has become one of LA’s most ‘go-to’ guitarists—racking up countless Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy-winning projects for artists ranging from trail-blazers Lil Nas X and Meghan Trainor to Nick Jonas, Ariana Grande, Michael Bublé, Chayanne, Elton John, Josh Groban, Marc Anthony and many others. He routinely works on Hollywood scoring stages, playing guitar on blockbusters like Encanto, Inside Out and Frozen (including the infectious song ‘Let It Go’). In his private recording studio House Of Syn, he’s recorded many tracks for #1 hit series like Cobra Kai and The Simpsons. As a solo artist, Synowiec brings his all-star band to sold-out crowds around the world and at home at LA’s renowned Baked Potato club.
For his acoustic instruments (guitars, bouzouki, ukulele, dulcimer, banjo, etc.), Synowiec relies on a pair of Royer R-121s and the dBooster2 inline mic lifter. He described his typical setup. “For all my acoustic instruments, I’m using the R-121s in a spaced pair configuration on a stereo bar going into the dBooster2,” he explained. “Typically for anything that’s a single performance, I will track it in stereo. If it’s more of a double-tracked type of part, I’ll use only one microphone in mono, recorded twice and panned hard L/R in the DAW.”
When asked why this combination works so well for him, Synowiec offered the following, “With the R-121s, it’s all about the sound. I always describe Royer microphones as sounding like ‘real life, but a little bit better.’” As for the Royer dBooster2 two-channel inline mic lifter, he said, “I do a lot of recording where I’m playing very delicately. Before I had the dBooster2, I was always wishing for a little more gain out of my mic preamp. The dBooster enables me to hit the perfect sweet spot of my mic preamp for optimal tone and signal-to-noise ratio.”
Asked about how he discovered Royer Labs, Synowiec says, “I first heard the R-121s when I was working on a film project. The composer was searching for a particular acoustic guitar sound and rented a ton of mics for a massive A/B test. The Royers really blew me away with their realistic yet slightly ‘euphoric’ sound. At this point, I’ve been using Royer mics regularly for about 10 years.”
Synowiec also uses a pair of R-122 MKII Active Ribbon Microphones. He shared his thoughts about what makes this microphone another choice well-suited for his recording projects, “I typically use the Royer R-122 MKII when I’m traveling to an outside studio, and I want to make sure I’ll be able to get ‘my sound.’ The low-cut filter and high SPL handling characteristics make these mics easy to fit into any situation. I’ve even used them to record my guitar live at the Baked Potato club in LA!”
As far as being a client of Royer Labs, Synowiec was very complimentary, “The folks at Royer are the best! There’s a real family vibe going on there, and they’re right on it if I ever need anything.”
Asked for any final thoughts on his years of recording with Royer gear, Synowiec said, “I just love using these mics. When I hear my guitar captured with Royers, it puts a smile on my face and puts me at ease because I know the sound is going to be right. How can you beat that?”
For more information about Andrew Synowiec, visit him online at www.andrewsynowiec.com or via Instagram: @andrewsynowiec.
