Sam Smith and Maroon 5 Use Royer Labs Microphones on Tour

Royer Labs’ new R-10 ribbon microphone is currently being used on tour with two Grammy-Award-winning artists: British vocalist Sam Smith and the American rock band Maroon 5.

Jim Ebdon serves as the FOH engineer for both Sam Smith and Maroon 5. In addition to using the Royer R-10 on guitar, he’s also using the Royer SF-24 Phantom Powered Stereo Ribbon Microphone and the R-121 Live.

“Modern sound systems have become so accurate that microphone type and placement has become more important than ever,” Ebdon explained. “I come from a studio background and was taught mic technique amongst other things. So, for me, it’s very important to have the right placement and mic choice on each instrument. I’d been hearing many positive reports about the R-10’s ability to capture electric guitar, so I was eager to give the mic a try. I’ve had excellent results for years with other Royer ribbons—such as their R-121 and R-121 Live mics. I’m also very fond of the Royer SF-24, which I use for drum overheads.”

“With the R-121s, I would always have the mic positioned at a 25-degree angle about 2 inches from the grill,” he added. “This seemed to work well in live applications with high SPLs from the off-stage guitar amps. Similarly, the R-10s are working just fine positioned 1 inch from the grill and parallel to the R-121. Sam Smith’s guitarist is using two Fender Twin amps. The guitar tones are loud and choppy and the R-10s are reproducing all of that beautifully!”

He also uses the Royer SF-24 for drum overheads.

“I have this mic positioned directly above the bass drum rim at the point where the beater hits,” he said. “This looks like it’s symmetrically in the middle of the kit. I have someone adjust the height manually up and down while the drummer plays. There is a noticeable optimal point at which the sound of the close mics and the SF-24 gel… and the drums become much fatter, which is the spot I’m looking for. The SF-24 is a truly fantastic microphone— a sonically superior stereo ribbon!”