Royer Labs Blog | Ribbon Mic Technique and Recording Tips

Royer Ribbons on Drums: Bobby Holland's Mic-by-Mic Tour

Written by Everybody at Royer Labs | Oct 23, 2026, 7:08:00 PM

Ribbons on drums isn't new. Ribbons on every part of the kit, compared side by side, is a different afternoon. At Pentavirate Studios in Nashville, engineer Bobby Holland walked through the Royer lineup on a full drum session.

Bobby Holland's drum mic tour · 3:25 · Pentavirate Studios, Nashville

Kick out: Royer R-10

Bobby put the R-10 on the outside of the kick, something he'd never done before. His verdict: he likes it a lot.

Kick in vs kick out: the sE V Kick inside the drum on its own, then the R-10 outside brought up on the fader. Sound on.R-10 on kick out. The 160 dB SPL rating is why this works.The R-10 in front of the Gretsch kick.Mics around the kick.

Overheads: SF-12 vs a spaced pair of R-12s

The SF-12 in Blumlein against a spaced A-B pair of R-12s, then both collapsed to mono to check phase coherence. Same kit, two very different pictures of it.

SF-12 over the kit, with the R-12 pair spaced either side.
Overheads: switch between the pairs0:00 / 3:00

Same take, level-matched. Switch mics while it plays. Open all four in the Listening Library

Rooms: SF-24 vs SF-24V

The same room on two stereo ribbons. The SF-24 goes deeper. The SF-24V is focused, with nice clarity.

SF-24 on rooms. The SF-24V sat right beside it for the comparison.
Rooms: switch between the mics0:00 / 3:00

Same take, level-matched. Switch mics while it plays. Open all four in the Listening Library

Shaker: Royer SF-2

Bobby called the SF-2 on shaker the best sounding shaker he's ever heard.

SF-2 on shaker.
SF-2 on shakerIsolated track · 0:21
Download 24-bit FLAC

Compare it with the tambourine takes in the Listening Library

Four short cuts

If you only have a minute, the session also exists as four vertical cutdowns: R-10 on kick, SF-12 vs R-12 overheads, SF-24 vs SF-24V rooms, and the SF-2 on shaker. They'll roll out on Royer's social channels over the coming weeks.

The live room at Pentavirate Studios, Nashville.

Recorded at Pentavirate Studios, Nashville. Engineered by Bobby Holland.

Switch between the overheads and room mics yourself in the Listening Library

Explore the Royer Labs lineup