Ribbons on Strings, No EQ: Inside the Pentavirate Sessions

support@royerlabs.com (Everybody at Royer Labs) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:10:00 GMT

Most microphones add something you spend the rest of the session taking out. We went to Pentavirate Studios in Nashville to see what happens when a mic doesn't.

▶ Unmute Active Ribbons on Strings · 3:04 · Pentavirate Studios, Nashville

With musical director Anthony Da Costa playing and engineer Bobby Holland tracking, we recorded fiddle, steel-string acoustic, a "Nashville strung" acoustic and mandolin on Royer ribbons. No EQ and no compression on the instruments. Here is what went where.

Steel-string acoustic and fiddle: Royer SF-2

The active ribbon went on the two brightest instruments in the session, the steel-string acoustic and the fiddle. No EQ on either.

SF-2

SF-2 on the steel-string acoustic.

SF-2 on steel-string acoustic Isolated, no EQ · Take 1

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SF-2 on Russell Durham’s fiddle.

SF-2 on fiddle Isolated, no EQ · Take 1

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Steel-string acoustic: Royer SF-24V

The tube stereo ribbon on the same steel-string, for a stereo picture of the guitar and the room around it.

SF-24V

SF-24V on the steel-string acoustic.

SF-24V, take 1 Steel-string acoustic and fiddle · No EQ

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SF-24V, take 2 Nashville-strung acoustic and mandolin · Stereo · No EQ

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Nashville-strung acoustic and mandolin: Royer R-12

The R-12 took the "Nashville strung" acoustic (a six-string carrying the high-octave strings from a 12-string set, so it rings like the top half of a 12) and the mandolin. Still no EQ.

R-12

R-12 on the Nashville-strung acoustic.

R-12 on Nashville-strung acoustic Isolated, no EQ · Take 2

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R-12 on Russell Durham’s mandolin.

R-12 on mandolin Isolated, no EQ · Take 2

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The signal chain

Every ribbon went straight into the Undertone Audio MPDI-4, all four channels, through Lynx converters and the API The Box 2 console. The only processing was a little compression from the UnFairchild 670M II on the mix bus.

MPDI-4

MPDI-4: four channels, four ribbons, no EQ.

Why it works

Accurate, resonance-free capture means each instrument shows up as it is and finds its own place in the mix. What you hear is the instrument, not the microphone.

Russell Durham (left) and Anthony Da Costa in the live room at Pentavirate Studios, Nashville. Russell Durham on fiddle, captured whole.

Recorded at Pentavirate Studios, Nashville. Featuring Anthony Da Costa, with Russell Durham on fiddle and mandolin. Engineered by Bobby Holland. Equipment provided by Lynx, API, HEDD Audio, Accusound Cable Company, Royer Labs and Undertone Audio.

Compare all six tracks side by side in the Listening Library

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

support@royerlabs.com (Everybody at Royer Labs) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:08:00 GMT

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.

▶ Unmute 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.

R-10

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 R-12 pair

SF-12 over the kit, with the R-12 pair spaced either side.

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Overheads: switch between the pairs 0:00 / 3:00

R-12 spaced pairSF-12 in Blumlein

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 SF-24V

SF-24 on rooms. The SF-24V sat right beside it for the comparison.

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Rooms: switch between the mics 0:00 / 3:00

SF-24VSF-24

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

SF-2 on shaker.

SF-2 on shaker Isolated track · 0:21

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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

Royer Labs blog

Ribbons on Strings, No EQ: Inside the Pentavirate Sessions

Steel-string acoustic and fiddle: Royer SF-2

Steel-string acoustic: Royer SF-24V

Nashville-strung acoustic and mandolin: Royer R-12

The signal chain

Why it works

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

Kick out: Royer R-10

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

Rooms: SF-24 vs SF-24V

Shaker: Royer SF-2

Four short cuts