Royer Labs SF-2 - Manual (Page 4)

Description
The Royer Labs SF-2 is a compact, bi-directional (figure-eight) velocity type ribbon microphone
designed for professional applications. It is a modern ribbon design, with no audible diffraction
effects or cavity resonance. The figure-eight pick-up pattern allows the SF-2 to be addressed
from either side with equal sensitivity. The in-phase signal is achieved when the microphone is
addressed from the front, indicated by the “ROYER” logo.
The SF-2 is reasonably tolerant to shock and vibration, but care should be taken to prevent rough
handling, which could stretch the sensitive ribbon element (see the Care & Maintenance section
of this manual). The performance of the microphone is unaffected by changes in temperature or
humidity.
It is important to note that while Royer ribbon microphones are known for durability, they still
must be treated with the respect due any fine instrument. All Royer’s are built to last a lifetime,
but the thicker ribbon elements in our R-series ribbon microphones were designed to withstand
closer miking and higher SPL’s than the finer ribbon elements used in the SF-2. The SF-2 is rated
to handle 130 dB SPL at 50 Hz, while the R-121 can handle levels greater than 135 dB SPL at 40
Hz. Please keep this in mind as you use your SF-2. Handled carefully, it will be many years
before you need to re-ribbon your microphone (ribbons can last indefinitely if not abused).
Ribbons in the Digital World
Digital recordings benefit greatly from the properties inherent in ribbon microphones. Since A/D
converters cannot distinguish between the sound source being recorded and the complex
distortion components often generated by condenser microphones, they can have difficulty
tracking the signal, resulting in ringing and edgy-sounding tracks. With ribbon microphones,
ringing is almost nonexistent due to the ribbon’s lack of distortion artifacts and high-frequency
peaks. A/D converters have less difficulty tracking the ribbon-generated signal, resulting in
smoother sounding digital recordings free of microphone-related edginess.
User’s Guide
Using the SF-2 Active Ribbon ® Microphone
The head amplification system in the SF-2 was designed to operate with standard 48-volt simplex
phantom power only. The microphone will not work at all if phantom power is not applied to the
microphone! This aspect of an active ribbon microphone is in sharp contrast to conventional
ribbon microphones. The ribbon elements in non-powered ribbon mics can be stretched or
completely blown by phantom power. The ribbon elements in Royer’s active series ribbon
microphones are electronically isolated and can not be damaged by phantom power.
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