When capturing Brian Setzer’s unique sound on tour, FOH engineer Jimbo Neal relies on an assortment of Royer Labs microphones to get the job done right.
In addition to being responsible for all sound considerations in terms of mixing and recording shows for both the Brian Setzer Orchestra and the Stray Cats, Jimbo is also the FOH engineer for Dave Stewart.
Not surprisingly, Jimbo has some very strong opinions when it comes to his choice of microphones.
That’s why he relies on Royer’s Live Series microphones—the R-121 Live and R-122 Live—as well as the Royer SF-24 Stereo Active Ribbon Microphone.
With their warm tone and the ability to handle high SPL’s Jimbo knows he can count on his Royers during the heat of performance.
With his signature Gretsch hollow body guitar, Brian Setzer plays through a Fender Bassman amplifier. This is a unique combination of instruments to mic,” Jimbo explained.
“The Fender Bassman can get a little edgy, and the R-121 Live does a terrific job of keeping the sound really smooth and true. There’s a lot of SPL coming off that amp cabinet and, with its ability to handle those levels, the R-121 keeps the sound warm and smooth.”
“I’ve had countless musicians come up to me a say, ‘How does that guitar sound so good?’ Whenever that happens, I’ll give them the headphones so they can listen to the Royer mic’s impact on the sound and then they just smile and say ‘OK, I get it’. The R-121 makes a huge difference to the sound.”
“On these shows, every input has to sound great,” Jimbo said,” and the Royer mics really help me with that. The bass and guitar are such important parts of the show that they have to really sound exceptional.”
“When we’re working with the larger orchestra, my Royer mics help me with imaging—placing the sound exactly where it needs to be while maintaining the definition of each individual player.”
If I could figure out how to put my Royers on every source that needed to miked, I would.”
