Los Angeles, CA… Los Angeles based Ross Hogarth is a multi-Grammy-winning Engineer/Mixer/Producer with decades of popular recordings under his belt. Known for his ability to bring out authentic performances from both bands and solo artists, Hogarth’s work ranges from R.E.M, Ziggy Marley, Keb’ Mo’ and James McMurtry to Van Halen, Edgar Winter, John Mellencamp and many others.
In Royer’s earliest days Hogarth was instrumental to the now-classic R-121/SM57 microphone blend being used as the go-to electric guitar setup. “I’ve become known as the guy who made blending an R-121 and SM57 a staple for recording electric guitars when Royer Labs was still a new company.,” Hogarth reports. “It’s just the best way to capture electric guitars. You get that full guitar cab capture with the R-121 and the midrange fist of the 57 we’re all so use to, then blend them until you have the vibe you want. It’s my always go-to.”
Hogarth discovered Royer Labs in 1998 and quickly drew close to the company. “I have one or more of every Royer model, and they’ve been on every session I’ve recorded since 1998,” he said. “Starting with the R-122 in 2002, Royer has sent me prototypes of everything they’ve ever made for testing and real-world feedback. They know I’m going to be honest about what I like or don’t like or what needs work.”
Royer President John Jennings states, “When we’re developing new gear, if anyone’s going to find a problem, or clearly articulate a strength or strengths, it’s Ross. I always count on his ears and his absolute straightforwardness to give me the truth about how our products stand up in the studio on different applications – it’s been really helpful to us over the years.”
In mid 2025, Royer sent Hogarth a pair of prototype R-12 phantom powered ribbon mics to try out. When asked for his thoughts, Hogarth said, “This is literally one of the best sounding, most versatile ribbon mics I’ve ever used. I was shocked when I put an R-12 on a guitar cab for the first time. It sounded excellent – natural and smooth, with the clarity and midrange focus I count on from Royer mics. I was expecting some sort of compromise due to the lower price point, but there is no compromise anywhere in this mic. I have no idea how they built that kind of performance into a mic that costs less than a thousand dollars. The R-12 is an amazing value in a microphone.”
Asked to elaborate, Hogarth said, “I’ve mostly been using the R-12 on electric guitar cabs, some acoustic instruments, and as a drum room or utility mic. The mic’s phantom powered circuitry gives it good output for quieter instruments, the hi-pass is configured well and pulls down proximity effect, and the 15dB pad keeps the levels under control when I’m recording loud guitars, which I do a lot of. I like to use the pad, but even without the pad engaged the mic never folds or blows up. It can handle insane levels and still sound great, with no distortion.”
Asked about other models he uses regularly, Hogarth continued, “I seriously love an SF-24 or SF-24V as a room mic on strings and horns. I never record without that mic in front of the section. I absolutely love the SF-24 as a stereo drum overhead mic, as well as in front of a Leslie – I do that all the time. Another staple for me is using the SF-24 head-to-head with an R-121 (or R-122 or R-122V) in front of a drum kit. I’ve done that with Kenny Aronoff for years and now that’s the setup he uses in his personal studio. You place the SF-24 stereo mic upside down 6 to 8 feet in front of the kit, then put the mono ribbon upright directly below the SF-24, giving you a left lobe, right lobe, and center lobe. It captures the whole kit effectively with 2 microphones. That’s often the anchor of my overall drum sound. At Royer they call it the ‘Hogarth Method.’”
“One other mic I have to mention is the R-122V tube ribbon.” Hogarth added. “That mic is amazing on so many things. When I made Van Halen’s last record, I asked Eddie if he’d be willing to try something new since he had never heard an R-122V. I put an R-122V and SM57 on his cabinet and let him blend the mics himself. Eddie ended up loving the results he attained by just blending the mics with no eq, and he bought his own R-122Vs.
Asked if he had any other thoughts to share before getting back to the studio, Hogarth said, “There are a lot of good mics out there, including the Royers I pull out every day. But the R-12 is great and a terrific value and will do more than you think. Just grab one or two – you’ll be glad you did when you find yourself using them all the time!”
To learn more about Ross Hogarth, visit https://www.hoaxproductions.com.
About Royer Labs
Located in Burbank, California, Royer Labs’ microphones are a staple of leading recording and broadcast facilities. Royer ribbons can be found on countless albums, and they feature prominently on projects such as the Academy Awards and other high-profile events. Additional information about the entire line of Royer Labs microphones can be obtained at www.royerlabs.com.
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