NAMM 2019: Royer dBooster R-DB20 – clean gain booster for ribbon and dynamic mics
US mic making heavyweight Royer finally revealed the contents of the mystery box it teased on Instagram ahead of NAMM. Going by the name dBooster model R-DB20, the little black rectangle is an in-line signal booster for ribbon and dynamic microphones, with phantom power and impedance buffer. The unit provides either 12dB or 20dB of distortion and coloration-free gain boost, selectable from a front panel switch.
Unlike competing products, says Royer, the R-DB20 maintains consistent headroom and gain, regardless of the load is attached to. This is very important for achieving the intended results with gain-hungry microphones, such as the timeless Shure SM7B.
The dBooster R-DB20 is also equipped with a low-impedance output to plug direct into mic preamps and audio interfaces. Long cable lengths are said not to be a problem whatsoever, and the same goes for driving difficult loads like mic splitters and vintage-style preamps. The unit is phantom-powered, fully regulated, and de-coupled for optimal operation. Furthermore, it serves to protect ribbon mics against phantom power hits while reducing the load on the microphone.
Sounds like a Royer mic’s best friend! And, indeed, Royer embarked on this product following the R-10 ribbon mic’s release. Since this is a relatively low output mic in need of a little extra gain to shine on recordings, and Royer deemed in-line preamp distortion unacceptible, it went on to build its own gain booster – the dBooster. The rest, as they say, is history – in the making.
Price and availability
With its market availability scheduled for mid-February, the dBooster R-DB20 will be sold at around USD 180, which is a reasonable price for what’s likely the cleanest signal booster thus far. I have no reason not to trust Royer’s word, but of course, it will take several tests and comparisons to identify how much edge the dBooster really has on the competition.
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