Formed in 1994 as a side project of The Allman Brothers Band by guitars Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody, Gov’t Mule has developed a loyal following for its distinct brands of Southern jam rock. These days, the band consist of Warren Haynes on guitar, drummer and original member Matt Abts, Danny Lewis on guitar and keyboards, and Jorgen Carllson on bass.

The group’s latex album, Shout, earned considerable critical acclaim and key tracks on the recording were captured with microphones from Mojave Audio and sister company Royer Labs.

LA-based producer / engineer Steve Holroyd (AC/DC, Joe Satriani, Green Day) tracked ‘World Boss’, which is the opening cut on the album, along with ‘Whisper In Your Soul’ and ‘Done Got Wise’.

For Holroyd (pictured right with bassist Jorgen Carllson), the Mojave Audio MA-200 Vacuum Tube Condenser Microphone plus Royer Labs’ R-122V Vacuum Tube Ribbon and R-122 Active Ribbon microphones all assumed key roles in capturing the essence of the band’s performance:

“The tracks that I worked on for the album were recorded at Roger’s Boat Studios in Lake Balboa, CA,” Holroyd reports. “For Shout, a good 80% of the drum sound was captured using Mojave Audio MA-200s as the main drum mics. To my ear, the MA-200s sound every bit as good as Neumann U67’s, which simply put, just aren’t very affordable these days. Whereas in the past I would grab a U67, these days I go for the MA-200 instead. The MA-200 sounds great on vocals, drums, guitars, percussion, and grand piano. It’s a fantastic all around mic that has great presence and punch.”

Holroyd is equally enamored with the Royer Labs R-122V Vacuum Tube Ribbon and R-122 Active Ribbon microphones.

“On Shout, I used the Royer R-122V on Warren’s guitar amp,” he reports. “The R-122V sounded so creamy on his guitar — it really brought out the tone. And for Jorgen’s bass amp, I used the R-122 active ribbon mic in conjunction with a Telefunken U47 tube. Royer has a knack of making anything you place in front it sound real and huge, with great bottom end. The Royer mics create a very accurate sonic picture, and that goes for the entire line, including the R-101, where I once captured one of the best Wurlitzer piano sounds ever.”

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