Los Angeles, CA (March 23, 2026)—Boutique ribbon mic manufacturer Royer Labs has been acquired by emerging private equity firm Sounds Great Holdings, LLC.
Royer Labs will continue operating from its Burbank, Calif. headquarters, where industry veteran Dave Hetrick has joined the company as its new President and Chief Revenue Officer, drawing on experience gained as president of ADAM Audio and time spent leading sales for KRK, Beyerdynamic and other pro-audio brands.
“Royer microphones are among the most respected tools in professional audio,” said Hetrick. “We see significant opportunity to grow the brand worldwide.” To that extent, Royer’s new leadership reports it plans to expand global sales, invest in product development, and deepen relationships across the professional audio community.
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Founded in 1998, Royer Labs is primarily known for its ribbon microphones, particularly the R-121, and was awarded a Technical Grammy Award for its contributions to modern recording. John Jennings, co-founder and former President, noted in a Facebook post that he will retain 10 percent ownership and do some consulting for the company going forward. “This is excellent for Royer—the new owners bring major energy and resources, and they love Royer’s long-time management team,” he noted in the post. “Royer will continue very much the same, but with better support for the R&D department, so some great ideas should see the light of day soon.”
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Sounds Great Holdings is a new private equity firm led by Joe Covey, Matthew Davidge and Adam Pelzman, all of whom have extensive experience acquiring and building businesses. Covey and Davidge are principals of holding company Interactivation, which focuses on acquiring and operating TV, music, education and heathcare company. Meanwhile, Pelzman is the founder and principal of Fort Lawton Capital, a boutique private equity firm focused on business services, financial services and consumer products. Sounds Great Holdings noted in a statement that it “plans to acquire several other iconic pro audio brands in the coming months.”
“Royer Labs has built an extraordinary reputation for sonic excellence and engineering integrity,” said Covey, who is now Royer’s new CEO. “Our goal is to honor that legacy while investing in next-generation technology and expanding the brand globally.”