Electro-Voice RE20 Broadcast Announcer Microphone Review
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The Electro-Voice RE20 Broadcast Announcer Microphone is hailed as the gold standard radio broadcast and go-to vocal mic for many professionals in the industry. It’s versatile, durable, and a true workhorse. We’re also pleasantly surprised at how surprisingly affordable the RE20 is considering its studio-like performance.
If you’re searching for great dynamic microphones and vocal microphones, make sure you don’t pass up on the Electro-Voice RE20!
About the Electro-Voice RE20
| Element Type | Dynamic Microphone |
| Polar Pattern | Cardioid |
| Connectivity | Wired |
| Frequency Response | 45 Hz – 18,000 Hz |
| Impedance | 150 ohms balanced |
| Sensitivity, Open Circuit Voltage, 1 kHz | 1.5 mV/pascal |
| Case Material | Steel |
| Dimensions | Length: 8.53” |
| Net Weight | 1 lb |
| Recommended Applications | Vocals, Speech, Broadcasting, Close Miking Instruments |
| Included in the Box | 81715 stand clamp |
| Optional Accessories | 309A shock-mounted stand adapter for use with a floor stand or recording boom |
Electro-Voice’s 90 years’ worth of industry experience truly shines with the RE20. This great microphone is an all-around workhorse that can be used for vocals and radio broadcasting but works equally great for recording instruments.
This dynamic mic boasts a studio condenser-like performance to help produce great recordings with a classic, natural, and smooth sound. With a Variable-D design and an integrated pop filter, you can be sure that no recording will sound bad from any possible background noise and plosive pick-ups.
What is Electro-Voice RE20 Used For?
While the Electro-Voice RE20 is considered an industry-standard broadcast mic, this versatile microphone can also be used for various applications. Let’s take a look at some of the uses this single mic can do.
Instruments and Overheads
The popularity of the Electro-Voice RE20 extends to sound engineers as it’s a wonder to have in and out of the recording studio for close-miking instruments. The RE20 is a verified premium-grade instrument microphone that can beautifully record the intimate sound of an acoustic guitar to the low E string of a bass guitar.
The RE20 can also do a great job at recording instruments such as kick drums, electric guitars, and even bass cabs since it has a flat frequency response and can capture low-end audio sounds.
Vocals
From the name alone, the RE20 works the best for recording vocals. It has a voice-tailored frequency response, a large-diaphragm dynamic element, and a true cardioid feature with no coloration. It’s great at rejecting unwanted noise and reflection as it has a 180-degree off-axis and Variable-D design for minimal proximity effect.
Broadcasts on Radio Stations
Broadcasting, hosting, or podcasting — any spoken application on or off the air, the RE20 microphone can do flawlessly.
The RE20 can pick up one’s voice and give it a smooth, natural, and controlled sound quality. This microphone is a favorite amongst broadcasters and radio hosts as the RE20 is known to produce the classic and deep sound of FM radio voices.
Is the RE20 a Condenser Mic?
Condenser microphones are recording devices that are built to pick up delicate sounds with great detail in a controlled and quiet setting. By that definition, it’s understandable how one might think that the RE20 is a condenser mic because of its ability to act as an overhead mic for instruments and a vocal studio mic. However, that is not the case as the RE20 is a dynamic microphone.
The ability of the RE20 to have functionalities and features that condenser mics have all the more makes this dynamic microphone amazing. Technically speaking, condenser microphones are supposedly made for recording detailed sounds and instruments in a controlled environment like a studio while dynamic mics are built for picking up loud audio sources in noisy and live settings.
However, the RE20 can do both despite it being a dynamic mic. This is largely due to how it is built and designed. Unlike condenser mics though, the RE20 is not as sensitive.
What is the Proximity Effect of the Electro-Voice RE20?
Unlike other directional mics, the RE20 is one mic that has accomplished controlling the bass-boosting proximity effect that usually occurs when recording close sound sources. With the patented EVexsluvie Variable-D technology, the RE20 has virtually no proximity effect and produces clear sound quality for tight vocals and close-miking instruments.
With this ability, the RE20 can be placed inside kick drums, guitars, and voice booths and you will be sure that it can still produce a great sound recording at the end.
What Makes the Electro-Voice RE20 Good?
The RE20 is an industry-standard mic that many professionals vouch for. Its features make it one of the most useful microphones to have in or out of the studio.
Premium Sound Quality
The RE20 is a true cardioid microphone. It offers a smooth, natural, and controlled audio finish making one’s voice shine and sound classic — with no coloration added. The internal pop filter and shock mount also reduce plosives and vibration-induced noises from ruining one’s recording.
While the RE20 has a frequency response that’s tailored for vocal applications, it also does a great job at picking up audio sources and instruments with low frequencies. Thus, the RE20 can make bass instruments sound full and deep whether you’re in a room with a carpeted floor or a noisy location.
Additionally, the RE20 has a great 180-degree off-axis rejection. This allows the mic to capture sounds with minimal bleed from either other instruments or audio sources that you do not intend to capture.
Versatile Dynamic Mic
The RE20 is one of the few dynamic mics that can function as both a vocal and overhead microphone, which makes it truly versatile.
While you would often need to use differing microphones for studio and live applications, the RE20 can be brought for both. Inside the studio, the RE20 has good enough transient capabilities to pick up detailed audio but its ability to reject reflections also makes it great for live settings. In our opinion, this makes the RE20 one of the best dynamic mics out there.
As good microphones also need to be able to adapt and do more than just reproduce sound, the RE20 can adjust in real-time thanks to its bass roll-off switch. This convenient feature adds to the versatility of the RE20 as the bass roll-off switch can cut low frequencies on deep vocals or instruments in real time.
Durable
From looks alone, one can tell that the RE20 has a build quality that can knock down other mics. Made out of steel and protected with a grille mesh, the RE20 is built to be durable. All that protection also serves a purpose. The humbucking coil guards the mic against any line hum and the shock mount is integrated internally.
Pros and Cons of the Electro-Voice RE20
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔ Has great flat response ✔ Counters proximity effect ✔ Durable ✔ Versatile ✔ Great for vocal applications and close-miking instruments like a kick drum or guitar | ✖️ Heavier than most mics ✖️ Might require a heavy or strong mic stand to keep it steady |
What People Are Saying About the Electro-Voice RE20
As the RE20 is loved by many professionals and users in the industry, this microphone has accumulated much praise and reviews.
“This is an incredible mic for any doing voice-over work, podcasts, or any kind of broadcasting. It’s famous for broadcast use, found in radio stations around the world. Its sound quality is amazing and its resistance to recording p-pops is a huge time saver if you are recording vocals. The mic is also excellent for kick drum or acoustic guitar recording.”
THERIOT – HOME BREW AUDIO
Where to Buy the Electro-Voice RE20
For a professional-grade microphone, the RE20 is one device that surprisingly costs less than what one might think. Get the best deal on Amazon here!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better the SM7B or RE20?
The Shure SM7B and the Electro-Voice RE20 are both dynamic microphones that each have their strengths. The former is one of the best vocal microphones for singing applications while the latter is more often used for speech applications. How and where one intends to use these mics can affect their performance.
Electro-Voice RE20
The Electro-Voice E20 is a great dynamic cardioid microphone. It’s dubbed as an industry standard for broadcasters and studio engineers because of its professional and premium-grade sound performance.
It’s the versatile dynamic microphone that vocalists and instrumentalists can both get on by as it can switch from being a vocal mic to close-miking instruments.
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