Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardioid Variable-D Dynamic Voiceover Microphone

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

I was looking for a great studio mic to use in my home studio. As a beginner, I learned that people recommend dynamic microphones for this type of usage.

I was torn between the Shure SM7b and the EV RE-20. Also, I looked at the Heil PR-40. Well, I can't compare all of those but I can say that the EV RE-20 sounds very nice!

Be aware though that this dynamic mic needs a lot of preamp gain. My old MotU Ultralite could only provide 24dB. This mic needs 55dB upwards to get to usable levels, so if you're a beginner as me, make sure you have a preamp that can cough up that much juice. As a low cost solution I bought a PreSonus Studio Channel and I'm quite happy with it. It can only provide 54dB so it's at the edge of what it can deliver.

All in all I'm really happy with the sound. It makes the voice smooth and warm and gets rid of a lot of room reverb if you don't have a special room that is treated acoustically!

The only negative I found is that many sites said this mic does not need a suspension as the membrane inside the mic is already suspended. But I get a hum that's transmitted through the table the mic sits on. With my condenser mics that have a suspension, I don't get this noise. And also experiments of taping the mic to such a suspension got rid of the noise. So make sure you don't have vibrations on the table you put the mic's arm on. Every movement with the hands on the table, every tap on the keyboard can be heard.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

Bought two of these for a radio show. Great sounding, classic broadcast microphones that give a very good character for broadcast and voice-over work. Probably the best I've heard in this capacity. Depending on the singer I have also used them well for vocals.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

Great apartment mic for many of the same reasons it's a great broadcast mic: sounds lovely, built like a tank, and so practical. I use it for vocals and ac. gtr at home and love it also on kick, upright, and horns. In a small apartment you can use this with a fair amount of gain and not hear the fridge or the people outside, as opposed to a condenser. Then too, get right up on the re20 and have barely any proximity effect. So useful... I have one of the all-mahogany Martin OM guitars and it records well with the re20, not a ton of high-end "detail" to begin with so it doesn't suffer there like a nice spruce-top might. Also, it's prone to some low-mid woof with certain mics and the re20 just soaks all that up without getting overwhelmed.
Some will need a pop-filter, despite the built-in one.
With proper positioning (and depending on gain + source) you can track with monitors instead of headphones.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

Great for radio production and voice overs.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

I became interested in the RE20 Microphone after seeing Tom Yorke from Radiohead using one in the scotch mist videos and checked out some reviews that all praised the mic highly..After this I decided to get one for myself for recording, live and studio vocals and to use on guitars and other instruments as a different choice between the mics i already have.

Im impressed with its ability to produce faultless vocals with very little, if any, sibilance without any EQ in the mic's chain. Even trying to make it 'pop' by repeating 'p' words with lips touching the mic without a pop filter the mic still produces very warm smooth sounds with hardly any popping if any, and this was trying to make it pop!..My only issue has been gain,I must point out dont have a high end mic pre, i Have an ART MPA2, which i have to push pretty hard to get a strong signal into my software with this mic but it is a dynamic so this is nothing unusual!

The sound of this mic is very warm compared to other mics i have used, mostly AKG and Shure. As soon as i spoke into it I recognized the sound from radio and voice overs where it would have been used. This mic is also very well made and will last a long long time if it is looked after. That means no dropping with your butterfingers!

all in all its a great addition to anyones mic collection, and if you have the money and are looking for something to add to your collection grab one, the RE20 is a great mic, no question will hold onto it and use it for years to come. thanks BH!

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

I bought this purely because I've heard from so many engineers over the years that nothing beats it for recording bass. It's now my go-to mic for bass guitar, it has a growl and grit to it and adds real body to the sound. Highly recommended![...]

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

I bought this microphone after doing a ton of research about voiceover microphones. There are a lot of good ones out there and of course it is an individual choice based on your needs and your voice. But for me, the RE-20 is a match made in heaven. It brings out all the best tones in my voice and is so forgiving of all the bad parts. It is well shielded and rejects noise well so it works wonders in my paltry in home studio. I love this mic. It is built like a tank. Seriously, you could drive nails with it. It is definitely built to take the abuse that it would get in the broadcast booths in which the RE-20 usually lives. It has a very distinct big sound, very "radio" and I mean that in the best possible way. You can also really play with proximity at times being a normal distance from the mic and when you want you can definitely get up close and personal with it. I guess you can tell I am happy. I don't think this will be the last mic that I buy but I am super pleased that it was the first. If you like the sound you will not be disappointed.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

I have used this in my radio career for 15 plus years, and when it was time to build a home studio, I couldn't find a better mic for the price. Totally worth it!

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

We use these mics in our audio lab for student's use and the quality has been outstanding.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

I am an elementary school teacher and make reading CDs for my students to help them build fluency. Even I sound like a professional voice-over guy with this baby. I am looking for a decent preamp because my mixer's preamps don't get it done.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

You can use this microphone confidently for almost any application, be it at the home studio, recording studio, project studio or on stage.
The EV RE20 is very forgiving where most Large diaphragm condensers (LDC) aren't for lack of a proper studio environment. Use it for bass, horns, percussion and of course vocals, and you will be amazed at its performance. The sensitivity of this mic is phenomenal for a dynamic mic and its reproduction of sound in the entire frequency range is undoubtedly superlative. It does not undermine any of the venerable LDC's, but none can handle the range of frequencies as well as SPL's that this one can. No wonder this mic has stood the test of time.
Pitfalls though are the following: You would need to have this one connected to a good outboard pre-amp for best results. With its output at 1.7 mV you will have to jack up the gain to reasonably high levels on any standard console and this would in most cases add noise to the signal chain. For talents who like to use the proximity effect for deep sounding vocals, this is not the mic of choice. However, for those who have a baritone voice, this one is silky smooth; and for screamers, you won't find a mic that is significantly better than the RE20 in overall performance and reliability.
Frankly this mic is a solidly built all rounder to last you a lifetime of satisfaction.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

I use this with an Apogee Duet and the sound quality is fantastic; it's quiet and handles all types of voices (female and male) incredibly well.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

I use this mic to produce my christian radio show. I tried several other mics but this one really deals witht the POPS better than any other mic I have used.

I use it with the Edirol UA-25EX 24Bit/96kHz USB Audio Interface - together they captures voice perfect - crisp and clear.

Everything good you read about this mic is TRUE it makes my productions much easier.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

I use the RE20 on stage to amplify my different saxophones in concert. It's the best sounding mic that I have played in a live setting. It doesn't emphasize the shrill high end like many modern mics do. It has a large, full bodied sound that is true to your instrument.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

I use it in a professional studio, and it's known for that use. It's known because it's a good-sounding microphone for many applications. It's a must in a decent mic cabinet.

Comments about Electro-Voice RE20 - Cardoid Voiceover Mic:

It's as simple fr our news staff to walk in and roll ob a VO knowing that the audio is clean and crisp..