Electro-Voice - RE20

It seems pretty obvious that the C214 is not a right fit for your voice. Shields can make things sound muffled, which is a bit like 'warm' but in a bad way :-) From what you say, you would be better off with a dynamic. A ribbon could work but the figure of 8 polar pattern would most probably play agains you in a "homemade elaborate booth". If your voice has lots of "real" highs, you could get away with SM58 style mics without breaking the bank. Those have a boost on the high mids. That's way it's important to know if your voice has lots of highs or high mids. Those mics are more forgiving with mouth noise, so you can get closer more safely. If your voice have lots of high mids, then I think that an RE20 or an SM7b should work really good since they have a way more flat frequency response. But these are more expensive even though with the SSL2+ you might not need an inline mic preamp, unless you record very quite vocals or voiceover.

It's been said, but I'll say it again. SM7B. It works great on some sources, but I much prefer an RE20 for vocals most of the time, especially due to Variable D. It's a shame the SM7B has taken over as if it's the definitive vocal microphone.

An RE20 will be somewhat similar to an SM7B - both large diaphragm dynamics, good room rejection, but an RE20 will sound more neutral/flatter tone wise. If you need it to not pick up much room, you don't have too many options and an SM7B might be your best option for your voice.

But I agree that you might be better off with a good quality dynamic mic if you're doing voiceover. My vote goes to the Re20

When i was in school, I got to experiment with all kinds of setups. As you said, this ended up being surprisingly good. I should mention I've used it exclusively for solo acoustic guitar. A condenser on the mid always had some off axis coloration that was a problem in mixing, and the transients had a lot of pop. A dynamic mic like the re20 helped with all that. If I were using m-s for a chorus, for example, I would definitely use a different setup.

OG 421s sound very good, 80s SM7s sound very good, BUT I never liked the 421 MK2 to record anything with. Didn't like it on floor tom. Not on guitar amp or blended guitar mics. Sold it with zero regrets. And then I found a 70s 421 and it is useable on about anything. SM7Bs are okay. Maybe podcasting or narration, but it's not the SM7 mic MJ recorded with. Noticeable difference, and would tell anyone vocals, kick, or podcasting that RE-20 is better mic

Ditto what other folks have said here, and I'll add: * Voice acting requires you to learn mic technique. Learn the tricks of the trade. Lots of sources and videos out there. * Dynamic mics like a Shure SM7B or ElectroVoice RE20 are less sensitive overall than condenser mics, with less top-end sizzle and "air," but they will still capture mouth sounds if you're too close. * The benefit of a dynamic mic is that they're highly directional, so they ignore sounds coming from the sides and behind. This is useful in live shows or in a radio station type of setup with multiple speakers. * That said, the "FM Radio" type of vocal sound is also processed - usually with a channel strip preamp thst includes a noise gate, compressor and de-esser. This is not really what you want for audiobooks or VA work. * Don't speak _directly_ into the mic capsule, particularly at close range. You generally want to be slightly off-axis (point the mic at your chin, maybe angle yourself a few degrees left or right). * With a quality condenser mic, you can be further away, and use a pop filter like a Stedman to deflect plosives, further reducing mouth sounds. * The trade-off is that condenser mics really require you to have a quiet studio, because they pick up everything!

Had the same experience as OP with the RE20. Legendary mic. Bought it, used it for about 5 mins. Hated it, put it back in the box and returned it. Maybe im just used to the detail you get with condenser mics but sounded flat and dull.

Interesting. Irrelevantly to a live vocal mic, I have a couple of SE4s but hadn't used them much because I thought they were kind of budget/not that great, but it wasn't my ears that told me this, I just assumed it. Sounds like I should give SE more of a chance.

I have an RE20 and it's awesome on some very loud sources, or with a cloudlifter/very nice mic amp. I've chosen it on lead vocals over some very nice mics in the past and people have commented on how great the vocal sounds "what mic did you use" etc; but yeah, I get how they can sound a bit stale on the wrong source too, particularly as they don't put out a lot of signal.

Sounds like you'd prefer the Electrovoice RE20 thats the basic fork in the road I love SM57s for their sharper edge and RE20s for their clearer sound on spoken work. as others here point out, the preamp and gain is very important for these kinds of dynamic mics.

Love it! Especially the Electro-Voice

If you're able to put some heavy moving blankets w/ grommets on wall w/shower curtain or regular curtain rods on 2-3 walls you'd be amazed how much it could help your cause for under $100-$125. If you can eventually treat.....then hold off till you find a used AT 4047 or 4050. I've seen both go for under $200....and either are great mics that outperform a lot of more expensive mics. If treatment is not ever going to happen. I really think a dynamic mic is the way to go. Shure 58 is a great vocal mic. For SM7B money I'd rather have an EV RE20 any day of the week. Heil PR40 is another one to look at, but definitely lean dynamic if your room is untreated. Also, if you just want a new mic that is very good and inexpensive....the MXL BCD-1 broadcast mic is like $60 new on Amazon and hits well above that price. It may be a good solution if you want a new mic until you treat room and save up for better mics.

RE20 is one of my favorites for vocals and kick. Also my go-to for mid side.

If long-term goals include creating and recording your own MIDI-based tracks, then do go the computer route. **Headphones**: You'll need a pair of closed-back headphones that will let you hear what you are singing *to* without bleeding back into the microphone. This is the easiest one, because I can make a specific recommendation: [Sony MDR7506](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AJIF4E). These have been a professional studio standard for decades, because they are inexpensive, reliable and accurate enough for tracking. (I wouldn't try to mix on them, but you're not doing that yet. Mixing is better on open-back headphones or monitor speakers, which aren't good for tracking, so you'll still need these even if you get into that later.) **Digital audio workstation (DAW):** A DAW is software that does what a multi-track tape recorder and a mixing console did in analog studios. It might be simplest to use whatever the folks with whom you are working use. I like [Reaper](https://www.reaper.fm/); it's not very expensive, and has a free trial which you can extend indefinitely by responding to a nag screen... so if budget is really tight, you *can* put off paying for it until you're able. Reaper is very flexible; it might not be the simplest for beginners, but there are many tutorial videos on YouTube to clear up anything that isn't obvious. Here are a couple [articles](https://www.musicradar.com/news/the-best-daws-the-best-music-production-software-for-pc-and-mac) comparing [DAWs](https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-audio-editing-software). **Audio interface:** The audio inputs and outputs built in to a computer are not suitable for musicians. Here's an article about audio interfaces: [MusicRadar: Best audio interface 2025](https://www.musicradar.com/news/the-best-audio-interfaces). I recommend avoiding anything that does not have its own ASIO driver. (If the instructions say to use ASIO4All, pick a different interface.) ASIO is a method of communicating between the interface and your computer; on Windows, working with anything other than ASIO will become annoying sooner or later. (The explanation is a bit lengthy.) I have not used this device, but if you're only interested in recording your voice (and later, potentially, some MIDI, but no other audio), [Scarlett Solo](https://us.focusrite.com/products/scarlett-solo) is probably a good choice. **Microphone:** The choice of microphone depends greatly on the singer's voice and style. It's all but impossible to make a blanket recommendation. A lot of us with baritone voices like the [RE20](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RE20--electro-voice-re20-broadcast-microphone-with-variable-d). (It's known most for voiceover and broadcast work, but it's actually quite useful for lower male rock vocals as well. Because it is directional but has minimal [proximity effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proximity_effect_(audio)), it can be very useful when acoustically treating the recording space is impractical.) Sopranos, especially those with breathier voices, often prefer condenser microphones. I know this is probably impractical, but the only real way to make a choice you'll be happy with is to find a way to try out different microphoes and see which captures your voice to your liking.

It's a dark mic that brings out nasally characteristics, in my experience. It works well on some voices, especially screamers, and it can work well on other sources like guitar cabs. It's often viewed as "the" mic due to it's historical presence in radio and podcasts, Michael Jackson's use of the SM7 on Thriller (not the SM7B, as often wrongly stated), and especially with today's streamers and YouTubers. I prefer the RE20, which is a tad brighter and basically lacks the proximity effect due to Variable-D.

RE20 works great as a kick mic too, my tutor at college used to call it 'the beast'

Cool. I actually have an RE20 so I might as well try that. For some reason, I thought they were more of a bassy mic so I haven't done vocals with one for ages. As I recall, it gets a lot of spill compared with something like a 58. Still, very easy for me to try it. Thanks for the suggestion

The Electro-Voice mics with their "variable-D" technology. E.g., RE10, RE15, RE20, 666, 667A, and so on. Great mics in general; I have dozens of them that I use regularly in the studio for some vox, and pretty much any other source you could imagine. Edit: a dynamic with an omnidirectional pattern (e.g., 635A) will also exhibit less proximity-effect, but may not be ideal for a live setting because of feedback concerns.

I'd have to respectfully disagree on the LS208. Personally, I don't think it flatters many voices-it tends to sound quite strident to my ear. I wouldn't put it in the same category as the SM7B in any shape or form. Here's a link with several examples: https://youtu.be/I7aYCzWT9AQ. That said, I do agree with you on the RE20. While it's not identical to the SM7B, they're definitely in the same ballpark and offer similar versatility. But again, not the LS208. The voices in that video just don't come across well to me-unless you think otherwise?

With the zoom mics if you used both the front and the back with your two people sitting facing each other with the mic in-between you'll get reasonable separation if you both stay pretty close, like within a foot or so of the mics, if you get further away it'll be pretty roomy unless your room is really well treated. You'll still be able to edit each mic individually which is a big plus usually. If you just use one of the mics and sit next to each other neither person will be in the "sweet spot" so to speak and it'll probably sound roomy/distant for both, editing will be harder (can't turn up/down one host, can't move one host's audio without moving both), and eq/compression will probably get tricky since you'll need a setting that works for both instead of being able to have separate settings. One mic will work, it's simpler to setup and post will be easier, but that's because you're more limited in what you can do. The easiest setup is usually two mics placed as far apart as you can get away with, with the mics very close to the hosts. I'd usually recommend RE20s or SM7Bs to start with, they tend to sound good on almost everyone, or sm58s if you want something less expensive. Put them on boom arms if you can, keep them within like 6 inches of each host, and try to keep them a few feet apart if possible. This should get the most isolated sound, allow for separate processing if needed, and let you edit pretty freely. You might struggle to edit when hosts talk over each other because of the bleed, but the only real way to remove that is to have people in separate rooms completely. Again, the h2 will work, ideally you'd want it on a stand right in-between the hosts, right at your height, and as close to both as you can get it. Just be aware of the limitations of each option and pick whatever works best for you. 1 mic - likely roomy, no separation for editing/processing, mic probably not in ideal position. More likely to pick up movement/clothing,chairs, and background noise because it'll need to be further away to pick up both. 2 fixed mics (zoom h2e) - some separation, but forced to sit quite close. Mic will probably be in a better position for one than the other unless you are the same height. May be more roomy than 1 mic depending on your room, but you could mute the mic on whoever isn't talking (as long as they aren't talking at the same time) to help control this. 2 separate mics - can get further apart, mics can be in the ideal position for both, best separation. Easier to deal with talking over each other. 2 mic options will allow a little more work in post to set up gates/mute mics when the other host is talking, but that's pretty simple once you get the flow down. You'll also be able to do better noise reduction, eq, compression, and gating with two mics, and having them more separate will be the easiest of the bunch. With one mic you're more stuck with the sound you have and more limited on what you can do in post...so maybe more frustration with things you can't fix/remove, but less work because there's nothing you can do. The two separate mic setup will also likely sound better with less work, and the one mic setup will probably sound the worst. 2 mics you can do more, but don't have to, one mic there is less you can even do. Hope that helps explain it. If you have more questions I'm happy to get into more detail.

Neumann U67/87 for expressive vocals, RE20 for announcy to shouty type vocals, Sennheiser 441/431 to split the difference, C12 type mic for spitting bars.

\>Sounds like they don't have have the 10k low pass filter engag They do in their full vids. They still don't sound good on it. ie MicAssassin (god bless his soul) puts on all the switches; doesn't sound good imo. Same with Obscure. Same with Mike Newman. TLDR, this is no SM7B. My unscientific thoughts: This mic works better with deeper voices. Those who sounded good on it usually had lower voices. Ie Dark Corner Studios, Time Preservation Society sounded good on it. Higher-pitched voices might not get the same results. I tried it, wasn't impressed, and returned it. It's definitely not an "SM7B killer." For reference, I think mics closer to the SM7B are the Ethos, SEV7 Myles Kennedy edition, Blue Sona, and RE20-not the LS208, which I'd compare more to the Lewitt MTP 550 DM.

421 - bought for toms. Sound like ass. Spend way too much time trying to get them to sound right in the mix. KM184 - bought as "upgrade" for OH duty. Boring and lifeless. Went back to my Oktava MK219s. They do sound good as spot mics for hats and ride, and on acoustic guitar, but i dont really need it for either. May sell them. RE20 - bought for floor tom and vocals. Doesn't sound good to me for either. Too round and dull. Collects dust now.

My two cents is that you get what you pay for up to a certain point. I have the mic parts U87 clone for $500-ish and it's an amazing sounding all around condenser mic. Does it sound exactly like a real U87? No. Will the 3% difference in sound quality be equivalent to the extra $3000 I'd spend? Definitely not. At least, I'm not at the point where that incremental return is worth the money. There are lots of great mics these days for less than $1000 or even $500 that will get you awesome results. Sometimes the really expensive ones are just what people are used to mixing, not necessarily better. Also, someone suggested an RE-20, which I think is a great idea. It would be a great mic similar to the SM7B for rock vocals, but isn't quiiiite as dark and so can capture a little more of that detail while still not being crazy bright/harsh. I find often with the RE-20, "it just works," ready to go straight from recording, solving problems before I need to mix it. Happy recording and experimenting!

With higher end clarity, I would be sold on RE20 over SM7B for sure.

* TLM1xx would be on my list too - I think they sound "cheap in an expensive way", if that makes sense. * The SM57/58, largely because it *cannot* be as versatile as people ascribe. I still have people regularly tell me "you can track a whole album with it!" when you could do that with any mic. And there are other dynamics I like more, just as durable and sometimes even cheaper (though usually not, I'd always take an m201 over a 57 for instance). * On that same sacrilegious note, I don't like the U87 much, either (Ai or original flavor). I'm not going to say it is a *bad* mic, and I've owned three over time, but there's a reason I don't own one anymore. Like the 103 (which I actively despise rather then merely dislike), there is something about them that sounds like a stripper driving a Bentley to me (weird analogy, but I think it gets the point across). * RE-20 is too big and can be hard to get to sound right. Don't love or hate it, and I do have one, but people are way too attached to it. * Same goes for SM7, with the caveat that it *only applies for VO*. For music the SM7 can be great, I'd usually grab one over a 58 or RE20, but it is a tricky bugger for VO. * Neumann pencil mics (KM8x/18x) are just not that great compared to a lot of modern versions. It isn't a tech with "vintage prestige", the manufacturing has improved, so the KM184 in particular just comes off as overpriced, even compared to the *actual* industry standard SDC's these days in Schoeps, DPA, and Earthworks (and so on). I prefer either pure or colored SDC's, and the Neumann doesn't do either. * I have never understood the appeal of the MD421. One of the few mics I refuse to own/stock because of its idiotic mounting clip, and I just think other similar mics are better at doing what it says it does. * Pretty much every "unobtainium" mic is overrated, to me - yes, a great U47 or 251 is a really cool thing and piece of history, but you can get similar results with other mics. But I'm something of a "vintage-is-better" iconoclast... I'm sure there are more, and I know it sounds like I'm picking on Sennheiser/Neumann, but really every "hyped" mic has been a disappointment to me and those happen to be the ones people strive for so are more prone to being overrated.

My instinct tells me that the RE20 would be a better fit since it has a less pronounced proximity effect, even if the SM7b adds lows in a beautiful way. I listened to the samples, and most of those examples (very intimate mood, modern sound...) call for singing really close to the mic, so I think that changing mic will make a huge difference. I would try both before pulling the trigger. You will have to buy the mic and the shockmount, but you might end up needing an inline mic preamp if you do lots of wispered singing like in some of the samples. Also, these mics (expecially the RE20) are very heavy so you might also need to buy a good mic stand if you cannot trust the one you have. Please keep us posted, I'm curious to see which way you will go and how you will sound with your new set up!

I'm really surprised the SM7B is mentioned so much, but rarely ever the RE20. It's basically its direct competitor with more high end clarity, works better on a wider range of vocals, in my opinion. The SM7B is great for brighter sources, like guitar amps. Screaming, too. Dynamics are obviously great for high SPL sources. I sold my SM7B (and Cloudlifter) many years ago, never liked it, and neither do my coworkers, but they all work in live sound rather than studio. To each their own, of course! If it works for you, that's all that matters.

You can get closer to a 7b so signal to noise can potentially be better. It's not great for the quiet vocal sound imo. If you're looking to upgrade to a similar but better mic, try the RE20. I always recommend the Roswell mics as good budget options. An AT4040 might be a good pickup as well. Go to a studio with a good selection and try a bunch out. Well worth the investment to find the perfect mic for your voice.

EV RE20 for vocals or horns

I have one of these... rarely sees any use after I picked up a 3U Warbler for less than the RE20.

421 with a good sounding drum and preamp I think sounds great on a tom, but those sound best an amp paired with a ribbon. Re20 sounds good on a kick, great on a floor tom, particular vocal, or bass cab. Sm7b through a dbx160 makes all the difference. SM58 as a talkback drum mic squashed can sound great. I've made a lot of records and those mics are work horses for a reason.

I used an RE20 for years, love it dearly. I've used RE20's at every radio station I've ever worked at. Replaced it with a Sennheiser MKH 50 P48 as my daily driver. I used both through a Focusrite Claret 4Pre USB with both, plus a Cloudlifter for the RE20. I'm in a sound treated, carpeted 13x24 studio. And don't forget some headphones. I've used Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros (250ohm) for 20 years. But you're saying you *want* to get into streaming which I'm taking as you haven't even started yet. Honestly, go find some streamers that *you* think sound really good, and find out what they're using. If you're wondering, I sound really good, lol. I know we can't link to ourselves but I totally would.

Thanks. I love that concert. I was aware that he uses the RE20 along with some other heroes of mine. I have used it on a female singer with great results. I actually did a blindfold test of all my mics after I wrote this post, and interestingly, the RE20 came in last place by far, especially with the / switch engaged. Thom's voice is very different from mine (bass range like Stephin Merritt, Bill Callahan, Leonard Cohen) so whereas it brings out a low-mid fartiness in my voice, Thom (tenor, with much head voice and mixed voice) might be using that to fatten out his bottom end.

As my buddy who owns over hundred mics would say: You get what you pay for. I mean there is some overpriced shit, but in general, I'd prefer a $400 m201 over a $100 57 on several things. If you buy from a reputable company like. Seinheisser, Shure, beyerdynamic, akg... there's so many good brands, they will all have their products pretty competitively priced Sometimes a $300 mic will sound waaay better than a $3k mic. But in the long run, I think the Industry is pretty good at matching prices to value for mics So you'll generally get what you pay for Also ribbon mics are fun Edit: Im not a big fan of the sm7. I much prefer an Re-20. They are about the same price. Plus the re-20 is one hell of a good kick mic too! Edit2: Id probably recommend most vocalists checkout a Shure ksm condenser. I personally own a ksm32 that a lot of vocalists like.id love to get a ksm44 at some point. In my home studio I usually use the ksm32 or a c414 for recording vox