Electro-Voice RE20
Cardioid Dynamic Microphone
The RE20 is an industry-standard large-diaphragm dynamic microphone, used worldwide on applications ranging from broadcast/VO to kick drum.
It uses Electro-Voice’s patented Variable D design to control the microphone’s proximity effect. This allows the microphone to be used very close to a source without losing clarity, as can happen to other microphones due to the increase of bass response from proximity effect.
Electro-Voice
A true cardioid microphone, the RE20 offers greatest rejection at 180° off axis — directly to the rear of the microphone. Pattern control is so consistent that the frequency response is nearly independent of angular location of the sound source, creating virtually no off-axis coloration, yet providing greatest possible rejection of unwanted sounds.
A switch on the mic body provides a high-pass filter, aka a “bass tilt-down switch,” which drops the low-frequency response by approximately 2.25dB/octave below 400Hz. (By comparison, the HPF on most studio condensers operates at a lower range but more aggressively, -3 to -6dB/octave below 75-150Hz.)
The Electro-Voice RE20 and Electro-Voice PL-20 microphones are identical. The PL series was simply a rebranding of selected RE-series models.
Unlike the newer broadcast dynamics, the RE27N/D and RE320, the RE20 does use an output transformer.
In a blind listening test, the RE20 was crowed the winner of the Ultimate Podcast Mic Shootout.
The Electro-Voice RE20 is also known as: RE-20, PL20, PL-20.
Specifications
Frequency Response - CardioidClick Graph to Compare! |
---|
![]() |
Pickup Patterns | Pads & Filters |
---|---|
Cardioid
(1.5 mV/Pa; 45 - 18,000 Hz) |
|
Coil Diameter | Impedance | SPL/Noise |
---|---|---|
n/a | 150 Ohms (Low) | SPL n/a |
Weight | Length | Max Diameter | Interface(s) |
---|---|---|---|
737g (26.00oz) | 217mm (8.54'') | 54mm (2.13'') |
|
Power Specifications |
---|
Did we get anything wrong on this page? Please let us know!