Return of the EV RE320

keith.rogers

keith.rogers

Well-known member
Or, I hope to return it - waiting for the RA as I'm still in the 45 day window.

I got this mic in the hopes of getting a cheaper version of the RE20, or maybe something like an SM7b (still going to try one of those). It looks a lot like the RE20, and probably weighs at least as much, but I have to believe that's about the extent of its similarities. Not saying it's a bad mic, as I haven't done an A/B of it with an RE20, but it sure surprised me with high-end boost and more proximity effect than I was expecting.

But, the thing was, it didn't love my voice, and while I don't record myself singing much, when I do, I like to cringe as little as possible during mixing. This mic didn't deliver there, and made the mix harder with that boost just kicking in right where it accentuated sibilance for me. I don't need something that will make more work for me - jeez, fixing timing and tuning is enough already ;).

So, just a FYI, here are 4 very short excerpts of something I did yesterday. 1st two (1 & 2) are my AKG c214, 1 is straight via a splitter and 2 is through a GAP Pre73 (also under test/eval). 2nd two (3 & 4) are the RE320, again straight and through the GAP pre73. The GAP seems to do a good job taming this thing, but one of the other things I [thought I] liked about the RE320 is that it has enough gain to not actually require a preamp. Well, yes, but I do think it benefits from it, at least more than the AKG, to my ear.

No EQ, compression, reverb, i.e.,. nothing done whatsover, except levels set as equal as I could with channel gain in the DAW, normalized in the bounce step.

View attachment bluetest1.mp3 View attachment bluetest2.mp3 View attachment bluetest3.mp3 View attachment bluetest4.mp3
 
Didn't listen (yet), don't own one... But everything I've seen and heard about the mic it is not even similar to the RE20. To the point of even questioning EV's.. I don't what they're doing here.
It isn't... apparently, even a Vari-D' mic ..in difference to how they say it is.
Very very odd to say the least.
 
thats a funny video however I thought the video-audio has horrible voice tracking....with p's popping and poofs plosisivings...
kind of like the shootouts on youtube where it sounds like the audio is in a garage while the neighbors mowing his yard.


the second video sounds like hes in a odd room?
its like a shootout in a odd bad reverb room.....at 50seconds its starts getting good.

on the second video I liked the RE20 best, it just sounded better with controlled sssss's and had a natural sound.
not sure what preamp they were using but there was a bit of ssssizzling sss's. interesting they chose a Heil, Ive never tried those but a lot of good reviews.

ymmv
 
I thought the 320 came off reasonably well in that shootout, too, but it made me wonder what kind of post-processing podcasters are doing using those other mics (and, at the least, convinced me not to consider them for my voice)!

The other thing about the EV (including the 20) is that it comes with this mic "clip" that fastens at the very end of a quite heavy mic. You have to have a counterweight on the boom to use it, and the EV hanger adapter is about $100 (Auray clone is $70) extra, which puts it pretty well in SM7b range, if you already have enough gain for the latter.

Anyway, got the RA and it's going back today. I like the idea of a mic that works both for kick drums and vocals, plus not requiring additional gain, but I'm going to keep looking. Probably try an SM7b now.
 
Oddly, I bought mine for one project, and like it quite a lot, and find it's in use far more than I thought - especially for BVs where the tone stays the same if the singer moves in and out. It EQs fine, and the proximity effect is hardly noticeable. I can't compare with the RE20, but I do like the 320.
 
I've been using my re20 a lot more recently.
Mine had a minor fault for a long time which affected the tone and made me question it.
Once I realised this and repaired it, I started really liking it.

Can't compare to the re320....Just talking here.
 
I dont think the gain issue is much different from the RE20 to SM7 is it?
both are sub 4mv/pa on the sensitivity which can be converted to -db.
Its the LDC that start getting up to 14mv/pa to 28mv/pa......the RE20 1.5, SM7 1.2.SM57 1.9.

Thats the beauty of having at least one outboard pre, it can cover all the mics if needed. I just re-bought a dual OTB pre because I like to compare stuff myself and see if I hear the extra $$ or not. To get clean the interface always seem a little weak imo, even though the specs are saying its 60db.... maybe its headroom or something? Im not a designer but a nice ART MPAII or a Dual Symetrix up to a ISA Two is cool to have when comparing apples to watermelons or oranges or other apples. :)
 
The problem is in the magnet. The same problem with RE27. All the neodymium magnet mics and loudspeakers sound terrible - harsh, dry and nasal. It is nature of sound source this case - impossible to correct it with EQ. Nothing sounds as good as Alnico magnet based transducers. Weighty and expensive - yes. But ceramic magnet transducers are in between, not bad some case. The same with guitar pickups, just neodymium are rare, but samarium-cobalt sounds cheaper as ceramics. Ok, just my 5 cents based on 40+ years subjective pro experience, without detailed analysis of nuanses... My associations are - Alnico sounds like "vacuum tubes", ceramics like "semi-conductors", neodymium like "digital audio" :D ! Hope to hear from you some comments.
 
Ainaudio said:
.. My associations are - Alnico sounds like "vacuum tubes", ceramics like "semi-conductors", neodymium like "digital audio" :D ! Hope to hear from you some comments.
Click to expand...

"vacuum tubes / semi-conductors".. Would tat be clean accurate or warm'n fuzzy / harsh poor designs?

"digital audio" Wold ..that be digital that can capture 'the warm tones of..' the above?
;)
 
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