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Author Topic: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?  (Read 15444 times)

hebjam

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EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« on: April 23, 2008, 12:23:03 AM »

I just got one or these in great looking condition but used.
I have always used a Beta 58 for vocals and upon plugging this one in i noticed a very strong lower mid content. I mean that's all you hear. I have to cut 10 db of 300 hz to use it. Is there a problem with it?
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Galil

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2008, 11:34:44 AM »

Sounds like a strange problem.  My RE-20s are very smooth and have less proximity boost / "bass funkiness" than most of my other cardioid microphones. Do you have the ability to hear a different RE-20, to compare?  A few ideas:

Does this happen only when you are within 3" of the microphone?

Does the room have a build up in this frequency range?

Is it possible that the foam on the inside of the microphone is turning to glue so that the upper end frequencies are not making it through, therefore causing the low mids to seem excessive?  I believe that the outside/front casing does screw off if you grab both ends.  All the usual "be careful" warnings apply.

Good luck with this.

Galil


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hebjam

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2008, 01:44:56 PM »

When I got it I opened it up and the foam looked fine. If i compare to the Beta 58 it is really low mid heavy, just crazy. A totaly different sound. There's no way I can use it un-eqed.
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Galil

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2008, 02:52:35 PM »

I get it.  The SM-58s tend to sound scooped in the lower mids, to me.  I agree that the RE-20 is a very different microphone than the SM-58 family. The RE-20 was often used as a broadcast microphone at radio stations, where a warm presence was welcome.  I was a bit thrown when you mentioned a 10 db cut with eq, I don't think it is that warm. The RE-20 will not have an upper midrange boost that SM-57/58 users are accustomed to.  Some parts you record will need additional cut, others need to sit back in the track.  Have you tried the RE-20 for background vocals?  It is also great on kick drums, horns, and on instruments which need a bit of their upper midrange softened.  Different brushes for different parts of the painting.

Nothing works on everything. Are you happy with the Beta 58 for your vocals? What would you like more (or less) of that caused you to look for another microphone?  I am a baritone, the RE-20 has worked great on my voice when the track is acoustic and not too dense.  If I need more cut, I'll move to a large diaphragm condenser or a dynamic with a midrange push and severe low frequency roll-off.

I think that the SM-58s tend to work better on tenors. Audix OM-5s work better for me live.

Galil
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wwittman

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2008, 11:32:46 PM »

You're not blocking the "vents" along the body in any way, are you?
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William Wittman
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tom eaton

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2008, 02:03:13 AM »

The RE-20 is side-address, right?

Kidding... I have 3 and they all sound different, tolerances are pretty wide (I have a chart here somewhere and it's WAY wider than you'd think in terms of what "passes" as "spec").

After going through what I've gone through, I would never, ever, buy a used RE20.  By the time you find out the foam is shot and the capsule is toast you'll have more into the thing to repair it than it would cost to buy a new one.

-tom

hebjam

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2008, 07:37:28 AM »

I think I can eq it to be ok ( And I finally realized the switch on the damn thing) But the real issue is I find there is a strange kind of 'honk' that happens. Certain words will suddenly pop out with a very boxy tonality. Compression seemed to help but not really. And by the time I cut out those low mids, I get hiss. More than I'm used to.
Where do send these for repair and what is the cost?
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Dominick

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2008, 09:00:55 AM »

EV repair costs have gone through the ceiling.
Before you assume it's broken, borrow another one to compare it to.

Many of your "criticisms" describe an RE20's sound exactly.
If a Beta 58 works for you on vocals, I'm not surprised you don't like the RE20.
Almost always satisfying on a bass amp & trumpet.
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Dominick Costanzo

gevermil

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #8 on: April 27, 2008, 11:31:34 AM »

I think most EV mics Ive heard ( Except the RE55 ) Are big in the midrange . After using shure dynamics and cheapo condensers for awhile ev mics sound rolled off and honky - but once you build a mix with them and eq a little  it a great smooth sound .
well , in my opinion .  
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maarvold

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2008, 12:30:27 PM »

I don't know if the RE20 and the RE15 share the same capsule or not.  I would characterize my RE15's as 'chunky', but I wouldn't say they are excessive in the 300-400 area.  
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Michael Aarvold
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MagnetoSound

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2008, 11:20:50 AM »

I have just reassembled an RE20 after replacing the foam.

Now, bearing in mind that I didn't really listen to this mic before I started (other than to ascertain that it was working at all), I am slightly surprised at what seems to be a rather low sensitivity.

The spec is quite low, only 1.5mV/Pa so perhaps everything is as it should be. I have only used these before on loud sources, so I don't really have a comparison to make insofar as speaking into it.

Everything I've read in this thread so far seems to fit but I expected a bit more level out of it.



Dan
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Music can make me get right up out of my chair and start dancing or it can get me so pumped up I have to walk around the block.
It can also knock me back and make me sit there and cry like a little baby. This shit is as powerful as any drug!!!
- Larry DeVivo

Jim Williams

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2008, 11:55:30 AM »

The results you get with a RE-20 are somewhat dependent on the preamp/loading. When I use it with a very fast solid state transformerless mic preamp with a higher input impedance, I hear a very smooth reponse. I hear no mid range build up. If anything, it sounds more like a condenser mic than any other dynamic I've used, if the loading is light and the preamp is transparent. Load it into a 1200 ohm transformer and all that will change.
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Jim Williams
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MagnetoSound

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2008, 12:04:48 PM »

Thanks for the info, Jim,

The preamp in question is a 1066, which is indeed at 1200 ohms, but would this account for the low level?

Considering that the mic is wired for 150 ohms output, shouldn't it be able to cope with a 1200 ohm load?

I'm thinking maybe this is just how they are - unless someone tells me it's not the case.

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Music can make me get right up out of my chair and start dancing or it can get me so pumped up I have to walk around the block.
It can also knock me back and make me sit there and cry like a little baby. This shit is as powerful as any drug!!!
- Larry DeVivo

Jim Williams

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #13 on: October 16, 2008, 11:08:26 AM »

1200 ohms into a reactive load (transformer) will reduce air and bandwidth of the mic and cause other reactions with frequency variations. These do have a rather low output but that's not a problem if the mic pre has a -129 db EIN noise spec or better. Neve's won't do that so you will get some hiss on top of the resonances. Try a faster, transformerless mic pre with a good EIN spec. I find that makes all the difference in the world on this great dynamic mic.
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Jim Williams
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MagnetoSound

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Re: EV RE20- wicked bump at 300-400 HZ ? ?
« Reply #14 on: October 16, 2008, 11:14:07 AM »

Jim Williams wrote on Thu, 16 October 2008 16:08

These do have a rather low output but that's not a problem if the mic pre has a -129 db EIN noise spec or better.




10-4.  Smile

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Music can make me get right up out of my chair and start dancing or it can get me so pumped up I have to walk around the block.
It can also knock me back and make me sit there and cry like a little baby. This shit is as powerful as any drug!!!
- Larry DeVivo

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