Electro-Voice RE20: Is This Dynamic Microphone Right for You?

The Electro-Voice RE20 is a large-diaphragm dynamic microphone with a cardioid pickup pattern and an end-address design. It is closely associated with radio broadcasting, podcasting and voice-over work, and it is also used on instruments such as kick drums and guitar amplifiers. This guide helps you decide whether it fits your setup, then walks through connecting it, setting levels and checking the result.

Before you start

The RE20 is a passive analog microphone with an XLR output. Nothing about the microphone itself involves software, an account or an online service, so capture happens locally on your own equipment. Where your audio goes afterwards depends on the software you use. A local recording app keeps files on your computer, while a video call app sends audio to its provider. Check that app's own privacy and storage settings rather than assuming either way.

You will need the following:

• An audio interface, mixer or recorder with an XLR microphone input. The RE20 cannot plug into a USB port directly.
• A preamp with plenty of clean gain. The RE20 has a relatively low output, so quiet voices or soft sources may need more gain than some budget interfaces provide comfortably.
• A balanced XLR cable.
• A sturdy stand or broadcast arm. The RE20 is a heavy microphone, so compare the manufacturer's listed weight with your arm's rating.
• The current driver or setup instructions for your interface, taken from its maker's documentation.

Who the RE20 suits

The RE20 is a strong match if you speak close to the microphone, record in a room without acoustic treatment, or stream and host shows where you move slightly while talking. Its Variable-D design is intended to reduce the bass buildup (proximity effect) that many cardioid microphones show as you move closer, which helps keep your tone consistent. Its focused pickup also favours your voice over background noise from the room.

It is a weaker match if you want USB plug-and-play, need to record from a distance or capture a room's ambience, or prefer the brighter, more detailed sound typical of condenser microphones. It is also a poor fit if your interface already struggles with low-output microphones. If output level or price is your main concern, also look at related models in the same family, such as the RE320 and RE27N/D, and compare their current specifications.

Step-by-step instructions

These steps are reversible. Note your existing interface and app settings before changing them so you can restore them later.

• 1. Turn the input gain on your interface all the way down, and lower your headphone or speaker volume.
• 2. Connect the RE20 to a microphone input with the XLR cable. A dynamic microphone does not need phantom power, so leave phantom power switched off for that input unless your interface documentation says otherwise.
• 3. Mount the microphone and aim its top end at your mouth. The RE20 picks up from the end, not the side. Start close enough that your voice is clearly louder than the room, then adjust by ear.
• 4. Find the bass roll-off switch on the microphone body. Leave it in the flat position at first. Switch it on later if you hear rumble, handling noise or a boomy voice.
• 5. In your operating system's sound settings, select your interface as the input device. Choose your headphones or speakers as the output device. Then make the same selections inside any recording, streaming or video call app, because many apps keep their own device choice.
• 6. Set the interface and your software to the same sample rate. 48 kHz is common for video and calls, and 44.1 kHz is common for music projects. A mismatch can cause clicks, pitch problems or devices that refuse to open.
• 7. Speak at your normal loudest level and raise the gain until the input level meter shows strong peaks that stay clearly below clipping. Set the level with the interface gain knob rather than by boosting a weak signal in software afterwards.
• 8. Record a short test that includes normal speech, your loudest moments and a few seconds of silence.

Check the output

Play the test back on headphones and check the following:

• Level: the loudest parts never trigger the clip indicator or look flat-topped in the waveform. The quiet parts are not so low that you would need heavy amplification in editing, because that also raises the noise floor.
• Noise: in the silent section, listen for steady hiss, which usually means the preamp is working near its limit. Also listen for hum, which points to a cable or grounding issue, and for room sounds such as fans.
• Tone: check for boominess, thinness or popping on words starting with P or B. The RE20 has an internal pop filter, but speaking straight into it from very close can still produce plosives.
• Device: in your call or streaming app, confirm that the input meter moves when you speak and that playback comes from the output device you chose.

The microphone does not determine file format, bit depth or sample rate. Your interface and software set those, so check them in the app you record with. Video call services often apply their own noise suppression and automatic gain, so call audio can sound different from a local recording of the same setup.

Common problems and next steps

Too quiet, or noisy when you turn the gain up: this is the most common complaint with the RE20 and comes from its low output. First move a little closer and confirm the gain is set on the interface. If the preamp still hisses before you reach a usable level, add an inline microphone preamp between the RE20 and the interface, or use an interface or mixer with more clean gain.

No signal at all: check that the cable is firmly seated at both ends and that you are watching the meter for the correct input channel. Make sure the channel is not muted, and confirm that the app has the interface selected as its input device rather than a built-in microphone or webcam.

Voice only in one ear: many interfaces send input 1 to the left channel only. Set the track or app input to mono, or route the channel to both sides in the interface's own mixer software.

Hum or buzz: the RE20 includes a hum-bucking coil, but it cannot fix a faulty cable or a ground loop. Try another XLR cable, move the cable away from power adapters, and plug audio equipment into the same power source.

Boomy or thin sound: adjust your distance first, then try the bass roll-off switch. Change one thing at a time and record a new test after each change.

Background noise still audible: lower the gain slightly and move closer, so your voice carries more of the signal. Point the back of the microphone toward the noise source. Reduce noise in the room itself before relying on software suppression.

Hearing yourself with a delay: monitor through the interface's direct monitoring feature instead of through software playback.

If you get a clean, steady recording after these steps, the RE20 is likely to serve you well for voice work. If you are constantly fighting for gain even with an inline preamp, a higher-output dynamic microphone or a condenser may suit your setup better.