Electro-Voice Microphones

[Crete]

My band uses an Electro-Voice Raven for guitars and a Electro-Voice Blue Series Cardinal Cardioid Condenser Microphone for vocals. I'm pretty sure that these mics are good enough for us at this point since I'm pretty sure the benefits of a more expensive mic would be lost to us because of our inexperience. I was just wondering what everyone thought of these mics and if there was some thing else in a similar price range $200 that would be better.

[brandondrury]

The only EV microphone I've ever used is my PL20 which is essentially an RE20.

I'm pretty sure that these mics are good enough for us at this point since I'm pretty sure the benefits of a more expensive mic would be lost to us because of our inexperience.

Well if you are wise enough to figure this out than you are ahead of the game. Keep giving it hell so you don't have to say you are inexperienced.

[richiebee]

I used to use a commercial rehearsal space that used EV dynamic mics with their PA, and I loved them. Made our horn section sound really great.

I use an EV RE-20 on my trumpet now and like it.

[brandondrury]

I use an EV RE-20 on my trumpet now and like it.

Interesting. I've never heard of anyone doing that. Cool.

Brandon

[richiebee]

It's funny I was at a gig at the weekend being recorded by CBC Radio (don't know if there's an equivalent in the US... in the UK it would be BBC). They are the national radio station with standards among their engineers in a similar way I would imagine the ORTF set up was pioneered. They were using an RE-20 on the trumpet (it was a jazz combo). I was kind of excited to see them use the same mic as me on trumpet. Alas, they told me it was out of desparation because the mic also needed to go through the PA system and it was the best they could use to avoid feedback... for a moment I thought I was onto something. It is fairly well used for jazz and stuff though... that's why I got it. It was recommended as the best thing in the $400-$800 range. I haven't tried a Coles or even a Royer, or a Neumann U89 all of which are supposed to be spectacular. But for me, its better than anything I have used (Neumann U87, KM184, KM183, AKG C414 as well as the Beta 57 and SM57).

The RE-20 has a pretty narrow frequency range, and just takes the nasty edge off the sound of the horn and makes it less clinical than any condenser I've used. The output (as might be expected from a dynamic) is low, but with a loud instrument like trumpet that's not a problem.