EV RE-320: THE NEW "STANDARD" IN BROADCAST MICROPHONES?

[SRP]

http://www.electrovoice.com/re320/

E-V has FINALLY updated the RE-20. Interestingly, street price is around $300, which puts it at $100 less than the RE-20 and a little less than a SM-7B and PR40.

(and IMO, the black finish is pretty darn cool too...)

Can't wait to get my hands on one to see if it's as good as the RE-20...

 

[ironbear]

It will certainly be different. Unlike the RE-20 and 27, this one shows noticeable proximity boost in the frequency response curves. Like the others, it is a 'variable D' design. The high end shows a presence rise, similar to the 27. It will be interesting to hear it in use. EV could have a real hit on their hands at this price.

 

[bossbill]

In what country is this new microphone manufactured?

 

[Nostalgia]

And the new black finish will make it look more like a gun! What am I talking about you say? See the WEUS Billboard thread on the Orlando board or click below to see the story, and a pix of the offending billboard

http://www.rbr.com/radio/any-publicity-is-good-publicity.html

 

[ironbear]

In what country is this new microphone manufactured?

I don't know, but the price suggests it may be imported. Pointing out here that EV had until recently a Chinese made semi-pro line called Cobalt, a couple of which (Co9, Co11) are outstanding performers for the money.

Would American broadcasters buy imported EV's?

 

[jboyd]

Would you?

 

[oldiesstation]

Demo the mic.I think you may find it to be not only a good value but a great performer.I'm mic heavy right now,but next purchase the 320 would be demo'ed...EV has pretty high quality standards.

 

[ironbear]

Would you?

For personal use, I strongly prefer and buy US manufactured gear to help keep jobs here. The exception would be a Rode NTG-3 clone of the Sennheiser 416 I bought recently...there is no comparable US made product.

In those instances where I recommend gear for others, price/performance is everything. So...yes, I would.

 

[oldiesstation]

Don't even think about comparing the Rode NTG-3 to the Sennheiser 416. Not only is the 416 superior, but the difference is blatant. We just completed a movie and are in post prodution. The first four days were filmed with a Rode NTG-3, and the rest of the production with a 416. Now that I'm in the editing room, I can hear the difference, and no small difference it is. The 416 audio sounds smooth, natural and flawless. The NTG-3 audio sounds harsh, aggressive and when somebody screems it downright kills your ears. I thought the Rode NTG-3 was a microphone which could compete with the 416. No Way!

Now that I have worked with the 416 extensively I can only say it is a marvelous microphone which gives you crystal clear and smooth audio. The Rode NTG-3 is a prosumer microphone at best. They do not compare. THIS IS A REVIEW I READ ON THE RODE,how did you like yours???

 

[BabyDJ]

I just heard a Heil PR-30 for the first time and I put it up against an RE 27 & SM5. The 5 was smoother but the PR-30 was loads better than the 27.

I'm thinking of buying one to evaluate it more

 

[Jasonce66]

I have a pile of broken RE20's/27's on my desk that EV wants $200 plus shipping to repair... not worth it in my opinion... about half of the RE20's at two markets have developed a loose plastic disk behind the diaphragm. It makes the mic inoperable, distorted. The tell tale when someone complains that their mic is distorted is to gently shake the mic... if you hear a loud thud and or crack from it in your headphones, you know.

I'm very disappointed in EV right now, but I love the Heil mics.

Unless they improve their track record, I don't suppose I'm going to be buying any more, of any model. Anyone else have this problem? I've ran across perhaps 20 or so RE20's with this problem.

 

[TomT]

I have an RE-20 in one control room that is 28 years old. No noticeable problems.

 

[Engineer]

Jason:

Yes, yes, and yes. I have a pile of RE-20s marked NFG in the shop. EV used to fix them for about $65 each but they raised the price up to where it's not worth it. I also don't feel the mics sound quite "like new" when they come back. They're still mediocre at best, plus they're just as beat-up looking and full of spit as when we sent them out. I bite the bullet and buy a few new ones every now and then.

ManBehindTheMic:

Agreed on the RE-27. Actually prefer the 20 over the 27. The 27's pattern is too tight and it's kind of "honky" sounding. It's just over-emphasized. Yeah, it's got a super-hot output. I have a pre-amp gain control.

 

[ironbear]

Don't even think about comparing the Rode NTG-3 to the Sennheiser 416. Not only is the 416 superior, but the difference is blatant. We just completed a movie and are in post prodution. The first four days were filmed with a Rode NTG-3, and the rest of the production with a 416. Now that I'm in the editing room, I can hear the difference, and no small difference it is. The 416 audio sounds smooth, natural and flawless. The NTG-3 audio sounds harsh, aggressive and when somebody screems it downright kills your ears. I thought the Rode NTG-3 was a microphone which could compete with the 416. No Way!

Now that I have worked with the 416 extensively I can only say it is a marvelous microphone which gives you crystal clear and smooth audio. The Rode NTG-3 is a prosumer microphone at best. They do not compare. THIS IS A REVIEW I READ ON THE RODE,how did you like yours???

Thanks for your passionate response. Different operating conditions. Different from an intimate, close-in VO in a nice quiet studio, for sure. They're not even simultaneous recordings, different days, different setups, different locations? And it's really a terrible insult to the Rode to describe it as "prosumer". It's absolutely not. What it is, is a surprising $700 mic.

Aside from a variety of A/B reviews you can Google and tests you can listen to, my experience with the Rode puts it very close...but not identical to...the 416. Main difference I;ve experienced is a slightly fatter main pattern on the Rode, but none of the noxious effects you heard (I hope you retained some hearing after all that!) Of course, my voice is notably smooth, natural and flawless to begin with!

As with the new EV, the proof is in the testing and the daily use, and we're all looking forward to that.

 

[pellmell]

The RE-320 is very appealing on paper. Last week I did some A-B testing with my Heil PR-40 and my RE-20. The PR-40 won hands down. If I were in the radio business, I'd standardize on the Heil PR-40.

 

[Brian Bowers]

Replaced a couple of our RE-20's with a couple of Audio Technica AT-2035's for on-air and voice tracking (used on an Active Rock format). Amazing sound from a mic that you can usually find for around $100 each (B&H Photo). Paired the AT-2035 with a Nady S SPF-4 Spider Shock Mount Pop Filter (along with Symetrix 528E mic processors). The airstaff's and PD's love them, and I like the way they sound on the air too. The Nady pop filter could be a just a bit more effective in preventing air blasts to penetrate it, but it was the most comfortable fit for on-air purposes. At some point I may glue a piece of nylon to each of the Nady's.

Other favorite on-air mics Shure SM7 (with the original windscreens, or even better yet, remove that, and add a gooseneck pop filter), Shure SM5B, Shure SM-81 (you can hear this one on Classical WFMT's awesome internet stream). What are yours? Anyone have a current favorite mic processor, besides the Symetrix 528E?