Electro-Voice
RE20
Dynamic · Cardioid · 45–18,000 Hz · a rider regular
- Variable-D: a row of ports down the body cancels proximity effect, so the low end does not change when the presenter leans in.
- That flatness is the point: the low end stays put as the talker moves.
- 737 g — specify a boom arm that can hold it.
Frequency response
Redrawn from Electro-Voice’s published response graph (approximate, ±2 dB) on the fixed MicSense scale — 20 Hz–20 kHz, −20 to +15 dB — so two microphones can be compared at a glance. No image is copied; it is a guide to the shape, not a measurement. Drawn for: bass-tilt switch off (solid 0° curve); normalised to 0 dB at 1 kHz (graph has no labelled 0 dB line). The maker’s graph (Frequency Response, Engineering Data Sheet p.2 — 0° solid curve).
Polar pattern
Generated from the first-order directivity formula for cardioid. It illustrates the pattern type — it is not a measurement of this individual model.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Electro-Voice |
|---|---|
| Model | RE20 |
| Type | Dynamic |
| Form factor | Side-address |
| Polar pattern | Cardioid |
| Frequency range | 45–18,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 1.5 mV/Pa · ≈ -56.5 dBV/Pa |
| Max SPL | — not published by the maker |
| Self-noise | — none (passive capsule) |
| Impedance | 150 Ω (balanced) |
| Connector | XLR3M |
| Powering | None (dynamic) |
| Weight | 737 g |
Specifications: Electro-Voice datasheet · last checked 2 Oct 2026. These are the maker’s published figures for this model. A dash never means zero: “not published by the maker” means the maker’s documents give no figure; “not yet checked” means MicSense has not confirmed one yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.
MicSense notes
| Price tier | Pro |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1968 |
Price tier and “a rider regular” are MicSense’s own judgement, not the maker’s.
What it gets used for
- Broadcast
- Kick in
- Bass cab
- Horn / brass
- Lectern / podium
MicSense tags microphones by the job on a live stage, not by studio category — so you can filter for “kick in” or “monitor vocal” instead of working backwards from “large-diaphragm condenser”.
RE20 alternatives: closest in published specs
Based on published specifications only — always listen at soundcheck. These are the microphones in the MicSense library whose datasheet figures sit closest to the Electro-Voice RE20’s for the same live job, with the reasons. It says nothing about how they sound.
Not compared for the Electro-Voice RE20: max SPL not published by the maker.
-
Shure
SM7B
- Same job: broadcast, lectern / podium
- Same type: dynamic
- Same cardioid pattern
- Same form: side-address
- Similar published response shape (≈ 1.4 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
-
Sennheiser
MD 421-II
- Same job: broadcast, bass cab, horn / brass
- Same type: dynamic
- Same cardioid pattern
- Similar published response shape (≈ 2.2 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- End-address instead of side-address — mounts differently
-
Shure
SM58
- Same job: broadcast, lectern / podium
- Same type: dynamic
- Same cardioid pattern
- Similar published response shape (≈ 1.4 dB apart on average, 100 Hz–10 kHz)
- About the same output — within the datasheets’ tolerance
- Handheld instead of side-address — mounts differently
Compare it against the alternatives.
MicSense lets you put up to four microphones side by side — spec table, overlaid response curves and polar diagrams on one screen. Free with a free Squaresmile account.