Heil PR-40 vs. ElectoVoice RE20 vs. Shure SM7B through Great River

[mc2600]

This is the test I wanted a few years ago when I wanted to upgrade my audio setup for spoken work in a bad room. GearSlutz was invaluable in getting me to pick up a Great River, but I didn't get much in the way of an A/B/C test for the mics.

I bought them all to do a personal shootout, and figured I'd share.

• I ran each mic through the Great River --- once with a clean gain setting, once with a crunchy gain setting.
• I'm sitting in a noisy room with computers running, noise on the hardwoods upstairs, and no acoustic treatment.
• I read a random paragraph from an article about my beat-to-crap Redskins.

I'll leave this up a bit before revealing which mic is which.

Two questions for those who want to play:

1. What are your picks for which mic is which?
2. What mic do you think sounds best with my voice?

P.S. If a mod sees this and wants to correct my ElectroVoice misspelling in the subject, I'd appreciate it.

[eascholz]

I say:

1. RE20
2. SM7B
3. PR40

Each of these mics is very colorful; I take it you were positioned very close to each of them. Number 2 sounds most natural to me, but a bit bright. Number 3 has a really odd color overall, but especially in the sibilant range. Number 1 sounds dull, with subdued yet "cheap" sounding highs. I'm not a fan of either 1 or 3, at all.

[oakleaf]

I know you're hoping to build up some suspense, but I could really use the results soon, as within the next 48 hours I plan on buying one of these three mics for a project that's due next week. If you are really hoping to hold onto them, please just message me the results.

Thanks soooo much for doing this. REALLY HELPED me make a decision.

[GoVeganDude]

I have never done this before, but here is my guess (having only ever used an SM7b!):

1. Heil PR-40
2. SM7b
3. EV RE20

woo!

[drastic]

Cool. Thanks for the test. Not sure which is which. I know I like #2 clean and dirty the best, followed by #1, then #3. Didn't really care for #3.

[mc2600]

Results time ...

A few years ago, I picked a mic out of a hat and chose the RE20.

This test really showed that there is no substitute for an actual shootout on your voice to pick the right mic.

Mic #1 was the RE20.
Mic #2 was the SM7B.
Mic #3 was the PR-40.

I'm keeping the SM7B, which to my ears sounded great.

A barely used, 2-year old RE20 and a 2-day old PR40 will be up in the for sale section in a few. ;-)

Michael

[Sephiroth]

Well.. I really don't like the RE20, and the SM7B sounds best for your voice. I'm not sure that the Heil wouldn't sound best for my voice, though, and would have to do my own comparison to be sure.

Did you have any of the EQ switches up on the sm7?

[brooklynhero]

I listened to only the clean samples.

1. RE20 (no proximity effect)
2. SM7B (BIG proximity effect here!!!)
3. PR40 (same as 2 but with more crunchy highs

I used to think that the RE20 had a hyped low end - but WOW does that SM7B have a HUGE hyped low end when you get really close. I can see why broadcasters use it on the ladies - and engineers on screaming vox. It just sounds produced.

The secret with the RE20 though is you can make it sound JUST like the SM7 in this clip - or the PR40 because it takes EQ really well

BUT

you can't make the SM7 or PR40 sound like the RE20 when you move in real close.

I'll stick with my big metal Michigan boat anchor.


edit: wow - i totally didn't read the thread - the answers are at the bottom. HA!

[frameloss]

What I hear is a little different.

Mic #1 sounds like it isn't in a suspension mount, and maybe it is near a computer. That resonant hum picked up sounds just about right for a big, fast, full-sized hard-drive--it is recognizable after having dealt with some of these issues myself for voiceover work. Maybe the RE20 just has less internal shock dampening? Overall this leads more to the impression of a LDC in an untreated room than an LDD.

My initial impression was that I preferred, likewise, #2. But after listening a few more times I think I like #3 more: the rise in lower-mids gives an edginess to the voice that makes it more natural sounding. Though, it definitely has more plosives (which makes me question their claim that it is the best sounding kick-drum mic ever,) I liked the PR40 more, and thought the SM7b sounded processed, almost too sterile. Which means it probably had the most accurate reproduction.

Which leaves me in a conundrum. I can't buy both the sm7 and the heil.

Thanks for posting these. I still can't make up my mind :(

[fakiekid]

2 and 3 seemed to be more noisey, I find I liked the SM7 best on your voice but to be brutally honest I didnt really like any!

[edburgueno]

thanks for posting the files. I dig the first mic because it seems more clear. You can always push the bass up if that is what your going for. I would imagine if your voice was over music the first mic would be more appropriate as well. Don't need vocals mudding up the low end.

[pjmuck]

Agree the SM7b is best for your voice. Cleans up your midrange and clarity which, at least on the RE20, made you sound like you were talking through your nose or congested. The SM7b has the perfect blend of top end clarity and bottom to make your voice sound full and resonant. The PR40 sounded decent as well, perhaps smoother in the mids, but my ear misses the low end.

[JimWest]

I've been excited about these kind of mics for the last several days and have been researching the hell out of them, but now, I realize they all sound like the speaker has a bad case of the flu, chest/nose congestion.

For decades I thought that the singer in Pearl-Jam was impressive, but now that I realize he got that big sound from the SM7B, I'm disenchanted. There's a page of jokes on the SM7B online somewhere and its hilarious, like

"A priest, a rabbi, and an SM7B walk into a bar. The bartender says, Is this a joke?"