Electro-Voice DO54 vs. RE55

[bermudaben]

nobody?

[yapz]

The DO54 and RE55 use essentially the same omni element -- but the RE55 has better bass response due to its overall length and construction. There's a small bass port on the connector end of the mic -- and a specific length of flexible tubing surrounded by a strip of insulation that runs the entire length of the barrel. And the distance between the diaphragm and the bass port is apparently critical; you'll see the exact same distance between port and diaphragm on the RE55's "father," the 655C.

[MicDaddy]

bermudaben

should you opt for the RE55 and want to sell off the DO54 shoot me a pm I'll take it.

Both are great, as well as the 655 and 654 (EV made several different models utilizing this capsule, some of them go for insanely few $$)

I think I have a dozen of each and always on the lookout.

The 55 does extend lower for reasons yapz laid out.

I tried getting EV to 'resurrect' the capsule, or at least the coil/diaphragm while I was there to no avail... (they still mold the same diaphragm and wind the same coil for different military mics)

Ed Wolfrum turned me onto these mics after I repaired a pair for him some years back. They sound great on just about everything that someone is willing to shove an omni in front of.

I love them as stereo pairs.

They are among the flattest freq response I've tested in a dynamic (with the RE55 being almost ruler flat) very natural/neutral microphone with no proximity effect.

[yapz]

The RE55 is probably one of the most overlooked, unsung hero, Swiss Army Knife mics of all time. I didn't know EV still made the diaphragm and coil assemblies; I wish they would at least continue to service extant RE55s!

[bermudaben]

Hey, I didn't expect an answer to this one anymore!

So there is no sonic difference other than the extended bass response of the RE55? Good to know.

I'm definitely keeping my DO54. Still trying to find a second one... If I find a pair of RE55s, I might sell the 54.

[yapz]

Originally Posted by bermudaben

Hey, I didn't expect an answer to this one anymore!

So there is no sonic difference other than the extended bass response of the RE55? Good to know.

I'm definitely keeping my DO54. Still trying to find a second one... If I find a pair of RE55s, I might sell the 54.

I see RE55s on EBay on a fairly regular basis. Once in a blue moon, I've even seen them NIB. You can't go wrong with either the 55 or the DO54 ... but the 55 is in a class by itself. I quote a very respected audio engineer who was working for one of the voice processor manufacturing concerns at the time: "The RE55 was probably one of the best mics EV ever developed. It had three things going against it: 1)--Not large enough. 2)--Not weird-looking enough. 3)--Not expensive enough."

I was hoping that EV would come to its senses and come out with an RE55 N/D ... but I guess that's a silly pipe dream. Sadly enough, it just doesn't look like there's much of a market anymore for wide-response dynamic omnis.