Electro Voice RE320 vs RE20 vs RE27 N/D Comparison (Versus Series)

RE320

Price: $300
Freq Resp: 45Hz - 18kHz
Polar Ptrn: Cardioid
Sensitivity: ~ -52dB
Impedance: 150-Ohms

RE20

Price: $450
Freq Resp: 45Hz - 18kHz
Polar Ptrn: Cardioid
Sensitivity: ~ -56.5dB
Impedance: 150-Ohms

RE27 N/D

Price: $500
Freq Resp: 45Hz - 20kHz
Polar Ptrn: Cardioid
Sensitivity: ~ -52dB
Impedance: 150-Ohms

Today we're comparing three of the most popular microphones for podcasting, radio broadcasting, and let's play gamers; the Electro Voice RE320, RE20, and RE27 N/D.

The build quality of all of these microphones is nearly identical. They have the same chassis for the most part, with minor cosmetic differences. There are vents that run the length of the body that allow for the variable D technology to decrease the proximity effect. They all have a steel body and a good amount of weight to them. The RE320 & RE20 have a single high pass (low cut) switch, while the RE27 N/D has 3 switches, (2) high pass switches, and (1) high cut switch.

The frequency response of these mics vary pretty significantly. The RE320 has a minor bass boost of 1dB between 150 & 250 Hz, and then has a relatively flat mids section. There is a significant 5dB presence and treble boost from 3.5kHz to 10kHz. It flattens between 13-15kHz and then cuts the remainder of the air. The RE20 has the flattest response, remaining consistant between 70Hz and 400Hz with multiple 1-2dB cuts between 400Hz and 5kHz which is followed by a 1-2dB boost from 5kHz - 12kHz at which point it gradually rolls off the air frequencies. The RE27 N/D has a flat bass and mid section with a significant boost beginning at 1kHz peaking at 5dB around 4kHz. And then begins to roll off at 8kHz gradually all the way up to 20kHz.   

When it comes to the overall performance of these microphones, they are very different. The RE320 is a very bright microphone with a significant presence and treble boost. This allows your voice to really stick out and pop, but to me it sounds top heavy. It did sound the best on the electric guitar and acoustic guitar out of all three mics.

The RE20 had the most neutral sound with minor cuts and boosts throughout the frequency response. The minor cuts to the mids does make it sound on the verge of being scooped, but it's not terrible. Out of all of the mics in this comparison, it sounded the best for singing and spoken word.

The RE27 N/D was the most jarring of the 3 microphones. It's natural boost was very unflattering on voice, so much so that I had to run it with the high cut enabled. Due to the boost starting at 1kHz, it tended to have a honkier tone. Additionally, the off axis coloration was the least flattering on this microphone.

RE320 Freq Resp

RE20 Freq Resp

RE28 Freq Resp

With all that analysis, the WINNER of this versus series is the Electro Voice RE20. I chose this microphone in lieu of it's flaws. Those being it has the quietest output of all the microphones in this comparison, and the minor cuts in the mids make it sound on the verge of sounding scooped. The main reason I did pick it though is due to the it having the flattest and most neutral tone. However, this is a tone that I personally prefer for spoken word and singing, so this may not be for everyone.

If you have any questions, or want to provide your input, please leave a comment on the youtube video.

Buy the Electro Voice RE-320
US: http://amzn.to/2hmCSup 
UK: N/A
CA: N/A
DE: http://amzn.to/2fEkFbE

Buy the Electro Voice RE-20
US: http://amzn.to/2AIXoC2 
UK: http://amzn.to/2yv4KTC 
CA: http://amzn.to/2AI2XR3 
DE: http://amzn.to/2jW1xb7

Buy the Electro Voice RE27 ND
US: https://amzn.to/2lQoZaz 
UK: N/A
CA: N/A
DE: https://amzn.to/2MHkqdN

Buy the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) 
US: http://amzn.to/2vDFbzK 
UK: http://amzn.to/2w8O2f6 
CA: http://amzn.to/2wKGKfG 
DE: http://amzn.to/2wVYnfL

Samson C01 XLR Condenser Mic Review

Today we're not looking at another microphone from Samson, the C01.

For this review, I have the mic connected directly to the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen), with the input gain set at approximately 12:00. I have done no post processing on the audio, it is all raw, but the audio was slightly boosted in final cut pro X to simply make the audio easier to listen to.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back around $75 on Amazon

What's In the Box

1. Plastic Storage Box

2. Microphone

3. Microphone Mount

4. 5/8" to 3/8" Stand Adapter

5. Documentation

Specifications

1. Frequency Response: 40Hz - 18kHz

2. Polar Pattern: Hyper Cardioid

3. Sensitivity: ~ -33dB

4. Impedance: 200-ohms

5. Max SPL: 136dB

Performance / Features

The build quality of this microphone is perfectly fine given the price. It has an all metal body as well as a sturdy metal mesh grill, and a good amount of weight to it coming in at 1.1 lb. On the front of the microphone you'll find a blue LED light that lights up when phantom power on your interface is turned on and on the bottom you'll find the XLR port. 

The frequency response is listed as 40Hz - 18kHz. The bass frequencies begin to roll off at 150Hz but peak again at around 95Hz before rolling off the remainder of the low frequencies. The mids and presence fluctuate quite a bit with a minor boost around 600-700hz, a peak at around 1.7kHz, 2.7kHz, and 5.5kHz, with a broad boost from 6Khz to 12kHz. 

The polar pattern of this mic is Hyper-cardioid. This means that the front is sensitive and the rear of the mic has a small lobe of sensitivity with the dead spots around 112-degrees. 

The overall performance of this mic lacks. As far as a vocal mic it seems to lack significantly in the low frequencies, sounds a bit nasally, and has some minor sibilance issues as well. On the electric guitar, I had to put the mic right on top of the amp to get some low end in the guitar, but it did end up sounding fairly decent. The acoustic on the other hand sounded brittle in the high end. Something that was not listed on the specifications sheet was the self noise, and when I was testing the mic, it seemed like a fairly big downfall of this mic. Finally, the tone of the mic all around was somewhat harsh and become painful to listen to after lengthy listening sessions. 

Pros

• Pretty good build quality

• Comes with a storage box

Cons

• Subpar performance with self noise

• Lacks in the low end

• Sibilance issues

• Harsh tone that became painful after long listening sessions

Conclusion

I was somewhat let down by this microphone. I have really enjoyed the majority of Samson mics on the market, but this one didn't meet my expectations. The frequency response left a lot to be desired in that it left the voice and guitar sounding thin and harsh. The self noise also makes this unusable for professional applications as well.

Due to how competitive the mic market is, I don't think I can recommend this mic. There are too many mics in this price range for me to recommend a mic that doesn't perform amazingly.

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them on the youtube video, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy the Samson C01
US: https://amzn.to/2JgDkHs
UK: https://amzn.to/2EdQZvt
CA: https://amzn.to/2pZmnJ5
DE: https://amzn.to/2pZZPZu

Buy the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)
US: http://amzn.to/2vDFbzK 
UK: http://amzn.to/2w8O2f6 
CA: http://amzn.to/2wKGKfG 
DE: http://amzn.to/2hbtxsV

CAD U1000 USB Studio Condenser Mic Review / Test

Today we're reviewing a potato, I mean a microphone from CAD; the CAD U1000. This mic is listed compatible with Windows & Mac.

For the majority of this review, I have connected the mic directly to my mac computer with the computer gain set at ~35%. I have not boosted the audio at all in post, and there is no other post processing completed on the audio.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $40-$80 on Amazon

What's In the Box

1. Microphone

2. Wind Screen

3. USB to USB cable

4. Microphone Mount

5. Desktop Microphone Stand

6. Documentation

Specifications

1. Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz

2. Polar Pattern: Cardioid

3. Sampling Rate: 44.1kHz

4. Bit Depth: 16-Bit

Performance / Features

The build quality of this microphone feels decent. It has an all metal body and a metal grill covering the capsule. On the front of the microphone you will find a blue LED light to indicate that it is receiving power. Directly beneath this, you will find a headphone volume up and down control. Next you'll find a microphone mute button that does not mute the microphone's signal to the computer, but rather mutes the zero latency monitoring. Lastly you will find a 3.5mm headphone port which does offer latency free monitoring.

The frequency response is listed as 20Hz - 20kHz. I do not think this microphone offers any sound worth discussing in depth. It is underwhelming and sounds exactly like you would expect a low end USB mic to sound.

The polar pattern of this mic is listed as cardioid. It did pick up a fair amount of audio as we moved around the microphone, and also picked up a bit of the quiet keyboard that I test while reviewing the mic.

The overall performance of this mic is mediocre at best. As you can tell, throughout the majority of the review (on the mac), there are clipping artifacts in the audio. I demonstrate how no matter what gain I set the mic at, there are clipping artifacts. On the windows machine this issue did not occur. My issue here is that the mic is listed as compatible with Windows and MAC, and just like other CAD mics I've tested, the performance on the MAC computer leaves a LOT to be desired.

Pros

• Comes with everything you need

• Fairly quiet preamp

• Zero latency monitoring

• Decent build quality

Cons

• If you get too close to the microphone on a mac, it clips

• Audio recorded sounds very mediocre

Conclusion

No I do not recommend this microphone, even if you can get it for the discounted $40. I think that the clipping issue on the mac is unacceptable and do not have faith in a company that would release a product like this.

Some of you may be thinking I'm being too harsh, and that this could be attributed to a faulty unit, however, I have tested out two other CAD microphones and experienced very similar issues, and was not able to receive any assistance from the company. For $40, I would suggest looking at something like the Samson Go Mic, and all around better microphone.

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them on the youtube video, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy it on Amazon
US: http://amzn.to/2lAwHGU
UK: NA

AT-2020 vs. AT-2035 Comparison (Versus Series)

Audio Technica AT-2020

• Price: $100
• Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
• Polar Pattern: Cardioid
• Sensitivity: -37dB
• Dynamic Range: 124 dB
• Impedance: 100-Ohms
• S/N Ratio: 74 dB

Audio Technica AT-2035

• Price: $150
• Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
• Polar Pattern: Cardioid
• Sensitivity: -33dB
• Dynamic Range: 136dB
• Impedance: 120-Ohms
• S/N Ratio: 82dB

Today we're looking at two microphones that are very similar. The Audio Technica AT-2020 and the Audio Technica AT-2035. When comparing these microphones on paper, you may think that they are very similar, and they in all honesty, they are very similar. There are some very important differences if you are looking to record professional audio.

The build quality of both mics is excellent. Full metal construction that feels extremely durable. However, the AT-2035 does have the added functionality of a -10dB pad and bass rolloff switch built in.

The frequency response of both microphones is listed as the exact same, but if you look at the visualization of the AT2020 & AT2035 response, you can see that the 2035 has a slightly larger boost between 10-15kHz, which provides it slightly better presence. When you listen carefully to the performance on the instruments, you can hear this slight improvement. 

The polar patterns of both mics is very similar, and there's no winner here.

When looking at the sensitivity, we see that the AT2035 has a slightly higher output. What this means is, if the EXACT same signal is played into both microphones, the AT2035 signal will be ~4dB louder. This can make a huge difference. The AT2035 also has a better dynamic range meaning it can handle audio signals that are 12dB louder before breaking up.

When it comes to the S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio, we once again see that the AT2035 is the winner. This specification basically tells you that the signal (voice or instrument) that you are recording will be louder compared to the line noise.

Therefore, the winner of today's Versus Series is the Audio Technica AT2035. To my ears it has a slightly better tone, it generates a louder and cleaner signal, and is all around a better package, and if I had to choose between the two, I would choose the 2035. However, if you are just recording at home and doing voice overs for youtube, you can probably get away with just purchasing the AT-2020. 

Buy the AT2035
US: http://amzn.to/2b9Fbj9
UK: http://amzn.to/2aFhJew

Buy the AT2020
US: http://amzn.to/2b9EWEZ
UK: http://amzn.to/2bbu5LW

Tonor USB Tie-clip Mic (SF-911B) Review / Test

Today I am reviewing Tonor USB Tie-Clip / Desktop Microphone (SF-911B). The idea behind this microphone is awesome! A plug and play lavalier/lapel microphone that connects to any Windows or Mac computer through it's USB port. Unfortunately, only the idea of this mic is good.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $10 on Amazon

What's In the Box

1. Microphone w/ 1.5m USB Cable
2. Desktop Stand
3. Windscreen
4. Carrying Pouch
5. Directions

Performance / Features

The build quality of this microphone is very inconsistent. The microphone capsule is encased in metal which gives it a nice sturdy feel and some nice weight. The USB cable is a standard usb cable so there's nothing special there. On the cable a few inches below the mic is a rectangular box that I am assuming contains the circuitry for the USB interface, which I think is placed in a HORRIBLE location. The mic stand feels cheap, but offers some nice options as far as microphone positioning, and it offers some cable management on the bottom side of the stand.

The frequency response of this mic is listed as 100Hz - 16kHz which is pretty nice for a cheap USB mic. It offers decent sound for the voice, but as you would expect, it lacks a bit of presence/high-end when clipped to your shirt.  

The polar pattern of this microphone is omni directional which is standard for lapel microphones. However, for a USB version of this microphone, they should consider offering a Unidirectional model to help eliminate background noise from the keyboard.

When connected to the computer, there was also a HUGE issue with digital noise. No matter what I set my gain at, I could not escape the digital noise that is reminiscent of morse code. Also, when you touch the metal microphone capsule, it seems to cause a short/grounding issue that increases the buzz even more. This could be avoided by adding the windscreen.

Pros

• Cheap
• Nice feeling microphone capsule
• Stand has cable management
• Plug and play

Cons

• HORRIBLE digital buzz/hiss no matter what the gain is set to
• Contact with metal microphone capsule increases buzz issue
• Poor location for circuitry
• Signal is quiet

Conclusion

DO NOT BUY THIS MICROPHONE! I do not think that anyone should waste their money on this thing. The idea behind it is great, but the execution was horrible. There's a constant buzz that is only amplified if you make the mistake of touching the microphone capsule. The signal is also fairly quiet which means you will most likely have to crank your gain which will also amplify the digital noise. All around, the USB model of this mic is just not a good option for anyone.

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy the SF-911B:
US: http://amzn.to/29Gb4LD
UK: http://amzn.to/29HuJvA