Electro-Voice - RE20

The way I see it is RE20 is the euro version of SM7B as it became more popular there. RE20 is definitely a nice mic and I recall Kerim Lechner (Krimh) call it the elephant dong. Definitely nice to have. I noticed SM7b works better with lo-z capable preamps as that surprisingly causes the volume to jump up 5-10dB!

I used an RE20 for years, love it dearly. I’ve used RE20’s at every radio station I’ve ever worked at. Replaced it with a Sennheiser MKH 50 P48 as my daily driver. I used both through a Focusrite Claret 4Pre USB with both, plus a Cloudlifter for the RE20. I’m in a sound treated, carpeted 13x24 studio. And don’t forget some headphones. I’ve used Beyerdynamic DT770 Pros (250ohm) for 20 years. But you’re saying you *want* to get into streaming which I’m taking as you haven’t even started yet. Honestly, go find some streamers that *you* think sound really good, and find out what they’re using. If you’re wondering, I sound really good, lol. I know we can’t link to ourselves but I totally would.

Love it! Especially the Electro-Voice

With higher end clarity, I would be sold on RE20 over SM7B for sure.

I’m really surprised the SM7B is mentioned so much, but rarely ever the RE20. It’s basically its direct competitor with more high end clarity, works better on a wider range of vocals, in my opinion. The SM7B is great for brighter sources, like guitar amps. Screaming, too. Dynamics are obviously great for high SPL sources. I sold my SM7B (and Cloudlifter) many years ago, never liked it, and neither do my coworkers, but they all work in live sound rather than studio. To each their own, of course! If it works for you, that’s all that matters.

Both, and it's not always a question of the microphone being cheap, in my experience C414s pick up a lot of sibilance because they are detailed and fairly bright. If it's a big issue you can try a ribbon mic or a dynamic. The Electro Voice RE-20 is a great dynamic mic for vocals, but it is a bit pricy. Depending on the singer and the genre an SM58 or equivalent can actually do a good job. You can also pair a dynamic and a condenser and the slight phase between them can really thicken up the vocal and give you more textures to work with.

Welp if you want to dive right in, RE20. Sounds great out of the box, great on avoiding background noise. Has a nice broadcast/radio sound Shure SM7db/Shure SM7b is the other mic that is super popular but I find it takes some EQ and extra gain to have it sound good in a live stream. As these are XLR mics you'll need an interface, I've had no issues with the Focusrite Scarlet Solo with my RE20 but someone may have other recommendations