Electro-Voice RE20

Designed by Electro-Voice using the company's patented Variable-D technology and a large-diaphragm element, it has been described as an industry standard "iconic" microphone for its natural sound and its wide usage in radio, television and recording studios.

Two black-colored models are also available, with the RE320 having a switch to select a curve for voice and a setting tailored for miking a kick drum.

[3] In 1953, Electro-Voice (EV) developed the Variable-D technology to reshape the microphone pickup area into a cardioid directional pattern, using only one transducer element.

A major improvement was the elimination of problems with the proximity effect, achieved by directing sound waves to the rear of the transducer element through multiple ports in the housing.

The microphone came with a switch to tailor the mid-bass response, attenuating frequencies below 400 Hz with a mild high-pass filter.

[5][6] The PL Series was introduced by EV in 1990 to attract the recording studio market, including a dark blue-gray version of the RE20 with the designation PL20; this model is discontinued.

[9] When the RE20 was released in 1968, it was adopted by radio and television announcers for its natural sound and consistent level throughout the pickup pattern.

The 309A is based on a steel yoke with rubber suspension cords surrounding a metal cage to hold the microphone.

Title character Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) appeared to speak into the microphone to deliver psychiatry advice on talk radio.

[6] The unmoving lower speaker in a Leslie cabinet may be picked up with an RE20;[12] "Sweet Home Alabama" was recorded using this method.

[14] Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was miked up in 1981 by engineer Glen Kolotkin using an RE20 for her vocals and another for guitar amps.

For Carlos Santana's 1999 Supernatural album, Kolotkin placed RE20s on the electric guitar cabinets, along with other microphones to be mixed in combination.