EV RE16 Handheld Mic

egproductions

egproductions

Veteran
I was wondering how the EV RE16 compared to the rode reporter. I own the reporter and am decently happy with the sound. I like how omni directional it is and really like that it has an internal wind filter that does a great job. I don't love that it's not that sensitive of a mic.

While I'm guilty of being more concerned with aesthetics than I should be, in this case, since the mic is often in the shot, I'm more vein than normal. That being said, I'm looking at the RE16 and wondering how it's performs compared to the rode reporter and in general.

Thanks!
 
egproductions said:
I was wondering how the EV RE16 compared to the rode reporter. I own the reporter and am decently happy with the sound. I like how omni directional it is and really like that it has an internal wind filter that does a great job. I don't love that it's not that sensitive of a mic.

While I'm guilty of being more concerned with aesthetics than I should be, in this case, since the mic is often in the shot, I'm more vein than normal. That being said, I'm looking at the RE16 and wondering how it's performs compared to the rode reporter and in general.

Thanks!
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Haven't seen one of those in a long time.

You are absolutely right to be concerned with how the mic looks in the shot. On the surface it may sound silly to worry about how a microphone looks, but it's part of the on-air product. I can't stand to see scratched-up mic flags and beat up stick mic's on-air. You wouldn't put your reporter out in-front of the camera with a ripped shirt or tie with a huge mustard stain on it, so why have a horrible looking mic in the shot? Even if it's not in your shot(like in a gang-bang interview in the locker room), it's still reflective of your network, client, etc. Especially network TV. It's the sole reason I spend like $30-$40/each on the windscreens I use for my MD-46's, because of the way they look on-air. I also cover the body of the mic in a smooth, flat(gray) tennis racquet grip. Unfortunately, the company that makes those, no longer produces them and there is nothing else like them that I have found. And I only have a handful left.
 
The RE16 is a supercardioid mic. That’s a really tight pattern. It may be useful on the field of a very loud football stadium but, when high background noise like that isn’t an issue, it isn’t a very forgiving pickup pattern at all. The beauty of an omnidirectional interview mic is that it has some pickup even if the mic is slow to get into place during an interview.

If you’re looking for something better, and the Reporter isn’t that bad at all, look at the Sennheiser MD42 (omni) or MD46 (cardioid). The MD46 is very popularwith sideline reporters and commentators on NCAA and NFL football fields.
 
Apples and Oranges. The Rode Reporter (like the venerable RE50 and MD42) is an omni. The RE16 is a cardioid, which inherently has the cardioid pros and cons. .. I have not seen a RE16 in a while either
 
Last time I used an RE16 was around 1985 and it was a great vocal mic but far too tight for most who were used to the SM58 etc.

I wouldn't recommend it for in vision work as it is far too tight unless you are at a race track and the presenter is swallowing it.

Far better options that have more wide applications as mentioned above.

If you do need a hyper cardioid option the Sennheiser E845 mic's are a lower budget and I have a couple for in vision work: https://en-uk.sennheiser.com/vocal-microphone-dynamic-super-cardioid-e-845

I personally like the look and sound of Sennheiser mics and prefer the E835 to the SM58: https://en-uk.sennheiser.com/live-performance-microphone-vocal-stage-e-835
 
I've encountered the 835 on numerous occasions in large edu seminars and live music work. It has more of a presence peak around 4-7k Hz than the SM58. It's also more prone to feedback than the 58 or Beta58. I recall the sensitivity is in the same ballpark as other mics of that type as is the price. A decent mic for sure.
 
I really like the aesthetic of the re16 because its so retro. The fact that its a super actually gives me an excuse to buy it since i dont have a hanheld thats a supercardiod already. Just need a good project to justify the purchase where I can essentially bill it back to the client (yes, I work to buy gear).
 
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