In this article, we’ll show you how to set up and connect the Electro-Voice RE20 dynamic microphone with the Rodecaster Pro audio mixer. We’ll explain what each setting does and when we would use them with this awesome podcasting setup.
Quick Answer: Connect the RE20 to the Rodecaster Pro using an XLR cable and set the level. We recommend activating the compressor, high-pass filter, and de-esser once your level is set. We don’t think you’ll need to use a Cloudlifter with this setup, the Rodecaster has more than enough gain.
This is our dream podcasting setup. If you’d like to see more podcasting equipment recommendations, click to read our buyer’s guide. Or check out the product links below for the very latest prices and specs.
- Electro-Voice RE20 Dynamic Microphone: https://currentprice.io/re20-black
- Rode Rodecaster Pro: https://currentprice.io/rodecaster_p
Rodecaster Pro Setup
If you’re following along with this video, it might be useful for you to know the initial state of our Rodecaster Pro. We’ve carried out a full factory reset to ensure all settings are restored to their defaults.
In addition to this, we’ve turned off all of the audio processing features on our mic channel. We find it’s much easier to set the level for the channel with these disabled.
Podcasting Headphone Options
There is some debate about the best type of headphones to use for podcasting. There are pros and cons with each, so it’s down to you to decide which factors are most important to you.
- Closed-back Headphones
Closed-back headphones do a better job of isolating the sound they produce, keeping it from being picked up by your microphone. Beyerdynamic DT990 Pros are our favorite closed-back headphones. - Open-back Headphones
Open-back headphones spill a bit more sound, but they are lighter in weight. They don’t get as hot as closed-back headphones and are more comfortable to wear for longer podcasts. We love the open-back Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro headphones.
Connect EV RE20 To Rodecaster Pro
EV RE20 > XLR Cable > Rodecaster Pro
It couldn’t be much simpler to connect the Electro-Vice RE20 to the Rodecaster Pro. All you need is an XLR cable. We recommend using Canare L-4E6S star-quad XLR cables. They’re high-quality cables designed for studio use.
Plug one end of the cable into the XLR port on the RE20 and the other into the channel 1 input on the back of the Rodecaster.
Rodecaster Pro Fader Setup
There is no master fader on the Rodecaster Pro, so the channel is live as soon as you start turning up faders. The first step to setting a level for the RE20, or any other microphone, is to push the channel fader up to the thicker line at the midpoint.
Why not turn it up all the way? We want to set the correct level while leaving headroom on the mixer for boosting the volume later if necessary. Guest speakers can start out strong, but they might tire and get quieter as the interview goes on. Setting a level with the fader maxed out leaves you nowhere to go.
Rodecaster Pro Microphone Setting
We need to tell the Rodecaster what type of microphone we’re using in this next step. Hit the channel button and open up the microphone menu.
Channel button > Back arrow > Microphone
There is a preset option for the RE20, but we’re going to select the dynamic microphone option so we can talk you through the other settings. Feel free to use the preset if you prefer.
Even though the RE20 is a dynamic mic, there is one occasion where you might want to use the condenser setting instead. We’ll go over this in more detail a little later.
Electro-Voice RE20 Microphone Positioning
Before you start adjusting the level setting on the Rodecaster, it’s important to get the RE20 set up in an optimal position. Ideally, you should place it about a fist away from your mouth. This offers a good balance between plosive protection and managing gain.
Place the RE20 slightly off to one side and angle it towards you. In this spot, most of the air leaving your mouth will flow past it rather than into it. This helps to reduce breath noises.
Level Setting
Now you need to set the appropriate gain level for the RE20. From the microphone menu, hit back and tap the level button. You’ll see a level meter with a pair of horizontal green bars in the middle. Your goal is to get your mic audio peaking in this green zone, with a level setting of 40 or less, when you’re talking comfortably.
If you can’t get a voice into this zone with a level setting of less than 40, you’ll need to consider using a Cloudlifter or other inline preamp. We don’t think you’ll need to do this when using the EV RE20.
Cloudlifter Setup (Optional)
Just in case you or one of your guests is really softly spoken, we’ll quickly talk you through setting up the Cloudlifter. Like any inline preamp, it goes between your RE20 and the Rodecaster. You’ll need an additional XLR cable to make it work.
RE20 > XLR Cable > Cloudlifter > XLR Cable > Rodecatser Pro
An inline preamp trades phantom power for 25 dB of clean gain. That means you need to activate the Rodecaster’s 48 V phantom power supply. There are two ways to turn phantom power on with the Rodecaster Pro.
- Press the phantom power toggle switch on the level setting screen.
- Select the condenser setting in the microphone menu.
Compressor
Turn compression on.
The compressor essentially narrows the RE20’s dynamic range. You can almost think of it as an auto mixer. It will help control an animated voice by reducing the loudest moments and boosting the quietest. This means you don’t have to keep adjusting the faders to do this manually.
High Pass Filter
Turn the high-pass filter on.
We recommend using a high-pass filter for any vocal mic. It’s designed to take your voice out of the listener’s subwoofer, removing any unwanted low rumbling. There aren’t really any valuable frequencies for a voice in the affected range.
Unless you want to exaggerate deep lows in your voice for creative reasons, we recommend turning the high-pass filter on for any voice. We find it cleans the mic up and adds a little bit more clarity.
De-Esser
Turn the de-esser on.
The de-esser does exactly what you might think. It removes S sounds, sibilance, and mouth noise, helping to reduce some of the more grating frequencies that can be hard to listen to.
Noise Gate
It depends…
The noise gate automatically mutes the microphone when you’re not speaking into it. It sets a threshold, and once you speak loud enough to break this threshold, it unmutes the microphone.
This can be helpful if you have 3 or 4 guests that are always talking, as it mutes the microphones that aren’t in use. However, it can be more of a distraction when it’s just one person in a talking head video or solo podcast. This is due to the fact you can hear the noise gate clicking in and out.
Aural Exciter
Turn aural exciter off.
The aural exciter is similar to the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2’s air mode and SSL’s 4k mode; it basically boosts the upper frequencies. We would use this to add some extra life to the voice of a guest who might sound a little duller than other guests on the show.
It’s something you’ll need to experiment with for each person, but we typically find it sounds kind of annoying as the upper frequencies can be a little bit too much. However, it does have its place, so don’t be afraid to use it where necessary.
Big Bottom
Turn big bottom off.
The big bottom setting does the opposite to the aural exciter, as it boosts the lower frequencies. If you have a speaker who doesn’t sound quite as authoritative or present as other guests, the big bottom feature can help to boost their presence in the mix. We recommend leaving it off unless you need it.
Voice Tone
You can access the voice settings from the main channel menu. The tone menu gives you three options; the idea is that you select the one that best describes the voice being recorded. It’s a simplified EQ profile based on broad voice characteristics. We typically leave this set to medium.
Voice Strength
Our understanding of the voice strength option is that it affects the compressor settings. So if you tell the Rodecaster that you have a soft voice, it will do more to boost your quietest moments. Similarly, if you select the strong setting, the compressor will work more aggressively to keep your voice under control.
Other Channels
If you’ve worked through all of the above settings, then your RE20 is ready to go. If you have more than one mic, simply repeat the process for each channel in turn. You can’t just use the same settings for everyone; things like the level need to be calibrated for each person’s voice.
Rodecaster Pro & Electro-Voice RE20 Pricing
- Electro-Voice RE20 Dynamic Microphone: https://currentprice.io/re20-black
- Rode Rodecaster Pro: https://currentprice.io/rodecaster_p
- Cloudlifter CL-1 Inline Preamp: https://currentprice.io/cloudlifter
- Fethead Inline Preamp: https://currentprice.io/fethead
- Dynamite Inline Preamp: https://currentprice.io/dynamite
- Coda Inline Preamp: https://currentprice.io/coda_stealth
- Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro Headphones: https://currentprice.io/beyer_dt_770
- Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro Headphones: https://currentprice.io/beyer_dt_990
- XLR Cable: https://currentprice.io/xlr_cable
- Mic Stand: https://currentprice.io/desk_stand
- Rode PSA1 Boom Arm: https://currentprice.io/boom_arm
Rodecaster Pro & EV RE20 Topics
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 0:40 – Pricing & Specs
- 0:56 – Rodecaster Pro Setup
- 1:20 – Headphone Options
- 1:50 – Connect EV RE20 To Rodecaster Pro
- 2:17 – Fader Setup
- 3:10 – Microphone Setting
- 3:35 – Level Setting
- 4:45 – Cloudlifter Setup (Optional)
- 6:25 – Compressor
- 6:55 – High Pass Filter
- 7:32 – De-Esser
- 7:50 – Noise Gate
- 8:59 – Aural Exciter
- 9:41 – Big Bottom
- 10:02 – Voice Tone
- 10:17 – Voice Strength
- 10:45 – Other Channels
- 11:24 – Final Thoughts
