Electro-Voice RE3 Wireless Handheld Set With RE520 Condenser Supercardioid Vocal Microphone Head 653-663 MHz

Electro-Voice’s entry into the world of UHF wireless represents an excellent value for wireless customers who are seeking an inexpensive solution to their wireless presentations. Available in a wide variety of configurations, this is equipped with the RE3-RX dual antenna receiver and the RE520-RC3 microphone element.

The Receiver

The RE3-RX is a half-rack diversity receiver with dual antennas and a universal power supply. It comes complete with a rack-mounting kit, and both balanced XLR and unbalanced 1/4″ TRS outputs. It pairs perfectly with the included body pack or with the RE3-HHT Handheld transmitter, and features frequency scanning and syncing. The way the dual antenna system works minimizes the possibility of dropouts, as both antennas are constantly looking for a signal, and if one drops out, the other is already there to pick up the audio.

The RE3 serves three bandwidths within the North American market. The specific frequencies were chosen in order to minimize some of the complexities involved in modern RF. There are two 36mHz-wide bands in the low and high 500mHz spectrum, along with one that operates within the 600mHz duplex gap that the FCC has dedicated for wireless microphone use.

The Handheld Microphone Transmitter

One of the most popular versions of the RE3 system is the set that comes equipped with the Res-HHT Handheld Transmitter. It contains all of the transmission functions of the bodypack, including automatically syncing of the transmitter and receiver frequencies, and that capacity to lock in other operations data. A magnetic sliding latch mechanism keeps the battery door closed, and makes opening it easy to access the batteries. It operates on two AA batteries (alkaline or rechargeable are preferred). This version features the Electro-Voice RE520-RC3 microphone capsule.

The RE520-RC3 is a premium-grade, high-performance, condenser super-cardioid thread-on vocal microphone head for wireless handheld transmitters. Designed to reveal the exceptional detail and vivid clarity synonymous with condenser elements, it elegantly delivers the lyrical finesse required for expressive vocal performances, while controlling off-axis sound from near-by sources.

The sonic signature is detailed, full and vivid, with a warm and clear low end, natural and present midrange, and an open, crisp and detailed high end. The super-cardioid pattern provides excellent acoustic isolation. Maximum feedback rejection occurs when a stage monitor position is at either 225° or 125° off-axis to the element. This pattern also allows for a cleaner mix due to its rejection of off-axis sound. The multi-stage pop filter consists of two layers of dense foam separated by air, which attenuates wind velocity caused by breath and windblasts. The high-pass filter has two positions (see drawing). The flat position delivers the full-frequency band pass of the capsule. The high-pass position attenuates frequencies below 150Hz. The internal shockmount isolates the microphone element from vibration and guards against handling noise.