Double Bass Heil PR-40 X Electro Voice RE-20

[Nuno A.]

I want to buy one of these 2 mikes and i would like to know if somebody compared both in double bass live aplication, i know that the Heil pr-40 has great reviews here and the Re-20 is a very well known mike, but did somebody actually A/B these 2 mikes?
Although the Heil is a bit cheaper, i can get a Re-20 for the same price, so thats not the problem, but i would like to know real experiences from fellow bassplayers
thanks in advance

Nuno

 

[bassist14]

if you are in switzerland you could order both at thomann.de, test them with your own bass/amp and give them back within 30 days if you don´t like them

 

[Dave Martin]

bassist14's idea is the best - try them both and see what YOU like. I have both, and while I like the Heil mic (and Bob Heil, who's a really nice guy), I use the RE20 more often on my Ampeg B15.

 

[Nuno A.]

I thought about that, but Thomann doesnt have the Heil pr 40 and the EV-20 there costs almost the double as the one i can get in the States (week $ ). at the end, i'll have to pay more in VAT taxes and then its a lot of work to get the VAT back in case ill send the mike back.
Dave, do you think you could specify a bit more why you use more the EV-20 please?

Nuno

 

[jrlynch]

well, the heil weighs almost half of the ev, so ... if you're using it on an h-clamp, as i do, the heil is at the edge of what the contraption can handle. the heil appears to have a tighter pattern than the ev and, in my experience, is reasonably feedback resistant. it sounds dead flat, with a minimal prox boost, which serves the db well, i think.

jeff.

 

[Nuno A.]

Also i would like to say that weight and size are not really that important to me, as much as i think that the H-Clamp is a great device, its just not for me as i don't like mounting nothing that big on my bass, my little audix clip on already looks ugly to me
anyway, i wrote to Bob Heil (who by the way seemed to be a very nice person, and always answered my emails promptly)asking his advice and this is what he wrote me back:
"I guarantee that if you place a PR 40 in front of your bass you will NEVER
find anything to top it. NOTHING - at any price. We hear - day in and day out - from artists, FOH and broadcast engineers who marvel at the sound of the PR 40."
Talk about confidence on your own products, .
At this point i think that either mike will give nice results, i will use the mike anyway only on those shows were is viable to use it and where the acoustic conditions are optimal, on the regular noisy bar/club i will keep using my little audix condenser.
Either the EV-20 or the Heil PR 40 will substitute my 40's Altec ribbon microphone that sounds amazing live but its too delicate to carry around and atracts too much atention, not the 1st time that some drunk a.. picks it up and blows on it or start singing ... so far i was lucky that nothing happened but i just dont want to carry it around anymore, ill keep it for studio where this mike really really shines.
thanks again

Nuno