Electro-Voice RE410 (2005)
A handheld condenser that showed up in 2005 with a $322.50 list price, a TEC Award nomination, and a multistage pop filter. It's a stage vocal mic that also works in the studio.
Overview
When a vocalist wraps a hand around a condenser mic, two things usually go wrong: handling noise climbs and plosives punch through. Electro-Voice's answer to both arrived in 2005 as the RE410, a handheld condenser built for lead vocal work. The cardioid pattern is uniform by design. The company's stated goal was feedback rejection and isolation from loud onstage sources, so the target buyer is obvious. Mix (March 2005, p.96) introduced it as a handheld condenser for lead vocal applications and confirmed the cardioid pattern and the 50 Hz - 20 kHz response.
The spec sheet reads like a stage mic that refused to stay on stage. That 50 Hz - 20 kHz window is wider than most vocal dynamics manage, and the 140 dB maximum SPL handling means the RE410 will sit in front of a screaming rock singer without folding. Mix (July 2005) noted the TEC Award nomination and reported that the capsule carries a slight "air" band boost in the 5 kHz to 10 kHz range, dialed in to add sheen without tipping into stridency. That's a specific voicing decision, not a neutral studio tool. Don't buy one expecting a flat response.
The physical design is where Electro-Voice put in the stage-hours engineering. A multistage pop filter handles plosives and breath noise before they reach the capsule, a high-compliance shock-mount works to keep handling noise down, and the Warm-Grip handle is shaped for a comfortable feel in the hand. The grille is Memraflex hardened steel, which helps when a mic gets dropped at a gig. Mix (March 2005, p.96) flagged all three of these as the mic's core protective features.
At $322.50 list when it launched, the RE410 sat in the same bracket as its supercardioid sibling, the RE510. Mix (July 2005) reported that the RE510 is a supercardioid design with a selectable low-end roll-off switch tucked under the ball screen to avoid accidental switching, offering a "flat" setting for studio work and a tailored setting for live use. The RE410 doesn't share that switch. It's the fixed-voicing cardioid of the pair, tuned once and left alone. If you want flexibility between stage and studio, the RE510 is the more adjustable one. If you want one sound night after night, the RE410 is simpler.
Electro-Voice also positioned it for studio work, not just the road. Mix (March 2005, p.96) described both the RE410 and the RE510 as suitable for studio or live sound applications, and the shock-mount plus pop filter design supports that dual role. The 140 dB SPL ceiling and the air-band lift make it a good candidate for rock and pop vocals in a treated room, and less so for delicate acoustic work where a flatter response would be preferred.
On the used market, the RE410 is a TEC-nominated handheld condenser from a respected American brand that has become a reasonably attainable vocal mic. The Warm-Grip handle and Memraflex grille have held up better than most stage condensers of the era. The cardioid-only pattern keeps resale simple, since there's one version to look for. Check the pop filter foam, which is a wear item on any handheld condenser, and confirm the shock-mount hasn't gone soft with age.
It isn't a universal mic. The air-band boost is a commitment, the cardioid pattern rules out the tight off-axis rejection a supercardioid gives you on a loud stage, and the fixed voicing means you can't dial it back to flat for a session.
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.