SN - Roland's New DR-20 Microphone

The first thing that came to mind when I heard about the DR-20 Dynamic Microphone from Roland was, "Great! Just what we need is another mic!" Then I heard that Chuck, one of the owners of Sweetwater Sound had bought one for himself for live work - gee, he could have any mic he wanted. So I asked him: "What's the deal with this mic?"

The answer I got was, "It's a really great mic for not a lot of money." True, at just $150 retail, the DR-20 isn't going to put anyone in the poorhouse, but there had to be more.

Roland's DR-20: a great alternative for stage or studio

Okay, it has a hyper-cardioid pattern and excellent frequency response. There's even a talk switch that lets you turn the mic off when not in use (preventing that awful howling feedback in live situations). Also, it'll handle a maximum sound pressure level of 130 dB . And each DR-20 ships with a hardshell case, plus mic clip and cable (you usually have to pay extra for that).

After further investigation, I found out it not only sounds great on stage, but what is really amazing is when you plug it into the Roland VS-880 V-Xpanded digital multitrack (with effects expansion). Using the onboard mic simulator, you can actually "model" the DR-20 to closely emulate the sound of such classic condenser mics as a Neumann U-87 or Sennheiser MD421 thanks to COSM technology. Ah, mystery solved! It's not just another mic.

Give us a call right now for more info and your price on a Roland DR-20. - M.R.