The Heil PR 40 is one of those microphones that looks like it belongs in a radio studio. That’s not an accident.
It’s a large dynamic microphone designed for broadcast, podcasting, voiceover, studio recording, and other situations where you want a full, clear voice without using a sensitive condenser microphone.
But the PR 40 isn’t cheap. At its current official price of $379, you’re getting close to the territory of some very well-known professional broadcast microphones.
That creates an obvious question. Is the Heil PR 40 actually worth the money?
For the right voice and recording setup, it can be an excellent microphone. It has a wide frequency response for a dynamic mic, strong rejection from the rear, impressive low-end response, and a sound that can give speech that familiar broadcast character.
But it isn’t necessarily the best choice for every beginner. Let’s take a closer look.
What Is the Heil PR 40?
The Heil PR 40 is a professional dynamic microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. Unlike a USB microphone such as the Blue Yeti, the PR 40 uses a traditional three-pin XLR connection.
That means you generally can’t plug it straight into your laptop. Your setup will normally look something like this:
Heil PR 40 → XLR cable → Audio interface → Computer
The microphone itself doesn’t require phantom power because it’s a dynamic microphone.
Heil designed the PR 40 primarily for close-range use. For voice recording, the company recommends keeping the sound source approximately two inches from the end grille.
And that brings us to something beginners really need to know.
You Speak Into the End of the PR 40
The PR 40 is an end-address, or end-fire, microphone. You speak into the top end of it. This is different from microphones such as the Blue Yeti, where you normally speak into the side.
It sounds like a tiny detail, but microphone direction makes a huge difference.
Point the wrong part of any directional microphone toward your mouth and you’ll wonder why an expensive microphone suddenly sounds terrible.
Put the PR 40 on a boom arm, point the end grille toward your mouth, and stay reasonably close. That’s the setup it’s designed for.
Heil PR 40 Specifications
The PR 40 has a frequency response of 28 Hz to 18 kHz. That’s unusually broad for a broadcast-style dynamic microphone and helps explain why the PR 40 can deliver both a substantial low end and plenty of articulation.
It has a cardioid pickup pattern with Heil specifying –40 dB of rear rejection at 180 degrees.
The microphone has a balanced impedance of 600 ohms and an output level of -53.9 dB at 1 kHz.
Maximum SPL is rated at 148 dB. It weighs about 13.5 ounces. You also get a microphone clip and padded zipper bag with the current PR 40 package.
How Does the Heil PR 40 Sound?
This is where the microphone becomes interesting. The PR 40 is known for producing a warm, substantial sound while maintaining enough upper-frequency presence to keep speech clear.
For podcasting and broadcasting, that’s a useful combination. You don’t simply want huge bass. Too much bass can make speech sound muddy.
At the same time, a microphone that emphasizes the upper mids too aggressively can make a voice tiring to listen to. The PR 40 tries to balance those two things.
Its frequency response reaches down to 28 Hz, giving it plenty of low-frequency extension, while the upper response extends to 18 kHz.
The result can be a voice that sounds big without completely losing clarity. Of course, microphones don’t sound identical on everyone.
A microphone that makes one person’s voice sound rich and smooth may make another voice sound too dark or emphasize characteristics they don’t like.
That’s why listening to microphone tests with voices similar to yours can be helpful before buying.
It’s a Dynamic Microphone
The PR 40’s dynamic design is particularly useful for podcasting. A lot of podcasters aren’t recording in professional studios. They’re recording in bedrooms. Offices. Spare rooms. Maybe there’s a computer nearby. Perhaps traffic is passing outside.
A condenser microphone can capture a lot of detail, but that sensitivity can also reveal more of the room.
A dynamic microphone used close to your mouth can make it easier to achieve a strong voice signal relative to sounds farther away.
That doesn’t mean the PR 40 magically removes background noise. It doesn’t. But its directional design and close-range use can make it more practical than a sensitive condenser microphone in many home podcast setups.
Excellent Rear Rejection
One of the strongest specifications of the PR 40 is its rear rejection. Heil rates it at -40 dB at 180 degrees off-axis. In simple language, the microphone is designed to strongly reject sounds arriving from behind it.
That can be extremely useful. Suppose your computer is sitting on the opposite side of the microphone from your mouth. Or you’re recording in a studio with another person nearby.
Correct microphone positioning can help reduce how much unwanted sound gets into your track. This is also helpful for multi-person podcast studios.
If each host has their own microphone and you position everything properly, good rejection can reduce how much one person’s voice bleeds into someone else’s microphone. Less bleed usually makes editing easier.
Built-In Pop Filtering
Plosives are one of the annoying parts of close microphone recording. Say words containing strong P or B sounds and you’ll push little bursts of air toward the microphone.
Those bursts can create ugly low-frequency pops. Heil built a dual-layer internal pop-filtering system into the PR 40.
There’s also acoustic foam above the microphone element to provide additional protection from breath blasts.
That’s useful because the PR 40 is designed to be used close to your mouth.
Still, I wouldn’t assume you’ll never need additional protection. If you have particularly strong plosives, an external foam windscreen or pop filter may still help.
Good microphone technique matters too. Try positioning the microphone slightly off-axis rather than blowing air directly into the grille.
Do You Need an Audio Interface?
Yes, for a normal computer recording setup. The PR 40 doesn’t have USB. It doesn’t contain its own digital audio converter. And it doesn’t have a headphone jack. You’ll need equipment that can take the microphone’s analog XLR signal and convert it into digital audio for your computer.
For most podcasters, that’s an audio interface. Connect the microphone to your interface with an XLR cable. Connect the interface to your computer.
Select the interface in your recording software. Then adjust your microphone gain. This makes the PR 40 less beginner-friendly than a USB microphone.
But it also makes it much easier to integrate into a professional multi-microphone studio.
Does the Heil PR 40 Need a Cloudlifter?
Not necessarily. This question comes up with broadcast-style dynamic microphones because some of them need quite a lot of clean preamp gain. The PR 40 has an output specification of -53.9 dB at 1 kHz.
Whether you need an inline preamp such as a Cloudlifter depends on your audio interface, your voice, how close you are to the microphone, and how much clean gain your setup can provide.
If you’re getting a healthy recording level without pushing your interface into an excessively noisy part of its gain range, you don’t need another device.
Don’t buy accessories simply because someone else’s setup includes them. Solve problems you actually have.
Heil PR 40 for Podcasting
Podcasting is probably one of the best uses for the PR 40. The microphone is built for close speech. Its low-frequency extension can give voices a substantial sound, while the upper response helps maintain articulation.
The cardioid pattern and rear rejection are useful in home studios and multi-person setups. And because it’s dynamic, it can be more forgiving of imperfect rooms than some condenser microphones.
For a solo beginner who wants something they can plug directly into a laptop, though, there are simpler options.
Heil PR 40 for Voiceovers
The PR 40 can also work very well for voiceovers. That warm broadcast character makes sense for narration, commercial work, YouTube voiceovers, radio-style production, and other spoken content.
Again, room quality still matters. A dynamic microphone isn’t a replacement for acoustic treatment. If your room has severe reflections, you’ll still hear some of them.
But close microphone placement can help you get more direct voice and less room compared with recording from farther away. For spoken-word creators, that’s valuable.
It’s Not Just a Voice Microphone
The PR 40 isn’t limited to people talking. Its wide response and ability to handle up to 148 dB SPL make it useful for loud instruments too.
Kick drum is one example. The extended low-frequency response can capture the deep bottom end of a kick while still preserving attack and definition.
It can also be used on bass-related sources and other instruments where a full-range dynamic microphone makes sense.
If you’re buying the PR 40 primarily for podcasting but also run a home recording studio, that versatility adds value.
Build Quality
The PR 40 feels like a professional microphone. That’s important because this isn’t something you’re buying for $50.
A podcast microphone may be moved around on a boom arm thousands of times during its life.
It might be transported between studios. It may get knocked occasionally.
Dynamic microphones are generally known for being durable, and the PR 40 is designed as professional broadcast and studio equipment.
At 13.5 ounces, it also has some substance without becoming absurdly heavy. You’ll still want a decent microphone arm or stand.
Don’t put an expensive microphone on the cheapest boom arm you can find and then spend every recording session fighting to keep it in position.
Heil PR 40 vs Shure SM7B
This is one of the comparisons you’re likely to make. Both are professional dynamic microphones commonly associated with spoken-word recording. But they don’t sound exactly the same.
The PR 40 has an unusually extended frequency range of 28 Hz to 18 kHz and tends toward a clear, full presentation.
The SM7B has its own recognizable broadcast character and includes selectable response controls.
Which sounds better?
That’s personal. At this level, I wouldn’t choose based entirely on specifications. Listen to both microphones. Pay particular attention to recordings from people with voices similar to yours.
Also compare the total cost of the setup, including interface gain requirements, mounting equipment, and accessories.
Heil PR 40 vs Electro-Voice RE20
The Electro-Voice RE20 is another famous broadcast microphone. You’ll see it in radio studios everywhere.
Both microphones are dynamic XLR models designed to perform well on speech, but they use different designs and have different sonic characteristics.
The RE20 is particularly famous for Electro-Voice’s Variable-D technology, which is designed to minimize proximity-effect changes as the speaker moves closer to the microphone.
The PR 40 is generally more compact and has its own strong low-frequency extension and rear rejection.
Again, this is a comparison where your voice should make the final decision. Neither microphone is universally better.
Is the Heil PR 40 Worth It?
Yes, if you’re looking for a professional XLR dynamic microphone and like the way it sounds on your voice.
The PR 40 combines a wide frequency response, excellent rear rejection, high SPL handling, internal pop filtering, and a design made specifically for close-range applications such as broadcasting and podcasting.
It’s not cheap. And it isn’t the easiest microphone for a complete beginner.
But those aren’t really flaws. The PR 40 is designed for someone who wants to build a proper XLR recording setup rather than simply plug a microphone into a laptop and forget about everything else.
Final Thoughts
The Heil PR 40 has been around for years, but it still makes sense as a professional podcast and broadcast microphone.
Its biggest strength is the way it combines the practical advantages of a dynamic microphone with a wider frequency response than you might expect.
For podcasting, put it on a solid boom arm, keep it around two inches from your mouth as a starting point, connect it to a capable audio interface, and make a few test recordings before reaching for EQ or additional processing.
The PR 40 won’t make a boring podcast interesting. No microphone can. But if you’re serious about the sound of your voice and want a professional dynamic microphone that can remain in your studio for years, the Heil PR 40 is still a strong option worth considering.