DPA is one of the leading microphone brands on the market today. The Danish range of mics have become a standard for theatrical and orchestral work as well as for live, recording, installation and house of worship applications. In addition to showing established products such as the 4066 omnidirectional and 4088 cardioid headband mics, which feature DPA's miniature mic technology, there are several new products on display at PLASA.
The SMK4061 Stereo Microphone Kit is a stereo recording solution aimed at project studios and for discreet mic setup on stage. The kit packages two DPA 4061 high quality omnidirectional miniature microphones with a variety of mounting accessories. These include the BLM6000 Boundary Layer Mount, which can be used in conjunction with a 4061 (or any DPA miniature mic) for placement on a reflective boundary such as a floor, wall, ceiling, piano lid etc to capture the ambient sound of the area. The sound captured from this "pressure zone" has higher sensitivity, clarity and intelligibility compared to the sound captured from the "free air" and serves as a kind of acoustical zoom.
Another recently-introduced product is the BLM4060 Boundary Layer Microphone for use in boardrooms, conference facilities, courtrooms, teleconferencing applications. The BLM4060 is a transducer designed to be placed on a tabletop, and performs well on any flat surface that reflects sound. The microphone element is a prepolarized omnidirectional miniature condenser microphone with a 5.4 mm (0.2 in) vertical diaphragm designed for maximum performance.
Also on show at PLASA is DPA's recently-introduced range of instrument mics, which offer musicians flexibility and quality at an affordable price point, whether live or in the studio. The 4090 and 4091 microphones are housed in a 19 mm anodized black aluminium barrel casing with a 3-pin XLR connector which tapers sleekly down to the 5.4 mm omnidirectional capsule. The mics, which are a total length of 12 cm, fit neatly into the mic clip included.Considering the miniature size of the 4090 microphone capsule, the 4090 can obtain an outstandingly low noise floor of just 23 dB(A) re. 20 µPa, and an impressive sensitivity of 20 mV/Pa, while handling sound pressure levels of up to 134 dB SPL peak. The 4091 is acoustically identical to the 4090 but the sensitivity is adjusted to 6mV/Pa, the noise floor is 26 dB(A) re. 20 µPa and it can handle sound pressure levels of up to 144 dB SPL peak, giving this version a larger dynamic range.
(Chris Henry)
