Industry-standard Mini Mics and More
Clear, clean, and precise, DPA microphones have delivered professional, reference-quality sound to the audio industry for decades. For those of us here at Sweetwater who've been involved with orchestral recording, sound design, presentation, live acoustic sound reinforcement, and many other technical audio-engineering disciplines, DPAs are standouts among the best mics on the market — they're the kind of mics any of us are happy to use and proud to own. From their headsets and mini mics to their classic condensers, we simply can't recommend DPA highly enough.
The DPA story is no less outstanding than their microphones. Ole Brøsted Sørensen & Morten Støve founded DPA Microphones in 1992, after leaving Brüel & Kjær. Starting in the 1950s, Brüel & Kjær had made some of the finest measurement microphones in the world. Sørensen and Støve's goal was to take the scientifically calculated engineering concepts behind B&K's world-class measurement mics and apply them to models intended for audio recording and production. Their first efforts produced the d:dictate 4006, which shaped the future of DPA. Over a quarter of a century later, the 4006 is still one of the best-loved recording microphones in the world.
Studio Quality on a Smaller Scale
DPA Microphones' next major development was to scale down their capsule design so they could produce the world's first truly studio-quality mini mic. They capitalized on the technological advancements made by the Danish hearing aid manufacturer Muphone, and the two companies began collaborating (ultimately merging in 2005). The results were fantastic: microphones that were easy to conceal while delivering clear and natural sound onstage. Once professional sound engineers in the live orchestral theater fields caught on, DPA's future was secured.
The first model to come out of this partnership was the DPA d:screet 4060. The 4060 is a pre-polarized mini mic that's small enough to hide anywhere on a presenter or actor. It's still one of the most popular lavs you'll find at Sweetwater. Along the same lines, the d:fine 4066 became the first professional headset mic to be widely adopted for theatrical productions and high-profile events. These omnidirectional microphones are known throughout the industry for their transparent sound and impressive low-frequency handling, which have made them extremely popular among news-gathering professionals and videographers.
Dominating Directional Mics
While omni mics are ideal for some applications, others require considerably more off-axis noise rejection. That's why DPA turned their attention to developing superior directional microphones. They developed a system they call "enhanced interference tube technology," which has allowed them to create precision-tuned directional polar patterns.
This precision technology is reflected in DPA's d:dicate 4017 shotgun mic and their widely acclaimed d:vote 4099 instrument microphone. Those of us at Sweetwater (and many of our customers) who've used 4099s on orchestras, marching bands, guitars, and pianos can attest to the amazing results we've gotten. Also, they make 4099 mounts for just about any instrument out there, so they're super-convenient to use.
Truly Impressive Performance
There are countless great reasons to go with DPA mics, from their phenomenal sound to their impressive reliability. Here are a few extra pieces of trivia that show off exactly how cool they are. First, according to DPA, if you were to build one of their mini mic capsules to scale the size of a soccer field and fire up a jet engine under 200 feet away (that's seriously loud, like standing next to a jackhammer loud), the entire diaphragm would only move about four millimeters. Talk about low distortion!
Yet DPA mics are so sensitive that they're the go-to mics for sound designers who need to capture the quietest subjects on Earth, including snowflakes landing in Antarctica. At the same time, DPA Microphones' products are resilient enough to capture shuttle launches and even handle major trauma onstage. In other words, they're everything you could ask for and more.
