Topic: replacement/upgrade advice for a set of AT 853RX for stealth recording

[Gutbucket]

I have a number of 4060/4061 omnis from back to '06 and have never  had any cable problems.  Had the FETs in two of them go.  DPA checked them then replaced them at a discount out of warranty.

The short cable on the 4098 is literally armored. But the microphone capsule housing is plastic and the size of a 406x omni so it is small, light, and seemingly vulnerable. It's the finely perforated thin stainless interference  tube grid that seems like it could be crushed easily.  Probably replaceable, likely somewhat costly.  Have had these for a year, so far so good.

It's probably not what exactly you are looking for due to the frequency response curve, but deserves mention.

[2manyrocks]

If you don't mind my asking, how much was it to repair a DPA mic when the FET went out? 

[Fried Chicken Boy]

^^ Dunno about the 406x, but I had to replace the FET on an out-of-warranty DPA 4021 and the cost was "a lot".

If the OP is considering a mini omni mic (as opposed to cardioids) like the DPA 4060/4061, I'd also suggest looking at putting together a set of Countryman B3s.  I'm extremely happy with mine. 

[Gutbucket]

If you don't mind my asking, how much was it to repair a DPA mic when the FET went out?

Not repairable on the 406x. They replaced the entire microphone both times out of waranty at a reduced price simply as a courtesy.

[schoff]

Ok have had time to pick up the old microphone and run some tests this afternoon.

I wired everything up and just sitting in front of my computer these are the results I got.

Mic A is the mic which I have just had rewired.
Mic B is the mic I thought I was having problems with and had rewired about a year ago.

So after putting everything together the results were as follows:

Recording level 6 on the Sony
Gain on the CA 9200 40+
Volume aprox half past the hour


Mic A was brought up to -12db
Mic B remained constant at -24db

So the new questions I now have are:

Could this be a calibration problem and if so how do you get them calibrated? OR

Can the Sony levels be  "balanced" independently or is it back to Plan B a new set of mics?

Opinions please 

Cheers Schoff

[darktrain]

Ok have had time to pick up the old microphone and run some tests this afternoon.

I wired everything up and just sitting in front of my computer these are the results I got.

Mic A is the mic which I have just had rewired.
Mic B is the mic I thought I was having problems with and had rewired about a year ago.

So after putting everything together the results were as follows:

Recording level 6 on the Sony
Gain on the CA 9200 40+
Volume aprox half past the hour


Mic A was brought up to -12db
Mic B remained constant at -24db

So the new questions I now have are:

Could this be a calibration problem and if so how do you get them calibrated? OR

Can the Sony levels be  "balanced" independently or is it back to Plan B a new set of mics?

Opinions please 

Cheers Schoff

sounds like a bad mic body, try switching the caps to see if the problem persists in the one body, Are these mini xlr terminated?

[schoff]

Hi Darktrain

Tried switching the caps and the problem persisted and yes the mics do terminate in a mini XLR

schoff

[ScoobieKW]

Could also be a short in the pin 2 leg of the quieter mic. Balanced audio works by sending a quieter signal out of phase on pin 3 while sending a hotter signal on pin 2. invert phase of the pin 3, sum them and you remove any interference that appears in the lines. If the hotter signal is missing, you could get one mic quieter than the other.