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Author Topic: Advice on DPA 4061  (Read 17502 times)

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ilduclo

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #45 on: March 20, 2019, 04:14:11 PM »
u2_fly_2, sorry for all the weirdness in this thread. I use a set of 4061's with an old soundpros spsb3 battery box and/or a church audio "ugly" battery box to either a sony m10 or a sony d50. I think my recordings sound great. Here is a link to a recent recording, a Shellac set from October of last year. I think the dpa's do great. I got them from Coresound as a matched pair terminated to a single 1/8" stereo plug which fits right in the battery box

https://mega.nz/#!c0QSyAQB!fO5wbsmqeFBiQDdtBvqGKpfYIm1oinC3SLubxIx4OSk

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #46 on: March 20, 2019, 04:20:26 PM »
u2_fly_2, sorry for all the weirdness in this thread. I use a set of 4061's with an old soundpros spsb3 battery box and/or a church audio "ugly" battery box to either a sony m10 or a sony d50. I think my recordings sound great. Here is a link to a recent recording, a Shellac set from October of last year. I think the dpa's do great. I got them from Coresound as a matched pair terminated to a single 1/8" stereo plug which fits right in the battery box

https://mega.nz/#!c0QSyAQB!fO5wbsmqeFBiQDdtBvqGKpfYIm1oinC3SLubxIx4OSk


Excellent recording, thank you!
Except for the old AT943:a the DPA 4061´s are always one of the best mic´s for sure!
Soundprofessionals Audio Technica AT 943 (SP-CMC-8) External Stereo Microphones > SP-SPSB-10-80020
Sound Professionals Micro-mini microphone power supply with mini 12vdc battery and 24 inch hardwired output cable Soundprofessionals Batterybox >> Olympus Ls-10 Linear Recorder > 4 GB > 24 Bit / 48 Khz  > 24 Bit / 96 Khz

Zoom Q3 HD - 1080p / 96-24 Bit

Roland R-26 (96 / 24 Bit)

Sony PCM-D100 (192 / 24 Bit)

mfrench

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #47 on: March 20, 2019, 05:08:36 PM »
Personally, I wouldn't buy DPA, and I was one of the all time fluffers.
Why?
4011 pair = one failed mic
4022 pair = many, many, many failed mics. The beginning of trouble....
4028 pair = many, many, many, many, many, many failed pairs, to a point of shutting down the factory, until they found the issue; then receiving an apology for, and, receiving a handbuilt pair, built by O.B. Sorensen himself.
4060 pair = failed mic,.. now replaced with a DIY Senn MKE2 pair

In all of this, the most positive outcome was developing a good relationship/friendship with Bruce Myers, the then CEO of DPA N.A.

ilduclo

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #48 on: March 20, 2019, 05:50:44 PM »
my first set of dpa 4061's lasted 12 years and only one of the 2 mics failed. I gave that set away to "heathen" here on TS

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=175358.msg2274679#msg2274679

next set, purchased from Len at Coresounds is going strong at 3 year old.  I think they're just as rugged as can be. I tape in active metal shows a lot with beer and sweat flying.

agree, the guys at DPA USA are great. Sent me some free clips!

YMMV

mfrench

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #49 on: March 20, 2019, 05:54:15 PM »
And I likely had $80k in failed 4028's before they shut the factory down. That was after probably $35k+ of failed 4022's. I sold the handbuilt replacements of both models with much trepidation, and with fair warning.

mfrench

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #50 on: March 20, 2019, 06:07:34 PM »
and, this from a totally unrelated forum; a hifi stereo forum, but not recording related. The guy is a taper though, and, posted this fairly recently...
Quote from: pete", post: 90392, member: 248
Excellent job Mike!  One of my DPA 4061s (same tiny lavalier mic as DPA 4060 but with lower output) also unexpectedly dropped in output by about 6 dB.  Archive on brother!  Im starting to get into classical music for sure.

6dB is the mark of death.

ilduclo

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #51 on: March 20, 2019, 06:16:04 PM »
mine did the big drop, too :really_sucks:

Offline jefflester

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #52 on: March 20, 2019, 08:17:13 PM »
I've recently lost a channel on my 4061 HEBs after 20 years. Not sure if it's capsule, cable, or battery box. They haven't been ultra-abused, but the cables have certainly been yanked around a bit. But 20 years was pretty good, IMO.
DPA4061 HEB -> R-09 / AT943 -> CA-UGLY -> R-09
AKG CK63 -> nBob actives -> Baby NBox -> R-09/DR2d
AKG CK63 -> AKG C460B -> Zoom F8/DR-680MKII
Line Audio CM4/Superlux S502/Samson C02/iSK Little Gem/Sennheiser E609/Shure SM57 -> Zoom F8/DR-680MKII (multitracked band recordings)

Offline Gutbucket

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #53 on: March 20, 2019, 09:36:06 PM »
My apology to everyone posting and following along as well.  We're all on the same team afterall - tapers helping each other out.

Now that we've pretty much addressed u2_fly_2's specific questions concerning signal chain and connection details, it's a good time to circle back to general advice about these mics in particular, and it looks like that's already happening..
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline Gutbucket

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #54 on: March 20, 2019, 09:38:59 PM »
I hear Moke's frustrations.  I will note a couple things there- First, I sort of consider the DPA miniatures (d:screet) to be in a different category from their more expensive primary line of microphones (d:dicate).  I've used their primary line a few times, but have never owned any of them.  I'm far more familiar with the miniature 4060, 4061, and 4098 microphones I use extensively.  Secondly, the new modular system of removable capsules DPA has moved to with their primary line at least potentially addresses some of the cable stress failure issues that were a problem with the older permanently-wired versions of their primary mics such as 4022 & 4028, but I don't know if that's the problem Moke had with his 4028s or not.

As for the miniature 4060/4061 omnis, my primary complaint with them is that the capsule is hard wired to the cable.  I really wish they had the option of a microdot connector right at the back of the capsule.  Then the cables could be easily replaced, longer cables could be used without an extension, and pre-wired rigs could have the capsules removed and swapped.  The 4098 supercards I have are basically like that, with a short flexible goose-neck section between the capsule and microdot.  And the dedicated boundary mount BLM4060 version has a microdot connection on its base-plate.

I've had a few die over the years (the 6dB drop, or outright cable failure) but used them hard and they've survived more unintentional abuse than I would have ever expected originally: tugging, bending, repeated tight coiling and bunching inside narrow wire-runs, being submerged in rain water for a couple hours, stand falls into the dirt, wook snags, beer splashes, FOB madness, etc. Overall I've found them as or more reliable than other miniature lavs and I haven't found any alternate miniature mics which I prefer the sound of. They are more far more resistant to the ravages of moisture and dust than top quality externally polarized condensers, and mostly for that reason I rarely tape much with my more precious Gefell 'reference' pairs anymore.  Secondary reason is that they are so small and light I can do things with them I can't with ext polarized mics.
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #55 on: March 20, 2019, 09:43:17 PM »
If you all want, we can get back to the far more subjective conversation about when and where omnis or cardioids are more appropriate and strategies for the use of either of them in various situations.  It's a big topic and subjective opinions on it vary widely. What only works 1% of the time for some tapers may work 99% of the time for others, and vice-versa.
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline heathen

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #56 on: March 20, 2019, 10:10:18 PM »
my first set of dpa 4061's lasted 12 years and only one of the 2 mics failed. I gave that set away to "heathen" here on TS

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=175358.msg2274679#msg2274679

And thanks again!  I sent the working mic to DPA to have it reterminated to a microdot, for whatever that's worth.
Mics: AT4050ST | AT4031 | AT853 (C/SC) | Line Audio CM3 | Sennheiser e614 | Sennheiser MKE2 | DPA 4061 Pre: CA9200 Decks: Zoom F8 | Roland R-05

mfrench

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #57 on: March 20, 2019, 10:22:27 PM »
I hear Moke's frustrations.  I will note a couple things there- First, I sort of consider the DPA miniatures (d:screet) to be in a different category from their more expensive primary line of microphones (d:dicate).  I've used their primary line a few times, but have never owned any of them.  I'm far more familiar with the miniature 4060, 4061, and 4098 microphones I use extensively.  Secondly, the new modular system of removable capsules DPA has moved to with their primary line at least potentially addresses some of the cable stress failure issues that were a problem with the older permanently-wired versions of their primary mics such as 4022 & 4028, but I don't know if that's the problem Moke had with his 4028s or not.

As for the miniature 4060/4061 omnis, my primary complaint with them is that the capsule is hard wired to the cable.  I really wish they had the option of a microdot connector right at the back of the capsule.  Then the cables could be easily replaced, longer cables could be used without an extension, and pre-wired rigs could have the capsules removed and swapped.  The 4098 supercards I have are basically like that, with a short flexible goose-neck section between the capsule and microdot.  And the dedicated boundary mount BLM4060 version has a microdot connection on its base-plate.

I've had a few die over the years (the 6dB drop, or outright cable failure) but used them hard and they've survived more unintentional abuse than I would have ever expected originally: tugging, bending, repeated tight coiling and bunching inside narrow wire-runs, being submerged in rain water for a couple hours, stand falls into the dirt, wook snags, beer splashes, FOB madness, etc. Overall I've found them as or more reliable than other miniature lavs and I haven't found any alternate miniature mics which I prefer the sound of. They are more far more resistant to the ravages of moisture and dust than top quality externally polarized condensers, and mostly for that reason I rarely tape much with my more precious Gefell 'reference' pairs anymore.  Secondary reason is that they are so small and light I can do things with them I can't with ext polarized mics.

determination:
An outsourced chrome plating of the capsules backplate came in at a mil.layer too thick. The capsule would hit the backplate, short out the onboard FET, and, result in the death mark 6dB drop. That drop was also accompanied by sharp rhythmic spiking in the affected channel.

Offline Gutbucket

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #58 on: March 21, 2019, 09:10:44 AM »
That had to be super frustrating.  Would sour me on them too.  Hope they make good for you for acting as a defacto quality control agent.
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

mfrench

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Re: Advice on DPA 4061
« Reply #59 on: March 21, 2019, 09:17:50 AM »
It all worked out. In the end, I was not out anything, monetarily, within reason. But, it was most of a missed years season of music with the 4022's, and then again with the 4028's.  It got so bad that all it took was literally the first time in turning them on,.. zap, dead,.. back to Colorado/Denmark.
DPA/BK was a great company to deal with. They took this very seriously.  In exchange for my trouble's, they literally opened their entire inventory to me in a loaner program, as much of, or, whatever I needed to keep the music capture going. And, Bruce Myers was there, immediately, for me to talk to. We'd spend hours on the phone at a time, just blabbering; first about microphines and music, and eventually about family and life.  He even opened a page for me on their site as one of their favored users. But, alas,... I couldn't afford the risk of failure out of warranty, so I moved on.

Now,... let me tell you all about Line Audio......

 

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