Topic: DPA4061's - Questions

[nardo]

But man, the 4061s are the absolute easiest mic to stealth ever.  They're tiny enough that you can hide them almost anywhere to get through the gates and they're super dooper easy to mount and wear and don't get flange with movement.  I don't think there's going to be anything else that's as easy to stealth with until DPA releases some cards the size of the omnis.

I think part of the popularity has to do with the availability of DPA406x's, you can pretty much find a distributor everywhere in the world and the price is decent. As for 'easiest', not going to disagree but I'd say Sanken COS-11s are just as easy, they just don't seem to be too popular outside of Japan. Personally, I prefer their sound over the DPA mini-mic sound but of course location is key to a good recording and opinions are subjective.

Go here for a picture of them: http://www.sanken-mic.com/english/condenser/cos-11s.html

Didn't mean to hijack the topic, just in case.

[zhianosatch]

But man, the 4061s are the absolute easiest mic to stealth ever.  They're tiny enough that you can hide them almost anywhere to get through the gates and they're super dooper easy to mount and wear and don't get flange with movement.  I don't think there's going to be anything else that's as easy to stealth with until DPA releases some cards the size of the omnis.

I think part of the popularity has to do with the availability of DPA406x's, you can pretty much find a distributor everywhere in the world and the price is decent. As for 'easiest', not going to disagree but I'd say Sanken COS-11s are just as easy, they just don't seem to be too popular outside of Japan. Personally, I prefer their sound over the DPA mini-mic sound but of course location is key to a good recording and opinions are subjective.

Go here for a picture of them: http://www.sanken-mic.com/english/condenser/cos-11s.html

Didn't mean to hijack the topic, just in case.

yep, the cos-11s are another option to consider. from what i've heard, i prefer the 406xs, but the cos-11s are the only option that might give DPA a run for their money. not that i think they do.
i also agree with freelunch's latest reply to jcrab.

i'm glad your happy with them, last time I checked everyone was different and people were entitled to different opinions.

Of course.. But usually folks around here qualify their opinion with their experience and biases. If they don't actually have experience, they say so or don't talk trash. In this case your comments seemed to contradict much actual experience and it was not surprising to learn (after digging) that your experience with the mics in question is extremely limited to non-existent.. and that you Hate wearing mics is a significant bias. So are you actually contributing with your comments or simply talking trash?

How can you say they 'cause swishing with the slighest movement' when you have not ever worn them? Why would you say that and not mention 'but I've never even worn them myself and hate wearing mics...' It is disingenuous.

preach it, brother. we need noone acting like he always walks around with an internet-wheelbarrow.

[pfife]

zhiao - you stateside yet?

[zhianosatch]

zhiao - you stateside yet?

nej, won't be till almost august, which is great news for my life but shitty news for seeing shows! i'll be missing ministry (FUCK!!!), slayer, NIN, ozzfest for the first time in forever, and hopefully not too many others. i flew down to berlin for in flames and sepultura last weekend, though, because i haven't seen a hard show since august. pm me about how the concert was!

[Belexes]

Belexes, it sounds like you've already heard shows with the 4061s, and you've decided that you like them, so I wouldn't pay attention to our debate about them.  Just trust your own ears and what you like, and go with it.   

I don't know if anyone answered your original inquiry, but you can use your current SP battery box, but you will have to get your 2 mics and solder them to a stereo miniplug (or have someone else do it...) - most people get them from ebay w/ lemo connectors, and cut off the connectors. But the problem here is that they are often not very well matched.

There are some mathmatecal/analytic reasons to believe that the DPA pres/bb's sound better than the SP battery box, but I've never done an A/B blind comparison to hear if its an audible difference.  I made that jump, but I changed everything in my rig at once, so I can't single out the improvements and relate it to a particular gear change.

I'd strongly suggest NOT purchasing new ones with microdots if you are going to cut the connectors - you're just wasting money then. 

my 2 cents, hope it helps.

That helps a lot if I do decide to make the jump.  It'd probably be easiest to just pick up a pair on EBAY that already has the stero plug on them.  I'l keep an eye out.

[Aaron41]

Wow. This thread has gone in some odd directions.

I stealth about half of the shows I hit, if not more. I love bass which is something my current mics (AT831s) just can't seem to handle. I also really appreciate awesome stereo separation, something that seems easy to achieve using HRTF mounted mics. All answers would seem to point to the DPA 4060 as being the mic to go to. I've heard some amazing tapes done by pfife and fuzn using DPA 406x. It is wild to know that you can get such high quality sound from such (sometimes) low-priced mics.

Unfortunately though, it seems that DPA 406x mics are becoming harder and harder to find for a good price. The pairs on Ebay are going for $600 or have lemo connectors which I don't want to deal with. The big step I need to decide is if it is worth it to buy them new or just wait it out.

DPA 4060s = $750 new
DPA MMA6000 = $500

That's $1250. Hell, for $2000, I could get an MK4 > Nbox set-up going. Although I've never been the biggest Schoeps fan, for stealthing I'd imagine they almost always beat the DPAs.

Pity because I'd really like to take my tapes to the next level. That level can't cost $750 at the moment though. 

[Aaron41]

That's $1250. Hell, for $2000, I could get an MK4 > Nbox set-up going. Although I've never been the biggest Schoeps fan, for stealthing I'd imagine they almost always beat the DPAs.

now your just talking silly!

lol. I'd actually love some samples either way. 

[Depechemode1993]

Just be patient Aaron. I was lucky enough that when I bought my Sonic Studio Mics that one of them broke (and I didn't tape with them), sent it back for a refund and found the 4061's on Ebay for $380. they will come around! 

[olyrc]

That's $1250. Hell, for $2000, I could get an MK4 > Nbox set-up going. Although I've never been the biggest Schoeps fan, for stealthing I'd imagine they almost always beat the DPAs.

now your just talking silly!

lol. I'd actually love some samples either way. 

Aaron-

Did you check out my Death Cab tape from last November?  DFC, FOB standing in the crowd.  They're worth the dough as far as I'm concerned.

http://www.archive.org/audio/etree-details-db.php?id=31893

[Aaron41]

That's $1250. Hell, for $2000, I could get an MK4 > Nbox set-up going. Although I've never been the biggest Schoeps fan, for stealthing I'd imagine they almost always beat the DPAs.

now your just talking silly!

lol. I'd actually love some samples either way. 

Aaron-

Did you check out my Death Cab tape from last November?  DFC, FOB standing in the crowd.  They're worth the dough as far as I'm concerned.

http://www.archive.org/audio/etree-details-db.php?id=31893

Oh yes. I love that Death Cab tape. That tape completely sold me on the mics and made me realize that omnis weren't anything to be afraid of. The inability to acquire these mics used is what is getting me down though. 

EDIT: I spoke about 10 minutes too soon. Hopped on Ebay and grabbed a pair attached to a 1/8 plug for a pretty good price. Woo!

[olyrc]

+t for new toys!

[jcrab66]

preach it, brother. we need noone acting like he always walks around with an internet-wheelbarrow.

so do you actually let him nut in your ass or do you make him pull out?

[Brian Skalinder]

so do you actually let him nut in your ass or do you make him pull out?

You got called out - legitimately - and that's all you have to offer?    Well, now I *really* respect and appreciate your previous comments about the mics you've never used. 

[Genghis Cougar Mellen Khan]

I'm thinkin that I just mount the mics in the hat and run the cables into a backpack on my back and wear a hoodie to cover up the back of the hat where the cables are comming down. 

Be careful with that, I had someone yank my hat off my head from behind and launch it into the pit at a soulfly show.  I was able to fish the hat back in with my mic cables, but the one cap/cable was yanked too hard. 

If you're taping evil shit or have a rowdy crowd, I'd make sure they could break free easily if you're planning on mounting them in the hat.  2 years without the DPA's was sad, love em.

[jcrab66]

actually bri i have used them and i have heard plenty of recordings made by them and just voiced an opinion but i forgot, your always right so I wont say anything else