Topic: DPA 4017 Shotguns and Gefell 210 Loose Comparison Sources Up

[RobertNC]

OK, so there have a been some topics on DPA 4017 shotgun, but have not seen anyone else use it in the field.

http://www.dpamicrophones.com/en/products.aspx?c=Item&category=194&item=24017#specifications

I finally got both our sources up on LMA.  I know from a purist viewpoint, it was not a controlled shootout.  We were more interested in  trying to get something decent.  But at least on the same stand and similar analog chains.

The DPAs were pointed at the inside of the stacks, 17 cm.  Sorry, I don't carry a protractor.  Both the rolloff and the high boost features of the DPA 4017 were disabled.

The Gefells were put up initially as DINa and decided we were too far back and they were pointing at the walls more than I liked, so I cut the angle to about 75. This put the Gefells basically pointed at the outside of the stacks.  The Gefell address was maybe 6 inches below the DPA.  Pad and rolloff on the Gefells were both disabled.

You may want to download a single track and adjust the gains a little.  Again, I did both sources as an upload not a shootout.  And I tend to mix stuff a lot hotter for LMA than for my home CD burns.  It is my workplace music source, I like to rock it in the cube farm, makes life more bearable, lol, and the cheap shitty sound cards in your average workstation don't have a lot of volume.   

If you like the Dead, this was a strong opener, it's all good, and lots of super gooey stuff in there.  If you hate the Dead, genuinely sorry, lovin 'em is lot more fun,  but I would suggest skipping the LSD saturated stuff like Caution, New Potato, Help>Slip and instead try maybe Jack Straw.


(Derivatives are probably still working as of now)

DPA 4017 Shotgun:

http://www.archive.org/details/thedead2009-04-12.DPA4017.flac16

Gefell 210 Hyper:

http://www.archive.org/details/thedead2009-04-12.mg210.flac16

Comments on the DPA 4017:

If you've run the old Naks with the batteries, or any kind of long guns, you'll give this mic high marks for weight and stability.  It is essentially same experience as running AKGs or Gefells or other standard mics, but even lighter.

Although I would not expect the interference tube to add much weight anyway, overall it is actually much lighter than the Gefell.  You could put this mic in basically any style shock mount and it will ride very well.  By the time you get xlrs on the back end, the overall balance is nice. 

The only thing I don't like is the filter switch design.  Knurled rings in the body.  Not hard to change the settings unintentionally, depending on how clear headed you are.  I try to get in and get the gear up before I turn into a glass of orange juice, but shit happens.  I really prefer the recessed notched switches like the Gefell has.  You know it when you change those.

To me this is a very nice sounding microphone for less than ideal conditions, like the back of a sports arena.  At this particular show the Gefell source also turned out much better than I had expected base don how the sound at the actual show was. 

However my partner Dave gave the DPA 4017 it's first field run in the back of the top balcony of the Beacon for ABB.  I had to skip those shows, so we don't have a second reference source.  But it sounded good, and that is not a good location.  I've never gotten anything good out of the Beacon if I was not either out from under the balconies on the floor or else in the front of the Loge.

So take a listen.  There are a couple of other sources that were taped from the section on LMA as well if you want to do check other copies.  Listening to the others I'm pretty happy with both of these.

I know there are some on TS who feel strongly that the shotgun design concept is basically unsuitable for what we do.  As far as the DPA 4017 goes, I really cannot agree with that statement.  It's a nice mic to have available for these big boxy venues.

Update:

Field pics are always nice.  Mark Lewno got a shot of our rig in Philly.  Go down about halfway and look for the mic closeup.  The house lights are on and you can clearly see our rig on the left.  DPA4017s on top, Microtech Gefell 210s on the bottom.

Thanks to Mark for some great photography.

http://www.phumes.com/concert_photos/the_dead/dead_090501/dead_090501.html