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Author Topic: DPA 4063 Low Sens. Low DC  (Read 10208 times)

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Offline dabbler

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Re: DPA 4063 Low Sens. Low DC
« Reply #15 on: March 01, 2015, 07:17:03 AM »
OK, no real problems from the Voivod/Napalm Death gig with the 9V BB (M10 @ level=6, line-in) other than one instance of static discharge because I was wearing a static-prone compression shirt to keep my cables in check :-X

Back to running 4063 into the M10 PiP... I went down to HoB SD the next day for In Flames and the recording turned out passable after much EQ below 120Hz.
During the second opener (All That Remains), I caught some weird clicking which might have been the mics being underpowered or the M10 limiter kicking in; but there were louder sections which didn't exhibit the weird clicking (who knows, maybe it's part of the song).  I monitored the recording through ER-4S earphones, so I heard the clicking during the show, too :-X  I've attached a 2s sample, but this wasn't the loudest part of the set, either.

I only had the M10 set to level=1.5 going PiP.

Offline dabbler

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Re: DPA 4063 Low Sens. Low DC
« Reply #16 on: March 06, 2015, 05:59:28 AM »
I'll be back to using a BB for heavy shows.  Totally overloaded during the Old Man Gloom (post/doom metal) set at the Echo.  Fantastic show but my recording turned out audibly distorted in the bass region (it'd still be an A+++ on DIME :P).  I should've run two rigs, but didn't feel like having too much in my pockets for a metal show :x

I'm sure the M10 PiP + 4063 combo would be enough for most lighter and even moderately loud rock shows.
I'm not sure I'd record UM without a BB tomorrow at the Wiltern, even (never seen them live).

Maybe I'd take the rig without a BB when traveling in parts of Europe, where shows tend to be quieter (I haven't confirmed, but there may be laws limiting SPL on shows in the Netherlands, at least).

Offline dabbler

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Re: DPA 4063 Low Sens. Low DC
« Reply #17 on: June 14, 2015, 05:54:14 AM »
DPA 4063 > M10 PiP@level=1.8 sounded pretty good for Steven Wilson in Anaheim from halfway back without a battery box.  I even caught him on record saying he's OK with >:D audio recording as long as we don't upload.  Fine by me :)

I only intended to run the 4063 as backups, since it was only my second time out with SP-CMC-8(C) and was my first time mounting them securely.  Too bad I ended up pointing the cards too low and got as much audience noise as the 4063s :x

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Re: DPA 4063 Low Sens. Low DC
« Reply #18 on: October 03, 2015, 04:55:51 AM »
OK, I'm getting happier with the 4063s with the PiP on the Sony M10.

Caught Riverside (bass-guitar heavy prog rock) from roughly 20 ft away from the stack with great results.  Leaving the input level exactly at 2 on the M10 gave me a peak at -6.27dBFS only due to clapping.

I suspect the problems I had the Old Man Gloom show was leaving the M10 limiter on and letting that clamp the bass peaks.  I would only trust the limiter for hand claps at acoustic shows.

When I'm running a single rig at a GA show I'd probably still choose the 4061 + battery box, but when I'm running both two rigs (SP-SPSB-10+CMC-8 cardioids), the lack of extra connections from the BB reduces the chances of a bad connector or cable.

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Re: DPA 4063 Low Sens. Low DC
« Reply #19 on: March 31, 2017, 03:12:12 AM »
2 years later, the DPA 4063s are still going strong while my eBay 4061s I got in 2015 are mostly dead (at least my wiring needs to be redone).

4063s remain favorite mic since I can use them without a battery box on the M10 for many rock shows, but still add a battery box for the loudest shows.

I just noticed DPA started offering a beefed up, heavy duty version of these, so I ordered two more for backup purposes.  I remember they only had heavy duty versions of the more popular 4060 and 4061 mics back in 2015.

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Re: DPA 4063 Low Sens. Low DC
« Reply #20 on: March 31, 2017, 02:42:33 PM »
Good to know they are working well for you.

Once upon a time I had a DPA published table which showed the mic performance changes of the 406x series at various less than specified nominal supply voltages.  I looked but can't find it in my files, and an online search didn't turn it up either.  I think I posted it in a 406x thread here at TS at some point, but could be mistaken.  The basic jist was pretty much as expected- As supply voltage drops below the nominal down, self noise rises, max SPL drops, distortion thresholds drop, and peak output voltage drops.  Obviously at some point the mic stops working entirely.  The take away is that the mic may still work when powered with a lower than it's nominal supply voltage, but is likely to be doing so with reduced performance, and to a greater and greater degree as the supply voltage drops further.

In other words, even though they are specified as requiring 5V, some 4060 or 4061 examples may still function when supplied with the low 2.5-3V PIP provided by handheld recorders.  But even if they work, they are likely to not be performing to specification, manifesting primarily as increased noise and distortion.  Where as 4063 in the same situation is likely to perform closer to spec.
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Re: DPA 4063 Low Sens. Low DC
« Reply #21 on: April 09, 2020, 06:15:56 PM »
Finally shared a loudish rock show (Pineapple Thief) demonstrating how good the 4063s sound off the M10 PiP:

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=194174.0

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Re: DPA 4063 Low Sens. Low DC
« Reply #22 on: April 09, 2020, 07:52:02 PM »
I’ve gone back-and-forth with the DPA support about this a lot. They claim no advantage when used with a recorder like the M10/A10 R07/ whatever that offers 2.5-2.7 V PIP. The bias voltage of the caps themselves are 2.5 volts so you need to be solidly at three or above. Remember the 4061s that they call 5V actually work best around 8-9V.. So they may work a little better than 4061s with PIP but I don’t think you’re getting full spec on PIP.
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Re: DPA 4063 Low Sens. Low DC
« Reply #23 on: April 10, 2020, 12:49:25 AM »
They're most definitely out-of-spec with the M10, but I don't need 100% out of a mic in certain or most situations.  I run them with a DIY 8.4V BB half the time, but sometimes it's not worth having an extra point-of-failure in the chain for moderately loud rock shows.

 

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