Re-rigged the 4-channel highly portable surround setup that has been a frequent topic in this thread for the Bear Creek music festival this year, sticking with the same 2-meter Left/Right omni spacing I used last year and also the move to using directional mics facing front and rear which I started playing around with 2 years ago instead of the ball-mounted semi-directional omnis all around which was closer to a classic Decca-tree config but with a rear facing mic included.
Other than a few test runs, this was my first real use of the
DPA 4098H supercardioids as front and rear facing directionals. I picked up a used pair over the summer to replace the borrowed ATs I’ve used in this rig for this event the past two years. They aren’t as good as
the full bodied MG cards and supercards I’ve used for this when the rig doesn’t need to be as compact and lightweight, but I find them superior to
the miniature ATs I've used previously for this. Their DPA clarity is unmatched for miniature low powered directionals and for this application the limited low frequency response is actually beneficial and compensated for by the Left/Right omnis. The limited low frequency response of the 4098 when used at a distance would probably be a deal killer when used as a straight stereo pair by themselves for recording music at a distance, except perhaps for situations that are overly bass heavy to begin with and can benefit from the bass reduction.
I used dollar store sourced foam hair curlers treated with some silicone water repellant as windscreens on the 4098s. The 4098s were connected via DPA microdot extension cables to the MMA6000 preamp in the small bag that hangs under the stand. The 4061 omnis use a 3.5mm TRS extension cable to connect to a CA-UGLY preamp in the same bag. I used the DR2d as 4channel recorder with an external lithium battery supply that powered it easily for 4 days without needing recharging. All that reduced size and weight over using the R44 and PFAs to power the mics which I’ve done the past few years so everything fits in the small shaving bag and also allows use of the remote to stop and start recording. I just need to leave the bag unzipped enough to see the red recording LED indicator on top of the DR2d which doubles as the IR receiver for the remote.
The shaving bag hangs on the bottom knob of the stand so its center of gravity is low and centered, stabilizing the stand while keeping the bag off the ground. I can simply grab the stand and move the entire rig around hunting for best Left/Right balance in the sweet spot, or grab it and run away if I ever needed to, with the bag attached to the stand. That's important as this thing is designed to be placed in the center of enthusiasm up front to record the live experience, where things can get unpredictable. It also makes it easy to retract and fold the telescopic arms, lower the stand and dash off to another stage with the bag still hanging on the stand to catch the next act.