Topic: my "ultralight" DPA 402x > Rycote INV-6 XY/DIN/ORTF mount

[cd2go]

Thought I'd throw this up here since it's simple and works well for me. I like to travel light most of the time, so I came up with a 3-in-one bar with as little hardware as possible.

Started with a 6' length of 1/2" x 1/4" piece of plexiglass from eplastics.com for $6; the edges are beveled nicely, not sharp. Did some measurements, then cut a piece and drilled the holes. The outermost are for DIN, the next set in from the ends are for ORTF, and the extra hole on the left side is for XY (used in conjunction with the DIN hole). Sharpie lines indicate alignment for the base of the shock mounts:

***UPDATE*** Plexiglass is indeed way too fragile so I re-fabbed with a piece of 1/8" aluminum. Still lightweight, and now indestructible:





I had to hand file a notch to allow enough adapter thread to stick through:



For the shockmounts I pre-drilled a hole through the base and used 6-32 x 3/4" round slotted brass screws with knurled nuts. I used a bit of Loctite as well:



As mounted with mics in the ORTF position; since the lyres are a bit flexible, there is a tendency for the mics to "sag" a bit. To prevent this I Velcro the cables so the mics remain level:



As mounted in the XY position and fitted with DPA UA0896 windscreens. It doesn't look it since the mics are so short relative to the screens, but the caps are perfectly aligned on the vertical:



Whadaya think?

-james

[hi and lo]

Whadaya think?

Wow! Really nice work here.

Hardly specific to the 4022's, this would be a great solution for a few 4021 owners I know. Could even replace a few kwon/nola bars I own!

[cd2go]

Wow! Really nice work here.

Hardly specific to the 4022's

Thanks! I changed the thread title...

[page]

Have you noticed any jitter with using only one lyre (and the stand gets hit or the floor is thumping) compared to the normal 2 for stabilization?

I used an INV-6 as a kwonbar-style replacement for the traditional A20 in my setup. I hadn't thought about just taking apart the shockmount and using select pieces of it though, kudos; that's an interesting use of the lyres.

[Brian Skalinder]

Nice work.  You might consider adding more slack between the mics and the point to which you attach the cables to the stand.  More cable slack will help dampen stand vibrations and minimize the possibility of them reaching the mics.

[Fried Chicken Boy]

That's pretty slick, cd2go!  Great job and very cool!

Have you noticed any jitter with using only one lyre (and the stand gets hit or the floor is thumping) compared to the normal 2 for stabilization?

I used an INV-6 as a kwonbar-style replacement for the traditional A20 in my setup. I hadn't thought about just taking apart the shockmount and using select pieces of it though, kudos; that's an interesting use of the lyres.

I run 4021's all the time in my INV-6's just like in these pictures and have no issues whatsoever.  Threading the mic cable through the clip at the base of the mount also contributes to the isolation.  FWIW, the DPA-made shockmounts for the 402x series only hold the mics around a single point, too

By the way, you can buy/order the lyres by themselves at B&H for $13.  "70mm Wide Lyre with 19/25mm Clip" (#042205) is the one they use on the INV-6 and -7.

[page]

That's pretty slick, cd2go!  Great job and very cool!

Have you noticed any jitter with using only one lyre (and the stand gets hit or the floor is thumping) compared to the normal 2 for stabilization?

I used an INV-6 as a kwonbar-style replacement for the traditional A20 in my setup. I hadn't thought about just taking apart the shockmount and using select pieces of it though, kudos; that's an interesting use of the lyres.

I run 4021's all the time in my INV-6's just like in these pictures and have no issues whatsoever.  Threading the mic cable through the clip at the base of the mount also contributes to the isolation.  FWIW, the DPA-made shockmounts for the 402x series only hold the mics around a single point, too

true, I'd forgotten about the DPA mounts. Thanks.

[John Willett]

Interesting - but I think I would have used the INV-2 - that's the one with the small clip at the rear to hold the back of the capsule.  Then it would not droop and you would have been able to address the cable properly - the picture suggests that you will get noise transmission along the cable to the mic.

[acidjack]

^^ Depends on the DPA mic.  For the 4021, the INV-2 wouldn't work, as the cable is too narrow to be held by the back lyre. 

I have similarly run my 4021s in a single lyre of the INV-6 clamped to a balcony with absurd amounts of shock, to the point my entire clamp apparatus was visibly moving up and down, and had no issues (other than being scared one of my windscreens would be jarred loose and fall into the crowd).

[Gutbucket]

Nice work James, very clean.

Be careful not to accientally drop the bar or knock the stand into something with the bar attached, since plexiglass is somewhat brittle and can crack if stressed.  The higher stress locations and where breakage is most likely are around the holes are and especially the thinner filed down section around the center mounting hole.  Might be wise to carry a small roll of gaff tape just in case.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

I prefer polycarbonate when making stuff like this.  Acrylic/plexiglass is too fragile and prone to cracking, IMHO.

A lot of plastic suppliers will rape you on price.  It's worth looking/asking for 'drops' or scraps.  A few years back I was buying polycarbonate drops for .25/lbs from an automotive plastic supplier.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

It'd be really useful if someone who has these trick new rycote mounts would share a comp with us.

I'm thinking something like put one mic in your old mount, one mic in new.  Stomp floor, tap stand.  Post sample.

[Fried Chicken Boy]

^^ Didn't record it, but I detailed my first impressions of the InVision mounts in a recent post HERE.  Having a recorded comp between a few shockmounts sounds like a good idea.

[page]

It'd be really useful if someone who has these trick new rycote mounts would share a comp with us.

I'm thinking something like put one mic in your old mount, one mic in new.  Stomp floor, tap stand.  Post sample.

I could between a rycote and a shure donut if I had a tbar...

actually, I have a clamp with redundant outs that might work without compromising the test. I'll check this weekend if someone doesn't do one first.

[audBall]

By the way, you can buy/order the lyres by themselves at B&H for $13.  "70mm Wide Lyre with 19/25mm Clip" (#042205) is the one they use on the INV-6 and -7.

Thanks for pointing this out.  I was just about to ask.