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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: loul69 on August 04, 2010, 11:25:28 AM

Title: Upgrade for dpa 4061
Post by: loul69 on August 04, 2010, 11:25:28 AM
Hi,
What should be a great upgrade of the dpa 4061 in your opinion?
For almost 1000 USD
Thanks
Title: Re: Upgrade for dpa 4061
Post by: JD on August 04, 2010, 12:32:24 PM
Nevaton MCE400's, I have both DPA4060's and the nevatons, and I almost always prefer the Nevaton recordings.

http://russian-mics.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_28&products_id=38&osCsid=349a7799f10adfff9636a19ba8dc6c2d (http://russian-mics.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_28&products_id=38&osCsid=349a7799f10adfff9636a19ba8dc6c2d)
Title: Re: Upgrade for dpa 4061
Post by: acidjack on August 04, 2010, 02:32:40 PM
^^ I haven't heard the Nevatons, but in $1000 range small mics, I think the 406x series are pretty hard to "upgrade." 

When and if I'm in the market for omnis again, I'll go to Schoeps mk2 caps or DPA 405x, both of which are larger in size and substantially more expensive.

You could also try the Countryman B3 (substantially less expensive; some prefer them) or the Audix 1280s with Church active cables.  The Audix have the advantage of being small and allowing for switchable caps. I have not heard the omni caps, though.
Title: Re: Upgrade for dpa 4061
Post by: loul69 on August 05, 2010, 04:48:40 AM
Thanks,
I m not sure the nevatons are a real upgrade...
Do you know if i can find great cards to replace these omni?
Title: Re: Upgrade for dpa 4061
Post by: Brian Skalinder on August 05, 2010, 04:52:12 AM
It may help others to help you if you can qualify what you mean by "upgrade".  Does "upgrade" mean a different sonic signature?  different mic pattern?  something else?
Title: Re: Upgrade for dpa 4061
Post by: WiFiJeff on August 05, 2010, 08:53:55 AM
Thanks,
I m not sure the nevatons are a real upgrade...
Do you know if i can find great cards to replace these omni?

I am very happy with the DPA 4099s.  You have to have DPA US cut these out of their mounts and reterminate them to use in a croakie or other non-instrument mount.  I fill in the low end with bass from a pair of DPA omnis, but even without this the 4099s are much better than any other cardioids I have tried. 

Jeff
Title: Re: Upgrade for dpa 4061
Post by: acidjack on August 05, 2010, 11:00:59 AM
Thanks,
I m not sure the nevatons are a real upgrade...
Do you know if i can find great cards to replace these omni?

What Brian said... if you are trying to go to a totally different style of mic, then there are a lot more options in the price range you discuss.  Do you require stealth/small size?  If that's not an issue, then there are magnitudes more mics that will work (I'd probably point you to a used set of AKG 460/480).

In the small setups, it takes a bit of doing, but I'm a big advocate for putting together an active setup for the AKG ck9x series of caps.  It does take a bit of doing to put the rig together (getting someone to wire up the caps, which is apparently easy but is not something I personally know how to do, then getting Church to make you a pre) but IMHO the sound blew away most other small cardiods in the sub-$1000 range (I think the whole thing costs about $500-600 to put together).  The only reason I got rid of it was because I moved to DPA 4021s, and while the AKGs are great, they're, well, not *that* great.   You could also look at the Audix 1280 series mics with Church active cables.  Personally I think the AKG rig sounds much better; I kep the Audix as my backup rig mostly just because the rig was a little smaller and required less custom stuff to work.
Title: Re: Upgrade for dpa 4061
Post by: OOK on August 06, 2010, 07:02:45 AM
nevatons are great sounding omni's....not quit as shrilly as the dpa's....much smoother....