10 l January 2013
www.psneurope.com
technologyreview Dave Acarilooks at DPA’s new addition to the live condenser microphones market
CONDENSER MICS designed for live performance are slowly but surely making their presence known and following my recent tryout of Earthworks’ SR40V here’s another of the new breed, the d:facto from DPA. As a touring singer/guitar
player, I was interested to find the review package from DPA also included a d:vote 4099G instrument mic with guitar mount. First up, though, is the d:facto, which was launched just over six months ago. I was immediately impressed
by the lightweight, protective and extremely functional case with a stylish yellow zipper that helps avoid it being left behind in a dark corner. Despite its relatively trim design (about 50g lighter than an SM58 and only two-thirds of the weight of the SR40V) the d:facto has a solid and quality feel – and no handling noise was apparent even when I slipped it into the supplied clip on my mic stand. My fairly aggressive vocal style
has proved to be a challenge for most condenser mics (not just live, but in the studio too) but the d:facto handled my voice really well. It was very forgiving of my complete lack of mic technique, even managing to reject my breathy bursts thanks, I suspect, to its built-in three- stage pop protection. I was able to keep a
reasonable distance from the mic without any significant drop-off – and when I moved in on the mic there was none of the expected boominess out front. As you’d expect from a condenser mic from a high-end manufacturer, clarity and resolution of sound is second to none. Moving from my usual dynamic mic to the d:facto was like trading my 15-year-old TV for a new high-definition model. The mic head unscrews from
the body for cleaning and attaching to a wireless handle, and on the back of the mic head there’s a tiny 10dB pad switch which attenuates the output but does not change the maximum SPL handling of the mic (157dB). Cleaning the mic grille
doesn’t appear straightforward –
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY f d:facto – (rrp unknown –online price approx £620/€768)
f d:vote – (rrp unknown –online price approx £360)
Distributed by Sound Network +44 20 3008 7530
www.soundnetwork.co.uk
TECH SPECS fType: supercardioid pressure gradient
fFrequency range: 20Hz to 20kHz
fMax SPL (before clipping): 157dB (d:facto)/142dB (d:vote)
fDynamic range: 120dB (d:facto)/100dB (d:vote)
The d:facto comes in a lightweight, functional case
PROS fFeedback rejection (both)
fTransparency (both) fValue for money (both)
disassembly of the mic head requires a special tool (not included but available from DPA) and is, according to the manual, a risky procedure. Any damage caused by the process is not covered by the five-year warranty.
On all other aspects though, the mic is a spectacular performer and offers great flexibility and will accommodate a much wider range of vocal styles than I would expect from a condenser mic. (As an aside, the wireless version of d:facto is designed to use with a Wisycom wireless body, but, says DPA, news is imminent of the availability of adapters which will enable the d:facto head to be used with an expanded group of third-party wireless systems.) Coming in a similar protective case to the d:facto, the d:vote 4099 instrument mic is a miniature condenser that can be mounted on virtually any acoustic instrument via a range of mounts.
The 4099G comes with a mounting system designed for an acoustic guitar. Having tried a succession of clip-on mics on my steel and brass-bodied National resonators over the years I have long-since given up
on the idea and now use a combination of magnetic pickup and piezo specially built for me by National Reso- phonic. Of course, the sound of these amazing guitars can really only be accurately reproduced with a microphone – but I am a fairly active performer and staying put in front of a mic isn’t going to happen. I also frequently play with
other musicians so need a high gain, no-feedback solution. Past encounters with miniature gooseneck-mounted directional mics were subject to terrible handling noise…. and any omni capsules I tried were rendered almost useless by feedback problems. Any feedback suppressors killed all the tone that made the microphones attractive in the first place. Imagine my surprise when the engineer pushed up the fader and there was no feedback. None. I jumped off stage in front of the speakers and still no feedback… just the transparent, clear natural sound of my guitar unadulterated by any EQ-ing on the desk. Another plus point is the
d:vote’s compatibility with most wireless systems, including my Line6 Relay.
The only downside for me is
the guitar mount – flexible and functional as it is – it doesn’t really suit my overly-animated guitar slinging as the back of the mount sticks out behind the guitar, gets caught in my movement and knocks the whole contraption off the guitar. That’s a personal concern, though, and I guess with some modifications I could overcome the problem – and it’s a problem I wouldn’t mind solving. The new version of the d:vote
allows the cable to be detached from the gooseneck and as well as the supplied XLR phantom adaptor a wide range of adaptors are available to fit DPA’s microdot connectors. This is simply the best
sounding clip-on instrument mic I have ever heard. Stunning. I couldn’t resist trying the d:facto and d:vote combination in the studio and recorded a quick demo to see how they might perform in a recording scenario. The results were as impressive as the live run- through – so although these microphones have a fairly high price tag, they do offer a lot more bang for your buck and would be a welcome addition in any small home or project studio.n
CONS fDifficult/risky cleaning (d:facto)
fMounting bracket (d:vote)
Sponsored by DPA d:facto and d:vote microphones
The d:vote 4099 instrument mic
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