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DPA 1500 5.1 Microphone


mikewest

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I can't speak about recording 5.1, but years ago I did a shoot much like yours for a corporate in a steel mill. The camera crew travelled to several countries shooting on 16mm and I was hired for a day to get some ambiance. Sony TCD D10 DAT and a Shure VP-88. It was freakin' loud. So loud that even with pots down to 0 on the Sony, I was still almost pinning the meters. Earplugs in, heaphones (7506) on top set to 0 for additional protection. I have no idea what I recorded, but I'm guessing a wall of loud with little definition. There may be vast differences from one steel mill to another, but to this day, whenever I see scenes in a steel mill with good audio detail, I'm thinking post.

Also, excessive SPLs will beat you up. At the end of the day, I was fried. I don't know how people can work in that type of environment.

Good luck.

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I do many 5.1 recordings for doc. Don't forget that the post can lower the rear channels.

A good practice is to focus on the front stereo (or even mono if there are dialogues) and to think that 5.1 recording is an option.

Double MS is very good with that, you can boom it with a MK41 Schoeps for front and post will decide, and choose to keep stereo or 51. You may also add your wireless on another track if needed.

Another option is to work in mono and to record separately atmos in 5.1.

IRT cross will give you a nice space sensation, but DPA5100 will work also.

Vinc.

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Sorry to get back so late.

The two days of test recordings with the DPA were very interesting.

Once the local DPA rep had encoded the results on DVD we sat down at my place and had a listen

on my pretty good home cinema set-up.

Very convincing experience.

I recorded planes landing, traffic, jazz, trains and a pool table.

A great microphone and very user friendly.

My only issue is do I go out and spend the money to find that I pull it out of my collection twice a year

when a production needs it at say $100 per day.

It's a business decision and possible a luxury

mike

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You'd better buy 4 cardio mics (maybe you already own some of them),

you can use them in many different situations, and you can build an IRT cross or doubleORTF.

Works very good too.

Vincent M.

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Mike - if you ever get the chance or inclination, I'd really be interested in a comparison of how you think the DPA 5.1 sounds compared to a dms system with top shelf mics... using a front mid, a figure of eight and a rear facing cardioid.  And on an economic note, certainly more versatile for uses other than surround. I have used a schoeps ccm41 or CMIT as front, a ccm4 as rear and a ccm 8 as side & have made some vivid 5.1 recordings. But I have never tried any other system....

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  • 1 year later...
  • 4 months later...

I'm a bit late to this topic. Indeed a Great topic! ;-)

 

Being an owner of the Holophone H3-D, it has certainly done well for me. I first got it for a gig to record NCAA football crowds for EA Sports (5,000 to 91,000 people). Later, I used it again to record various WWII Russian & German firearms. Just like what Greg said, it works well for non-soft sources. Since I do have to record some soft sources like very quiet ambience, is it worth buying something like a Shoeps Double M/S set to avoid audible Holophone/DPA noises?

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  • 3 years later...

I bought the DPA 5100 about a year back specifically for a documentary film I'm on for recordings in Costa Rica, Panama, Hawaii, and Indonesia. Besides just being plain old fun to make surround recordings, I found it quite durable and easy to pack away in my backpack.  

It has a top screw mount so I can place my CMIT on top of the mic for directional stuff.  I haven't given this a try quite yet but that makes for a heavier load to tote around on a pole.  

I really have to be careful when recording field recordings.  A longer cable is necessary, or at least the mic needs to be above your head so you don't block rear channel stuff.  

My only complaint is the LEMO cable.  It's quite expensive if you want to replace it (to the tune of 600+ bucks).  And since I rent it occasionally to others, I'm always worried about it being damaged.

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