Tom Maloney Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 I have a good selection of Trams, Sankens in my kit I do not see much talk here about the DPA lavs. They seem to be in the same price range of the Sankens Anything I should know about the DPA product ? Thanks to all Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pindrop Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 I much prefer the natural sound of my 4060's to my Sankens, Trams, Countryman when they can be well placed, but they are expensive and somewhat delicate, it's easy to lose the top grill and I nearly cry when I see contributors ripping them off before I can get to them! Also the microdot connectors though very useful (if you want to be able to have different connectors for different TX's) I've had them break twice now and they're expensive to repair. So I tend to deploy my DPA's selectively where I'm confident they won't be abused and I want to go the extra mile for quality rather than simply being intelligible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Osborn Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 +1 on DPAs. I use 4061's exclusively at this point. Sound is superb for a lav. Even my clients who are not familiar with DPA's and are reticent the first time I suggest using them always ask for the DPA lav's on future shoots. Very pleased with the transparent sound quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Johnson Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Ditto re sound quality etc . I always use DPAs if I can they sound superb and they can handle a high SPL . Just a note if you are using them with Zax wireless then you will need the 4063 as it can operate from a lower voltage 3volts where the 4060 and 4061 require a minimum of 5volts . The 4060 and 4061 will work with lectro and audio LTD wireless . Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 I use DPA lavs exclusivley from the first days I ever used them. Before that it was always Sanken COS-11's but the DPA to my ear is so far superior to all the others. It is very expensive, it is a little less rugged than the Sanken, but the only area I feel the Sanken has an advantage is in placement in a tie knot. The particular shape of both the Sanken body AND the "shape" of its sound, makes it a somewhat better choice for tie placement. That said, we still routinely use the DPA in a tie knot configuration and it works fine. I will add that the match to an open (boom) mic with the DPA is amazing, particularly if your boom mic is a Schoeps. We did many scenes recently in "We Bought A Zoo" that were either a mix of DPA lavs which then goes to the boom mic, or used the lavs for everything, and you would be hard pressed to figure out how we did it, the transitions are pretty seamless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Are they any more fragile than B6s? Talent takes a pretty serious toll on those too--at least a couple per year even on my dinky jobs. phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Love my dpas Countryman b3s on mm400 waterproofs. Have seen them abused for years. Covered in water, mud, slime, fish guts and even slightly cooked egg yolk! A good wash out and they almost always come back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadoStefanov Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 DPAs heads seem as robust as my sankens. The cable of the dpa is not as flexible as the sankens. I will take a picture and show you. If DPAs are used with Zaxcom wireless only the LOW DC version will work. 4063 Are they any more fragile than B6s? Talent takes a pretty serious toll on those too--at least a couple per year even on my dinky jobs. phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark LeBlanc Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Question.. I've never seen one in person, is it physically larger in diameter than the cos-11? It looks more like a larger B3 or B6. Does this present a bit more challenge to mount? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Maloney Posted January 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Thanks all for the great info. Why this site rocks and you people are the best Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg sextro Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Question.. I've never seen one in person, is it physically larger in diameter than the cos-11? It looks more like a larger B3 or B6. Does this present a bit more challenge to mount? Yes. It is bigger, and can be more difficult to hide. I find I tend to mount it a little more "open air" than mics like the cos-11 or a sonotorim, which are easier to mount under clothes. One reason I cary all three. The B6 is easy to hide under clothes, but I prefer the sound of it when it's also a bit more "open air." just my .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pindrop Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 DPA 4060 - 5.4 mm diameter Sanken Cos11D - 4.0mm diameter Countryman B6 - 2.5mm diameter Are they any more fragile than B6s? Talent takes a pretty serious toll on those too--at least a couple per year even on my dinky jobs. phil p You might be right perhaps they are no more fragile except for the microdot connector - I've never had one break anywhere else except the microdot - they just SEEM more fragile, the cable is much thinner than my COS11's. I have seen the top mesh cap come off in tie knots but I've always managed to retrieve it before it rolls away on the floor to the most unexpected place that is much further away than I thought possible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundtrane Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Jeff, which ones do you use? 4060/61/63 or 4071 ? -vin <A good wash out and they almost always come back. > in distilled water, i expect? -vin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 All of my DPA's are the 4063 (3v. model) since they are used with Zaxcom transmitters. I have used other variants in the 4060 model and they work but have a slightly higher noise floor. The 4063 is the one to use with Zaxcom transmitters or any other transmitter that uses a 3 volt power supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olle Sjostrom Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 I too use DPAs. They have a great sound and they ARE sturdy. I've never had one break on me and I've used mine on kids (On swings. With the transmitter swinging like from a noose...) They are expensive but, sounds really good. The only other lav I've tried that sort of has competed is actually the Rode Lav. They sound pretty similar, but IMHO the Rode is a lot harder to hide. DPA has the lovely (expensive) plastic concealers too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryF Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 To add to other posts here, the DPA mics have a different output than any other two wire mic. They specify that they need 5 Volts on some models but that is, IMHO, misleading. With the typical series resistor bias feed found on most wireless, 5 Volts or more is necessary to force enough current through the resistor to optimally bias the mic. The voltage at the mic itself is only 1.8 Volts (on units we measured) and the bias current goes vertical as you increase the voltage above 2 Volts. So you can run the DPA from 3 Volts with a 1.2k resistor to the 3 Volt supply. That would bias the mic at 1 mA and provide good operation. Resistors of 2.4k or 3.6k would still provide 500 uA or 333 uA and those are reasonable current values also. Our servo input provides a regulated 4 Volts and with DPA's recommended series value of 4k, the mic is biased at 550 uA. We had originally recommended 2k for 1.1mA but we are happy with DPA's value also and show it in our wiring diagrams. I wish DPA were a little more forthcoming with their specs and parameters. It would make their users' lives a little easier. It's not as if they are guarding the codes in the football. Best Regards, Larry Fisher Lectrosonics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Larry, So if I want to buy a DPA or two at some point, but want to be able to use them with SM and Zaxcom, which I might also buy at some point, which models will work? All of them? Only the 4063? Will 4063 work with SM? I am confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryF Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 The point I was trying to make was that the DPA mics, as far as I can tell, are not particularly demanding for bias and voltage. I probably added so much crap to my note, that the message got lost in verbiage. The "lo DC" versions (4063), as Jeff pointed out, work fine with other wireless and with Lectros also. The units that "require" 5 Volts (4061 for instance) don't really require 5 Volts and will work fine with our units. So my recommendation is ANY of the 406X series with Jeff preferring the 4063. Sounds like the 4063 is the safest general purchase. DPA does have different sensitivities in the 406X series and that might also influence your choice. Note that Jeff says they work fine also, just with a little more self noise. That might be due to reduced sensitivity rather than voltage range, since sensitivity does influence self noise ( noise floor). Best Regards, Larry Fisher Lectrosonics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 The 4061 and the 4063 show the same sensitivity. Even though they're listed as low-sensitivity, they have a lot of output and are, perhaps, a bit higher than their specified 6mV/Pa. The 4063 specs give it less headroom due to the lower supply voltage, however, it's still higher than most lavs. 4061 Max SPL 144dB 4063 Max SPL 138dB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dani Fontrodona Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 DPA 4073, (3 Volts version of DPA 4071) should work with Zaxcom wireless just like DPA 4063. Oddly, it is not on the Zaxcom "approved" mics list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg sextro Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 I stated this in another thread, but I removed all resistors from my 4061 mics that I use with either um400 or um200 Lectro TX. Maybe I just deal with a lot of whispering actors (?), but I much prefer the s/n with no resistors in place. I have yet to feel they can't be lowered enough for super loud actors - and even then, I have some 10db padded short cables that I can throw in there if need be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 I stated this in another thread, but I removed all resistors from my 4061 mics that I use with either um400 or um200 Lectro TX. Maybe I just deal with a lot of whispering actors (?), but I much prefer the s/n with no resistors in place. I have yet to feel they can't be lowered enough for super loud actors - and even then, I have some 10db padded short cables that I can throw in there if need be. Where were the resistors that you removed? Are they in the microdot to TA adapters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atheisticmystic Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 I'm also interested in how they compare to the B6 in regards to talent abuse: I had four B6's damaged by talent in 2011!! Best, Steven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryF Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Hi Greg, Removing the 4k resistor is perfectly fine if you are using the DPA's only with the older Lectro (non-servo) transmitters. Best, Larry F Lectro I stated this in another thread, but I removed all resistors from my 4061 mics that I use with either um400 or um200 Lectro TX. Maybe I just deal with a lot of whispering actors (?), but I much prefer the s/n with no resistors in place. I have yet to feel they can't be lowered enough for super loud actors - and even then, I have some 10db padded short cables that I can throw in there if need be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Another DPA fan, but I like to have options in my bag of tricks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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