Jump to content

DPA - Slim: first impressions


Jeff Wexler

Recommended Posts

Looking forward to trying one. Thanks for your thoughts, Jeff!

As for color options for the button hole mount, BHM, snoot, snorkel, whatever you want to call it... I think they should just make it out of clear plastic. That way it would match just about anything. Though maybe it would be too shiny then, who knows it's an idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 57
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I tried one of my two, new, slims, on an actor on Tuesday out in central London. I think that Jeff's word pretty much nailed it.... 'Glorious'. It was easy to mount, in this case under a woolen jumper, ans sounded just fab. It was a moderately windy day, and there was some wind noise picked up, but it was a very different 'flavour' (my expression of choice) to wind noise on a Sanken, or a 4071.

 

We had a short play with the snoot, and it also sounded great, and our particularly fastidious wardrobe department felt it was unlikely to cause any problems in the future.

As regards to inconsistent sounding Sankens. I wonder whether they 'age'. I am sure that they sound duller as they get older, so if you mix newer ones with older, they will sound different. I am using my Sankens less and less, having had to buy some DPAs last year when I took over the last month of a series for a mate, and he had recorded the first 4 months worth with DPAs. I had wanted to make the change for ages, but had been resisting as it is a significant investment to buy a dozen or more new mics, when the old ones are still working 'well enough'. In truth, I have not regretted making the investment at all.

 

I too would like to ask for white snoots, and I like the idea of translucent snoots - if pushed through coloured clothing, they may very well 'take on' the colour of the clothing around them - this could work very well indeed.

I can see a long running thread here on JWS sometime  in the future..... 'Spot the Snoot' - enjoy!!!

Kindest regards, Simon B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Derek H said:

Bash, did you buy just slims or a mix of 4061/4071 too?

Wondering if you find you prefer the slim in all scenarios or do you choose the older DPA models depending on wardrobe or voice?

I bought about 10 4071s, because they were what I liked before the slim. I will now re-assess before buying any more of anything!!

 

Kindest, sb

9 hours ago, Lancashire soundie said:

I wonder the same of Tram TR50s.  I have quite a few that sound a little different.  I've often wondered if the mesh gets a bit "icky" with dust and other stuff, changing the audio.

I think that Trams,as wel las Sankens, simply get 'tired'.

 

Kindest,  sb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3 January 2016 at 8:41 AM, RadoStefanov said:

About the self noise and the Slim. While I have not done scientific test I do not notice the self noise in normal environments. In very quiet studio setting I hear the self noise of the zax TRX and not the mic even with 4063. "I have all dynamics minimized in the transmitter"

Jeff you can test the self noise without having the lav pluged in the trx or even compare between slim and 4063 .

Hi Rado do you have a "person on the inside" at DPA who can confirm when the low voltage version would be available?

regards

tony

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm using 4060 on my Zaxcom TRX but never encountered a problem with its so called higher self noise.

I have read all the document, recommendation about why we have to use the low voltage version, but 4060 "Hi-sens" is 10dB higher sensibility and 3dB lower self noise than 4063. So if a 3.3V causes à slightly higher self noise, it will be compensated by lower gain setting on TRX.

Personnaly I found it better signal to noise solution as you add less self noise of your transmitter.

 

Masaki

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Masaki, pleased that you have had good results using 4060 (rather than 4063) but I think you are little confused when it comes to assessing "self noise", sensitivity and its relation to overall dynamic range and performance of the mic. I feel that the idea of using a higher sensitivity mic allowing for a lower gain setting on the transmitter, does not really solve all the potential issues --- it just shifts the problem, up or down, and does not really change the fact that to get optimal performance from the 4060 it really wants to see 5 vdc power (which the Zaxcom transmitter does not supply). For me, I will continue to use 4063s and wait for the Slim model that is suitable for low voltage use.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a question regarding the slim. It is available in two sensitivity: lo and hi. I have Sanken Cos11d ( regular sensitivity I guess.... ) and they handle pretty much everything I throw at them, from whispering to screaming. Now of course, it is the capsule that can take the pressure. My question is the following, how is the slim hi sensitivity mic holding when an actor is screaming? Is the capsule crapping? Is the output level too high for a Lectrosonics tx set to low gain? Or is it working... I cannot afford to double up on lavalier, both hi and lo sens.

Thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, pvanstry said:

I have a question regarding the slim. It is available in two sensitivity: lo and hi. I have Sanken Cos11d ( regular sensitivity I guess.... ) and they handle pretty much everything I throw at them, from whispering to screaming. Now of course, it is the capsule that can take the pressure. My question is the following, how is the slim hi sensitivity mic holding when an actor is screaming? Is the capsule crapping? Is the output level too high for a Lectrosonics tx set to low gain? Or is it working... I cannot afford to double up on lavalier, both hi and lo sens.

Thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

According to the respective specifications, the DPA 4060 (=hi sens) range (slim and regular shape) clips out at 134dB SPL, compared to the 127dB SPL clipping figure of the Cos-11. If your screaming actors are not distorting the capsule of your Sankens, they will not distort the capsule of the hi sensitivity DPA. The sensitivity specs of the 4060 vs the cos-11 are almost identical, with the DPA being slightly more sensitive (-34dB vs -35dB at the same reference voltage). I don't use Lectrosonics, but I would imagine you will have no greater/different gain problems with the hi sens DPAs vs the Sankens.

Anecdotal experience: I have two regular shape 4060 (high sens) and two regular shape 4061 (lo sens). Specifications are identical to the new slim shape. I use the 4060 by default and have never felt the need to swap out for the 4061 based on voice level. I only bought the 4061s because they were available used at the right price, and I only use them as extras/spares. I would buy 4060 versions if I was buying new. I do not use Lectro, but with my G3s I have never had a problem with turning down the gain to an appropriate level with the 4060.

 

On topic with the thread: I am very happy with my regular shape DPAs and I look forward to trying out the slim versions. I am not currently in the market to buy any more lavaliers but I expect that when I am ready to buy, it will be slim DPAs that I get. Thanks for your influence on this, Rado.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, pvanstry said:

I have a question regarding the slim. It is available in two sensitivity: lo and hi. I have Sanken Cos11d ( regular sensitivity I guess.... ) and they handle pretty much everything I throw at them, from whispering to screaming. Now of course, it is the capsule that can take the pressure. My question is the following, how is the slim hi sensitivity mic holding when an actor is screaming? Is the capsule crapping? Is the output level too high for a Lectrosonics tx set to low gain? Or is it working... I cannot afford to double up on lavalier, both hi and lo sens.

Thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I found that I had to turn the gain past 30 with a lectro SMV and the lo-sens model to get a decent level. The high-sens model gain matched a Sanken cos11 much closer, the DPA being only slightly more sensitive. If you are working with stage performers, singers, or in loud environments, I'd say go for the lo-sens.  If you do more talking heads and normal speaking voice levels, I'd go for the high-sens. Just my 2 cents.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

We just had a get together/demo with Pedro from DPA and learned a lot about the line of lavs. The 4060's, 4070's and Slims are all essentially the same microphone. They started with the 4060 and its lower sensitivity versions and lower voltage versions and then for the 4070 and others they added a cap that rolls of the low end and gives a presence boost. The cap is placed precisely to acheive these EQ features. You may be able to get a similar response by adding your own cap to a 4060 but it isn't guaranteed by DPA. The slim is a 4060 but in a DPA define housing. If you compare a SLIM and a 4060 they will sound identical.

They are making a low voltage version and I was told that an entity ordered around 50 of them.

As far as the sound of the SLIM it is or is almost identical to a 4060. And compared to a COS-11 I think that they have a clearer high end and less bass response, which could be said is actually a more realistic capture of the sounds.. I haven't looked at the specs of the COS-11 but I would suspect to find a slight bump in the low end which is why the cos-11 had more low end.

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, RadoStefanov said:

I am against puncturing peoples clothing and putting needles next to their skin.

I find them to be a good option in many scenarios. With extra care taken, of course. 

The concealer / button hole mount do seem excellent. Have you been using those much, Rado?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...