Review: DPA 4099 Series
DPA’s 4099 Series fits a wide range of live instrument applications with rugged build quality, thoughtful design, and graceful performance.
2 September 2009
Review: Tom Young
Denmark’s premier microphone manufacturer, DPA, has a stellar reputation amongst live, recording and broadcast professionals for capturing a natural, realistic sound, so it was with open arms that I welcomed the recent opportunity to use DPA’s new cost-effective 4099 Series of performance microphones that are made for an array of musical instruments. The first four models in the series (which seems certain to grow in the coming months and years) are: the 4099 Guitar, 4099 Sax, 4099 Trumpet, and 4099 Violin. As you might have already surmised, the 4099 Series is designed with the professional musician’s sound squarely in mind, and as such it brings a more affordable high-end product to a wider audience, literally.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
In itself, the 4099 microphone is a lightweight miniature super-cardioid condenser. Each 4099 in the series comes in a case incorporating a windscreen, shock mount, gooseneck and an instrument-specific mount. Also included are a three-pin XLR adapter, belt clip, carrying pouch and storage case. The 4099 is designed with either of two different microphone sensitivities: normal, for the guitar, sax, and violin versions – which handle 142dB before clipping – and a high SPL version for trumpet, which handles an amazing 152dB before clipping. The windscreen protects against wind noise and the integrated shock mount virtually eliminates handling noise altogether.
The length of the gooseneck is fully adjustable to allow for the greatest flexibility in finding an instrument’s sweet spot. The mounts can be adjusted to fit virtually any size instrument within their respective families, and, once fitted to an instrument, it’s easily taken off and on without losing the adjustments. The three-pin XLR adapter can be used with or without the included belt clip, and is offered in two versions: the DAD4099, which comes standard with the 4099, offering balanced output and an 80Hz low-cut filter; or the optional DAD6001 with flat response, which is geared towards use on instruments that produce frequencies below 80Hz.
All 4099 mics are terminated with a proprietary MicroDot connector, and more than 35 connection adapters to wireless systems are available from DPA. The supplied XLR adapter allows the 4099 to work as a standard 48V phantom powered microphone. A belt clip located on the XLR connector can be removed and replaced with an enclosed ring to use directly in stage boxes or mixing consoles.
PUTTING THE SQUEEZE ON
I had the opportunity to use these mics on several occasions and I was immediately impressed with the design of the 4099’s mounting accessories. By squeezing two clamp knobs to expand the clip, you simply mount it on the instrument and release. Each clamp fits the contour of its intended instrument sound source nicely and the ability to easily adjust the height and lock the clip for remounting in the same position works very well too. Importantly, the mounting system is designed to be very ‘instrument friendly’; never marking the finish, which is vital given the fragile nature and expense of some of these precious instruments. Everyone I worked with while using the 4099 Series commented on how easily these microphones mount to their respective instruments.
NEED TO KNOW
The gooseneck in particular is a critical make-or-break aspect of any instrument microphone design and this one is the proper length to allow for full adjustment, flexing in all directions to achieve the desired angle for miking the instrument. It appears rugged and stable when adjusted, and never once needed to be re-positioned irrespective of the musician’s movement. The cable, like all-miniature microphone cables, is light but strain relieved properly – with normal use, it should hold up well.
The mounted windscreen is also very well designed. I’ve been using Countryman Isomax mics for years on strings, and the windscreens of these have often fallen off and created wind problems during performance if they’ve not been taped directly onto the cable. The 4099 windscreen by comparison is extremely secure and provides exceptional elimination of popping sounds. Using the 4099 Series extensively on strings, trumpet and sax, they were excellent sounding, similar to what I’ve experienced with all DPA products. They reproduce a natural sound with a richness, clarity and presence that’s flattering to most sound sources. On one occasion in particular where the 4099 was on a soloing saxophone and the rest of the horn section was miked with other microphones, I was wishing I’d been able to use 4099 Series mics on everything, simply because of the pleasant detail the 4099 provided to the instrument. And again, when using the DPA mic next to the Countryman, I wished I’d had more of them for the string section.
DO PLAY ALONG
The DPA 4099 Series consist of high quality microphones that will no doubt find a wide range of use in professional live sound the world over. According to the company, there are plans to expand the line for additional instruments and applications, which is good news. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a well-designed product with sonic excellence, you should definitely audition the DPA 4099 instrument microphone series before making any decisions.
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