DPA d:vote CORE 4099 — a microphone for recording acoustic instruments

Maxim Liadov

The well-known Danish manufacturer DPA Microphones, or Danish Pro Audio, has a history of almost 30 years. Its microphone design experience goes back much further. DPA grew out of the famous Brüel & Kjær near Copenhagen. B&K, with its 80-year history, focuses on industrial and scientific measurement equipment. DPA specializes in top-class microphones for professional studio and live musicians and sound engineers, including film and theater work. The award-winning 4000 series becomes better known each year. Recently, the 4099 and other DPA microphones received a significant update and the CORE name. We will discuss that technology later.

Many major artists have long used the 4099 instrument microphones. Sting, Bill Evans, Randy Brecker, and many other excellent musicians use them in performances.

The DPA 4099 is versatile. Different accessories allow mounting on almost any acoustic instrument, from strings to drums. The red-marked Loud SPL model, DPA 4099-DC-1, suits nearly all loud instruments. For the most extreme sound pressure levels, the yellow-marked Extreme SPL version, DPA 4099-DC-2, is available. We tested saxophone recording and chose the DPA 4099-DC-1-199-S CORE Loud SPL for Saxophone. The diagram shows the full range of 4099 versions for different instruments:

Beyond the 4099, DPA offers many models, from almost invisible lavaliers and tiny headset microphones to large-capsule studio designs. All share recognized top-class sound and very high reliability. This matters not only in demanding filming conditions. The Perseverance Mars rover also carries a DPA 4006. In February 2021, it allowed the world to hear a Martian breeze for the first time. Now let us return to the 4099 instrument microphone.

DPA microphones are not inexpensive. However, their miniature models cost significantly less than professional studio vocal microphones priced in thousands of dollars.

In the video, Sting's sound engineer describes using 4099 microphones at a live performance in an old stone church with strong natural echo. Very close instrument-mounted miking was the only practical way to reinforce the instruments. He called the result fantastic. DPA's mounts hold the microphones securely without marking or damaging the artists' very expensive instruments. Each instrument has its own carefully designed mount, very different from the rigid clips on cheap competing instrument microphones.

Saxophonist Bill Evans is known for joining Miles Davis at 22. Davis said that if he were a saxophonist, he would want to play like Evans. In the video, Evans says he tried the DPA 4099 and has used it for three years since. Without EQ or other processing, the saxophone sounds just as he wants.

Randy Brecker is a jazz legend and a virtuoso on trumpet and flugelhorn. The video demonstrates that even very loud high-register passages do not overload the 4099T, a special high-SPL version. The DPA is placed slightly off-axis only to reduce airflow noise from the bell. The normal Loud SPL model records without distortion up to 128 dB, and the Extreme version up to 134 dB. Both handle very loud sound above the pain threshold.

The DPA 4099 was recently updated with the CORE name. This means improved construction and electronics. Subjective recording quality has improved too.

DPA 4099 CORE specifications

• Polar pattern: supercardioid
• Capsule diameter: 5.4 mm (0.21 inches)
• Microphone type: electret condenser
• Capsule type: pressure gradient
• Frequency range: 20 Hz–20 kHz
• Frequency response tolerance: ±2 dB
• Nominal sensitivity:
  4099 Loud SPL: 6 mV/Pa; -44 dB re 1 V/Pa
  4099 Extreme SPL: 2 mV/Pa; -54 dB re 1 V/Pa
• Equivalent noise level:
  4099 Loud SPL: 23 dBA
  4099 Extreme SPL: 28 dBA
• Maximum sound pressure level at <1% THD:
  4099 Loud SPL: 128 dB SPL average, 131 dB SPL peak
  4099 Extreme SPL: 134 dB SPL average, 137 dB SPL peak
• Maximum sound pressure level at <10% THD:
  4099 Loud SPL: 142 dB SPL
  4099 Extreme SPL: 152 dB SPL
• Dynamic range:
  4099 Loud SPL: 108 dB
  4099 Extreme SPL: 109 dB
• Impedance: 30–40 ohms at MicroDot, 100 ohms with the supplied XLR adapter
• Maximum cable length: 300 m with the supplied XLR adapter
• Signal connection: balanced with the supplied XLR adapter
• Phantom power:
  5–50 V from a DPA wireless transmitter
  48 V ±4 V through the supplied XLR adapter
• Supplied cable length to XLR adapter: 1.8 m
• Cable diameter: 1.6 mm supplied, 2.2 mm optional
• Microphone length: 45 mm
• Gooseneck length: 140 mm

The specifications help with model choice. For normal or moderately loud sources, choose the 4099 Loud SPL. It has lower self-noise and higher sensitivity. For fortissimo trumpet or trombone, choose the 4099 Extreme SPL. The official website has a selection guide: choose an instrument and it recommends the microphone and accessories. A stand adapter and music-stand clip are also available.

The frequency response is very even, giving a neutral recording that needs little EQ. The 10 kHz rise is not obvious in use. An angle of only 15 degrees from the source reduces that region by 3 dB, flattening the response. The polar plot shows this.

Our tests confirmed that the 4099 has a genuine supercardioid pattern. When we recorded an instrument with a very loud backing track, almost nothing except the instrument was audible in the recording. The PA loudspeakers also avoided feedback even at high channel gain. These are the results we wanted.

DPA CORE microphones are IP58 certified. Each has:
 
• Water-repellent nano-coating on the housing and parts
• A sealed amplifier structure inside the microphone body
• A double gold coating on the diaphragm

The DPA 4099 CORE also has improved impact protection. Two cables are available: the lighter, less visible supplied cable and a thicker, stronger optional cable. A gooseneck extension is another optional accessory.

The wind-instrument bell mount is well designed and attaches gently without marking an expensive instrument. In our experience, a loose-fitting mount can be bent slightly for a better grip. Under the firm rubber material is something like a steel strip that holds its shape well.

The gooseneck allows accurate positioning relative to the instrument. The manufacturer has tutorial videos showing attachment to different instruments.

After learning the basic approach, experiment to find the best position. The manufacturer advises against aiming directly into the bell center because this adds too much bass and airflow noise. Moving too far to the side can thin the tone and increase room reflections. Try the same phrase with different positions and choose the result you prefer. Experienced recording engineers know this, but beginners may need guidance.

The package includes both a rigid storage case and a soft zippered fabric pouch. The pouch is probably intended to save space when the microphone is carried inside another rigid case.

The saxophone package, DPA 4099-DC-1-199-S CORE Loud SPL for Saxophone, includes a thin 1.8-meter cable, DAD4099-BC adapter, and wind-instrument mount. Different 4099 versions use different cable thicknesses for their tasks. The violin version, for example, has a thinner cable than the drum version. Other packages may contain not only another mount or yellow-marked microphone but also a DAD-6001-BC XLR adapter. The adapter difference is small but important. The DAD4099-BC has a second-order 80 Hz low-cut filter. For full-range recording, especially tenor or baritone saxophone, adding a DAD-6001 may make sense. Both adapters have removable clips that can be replaced with a plain ring.

DPA's official YouTube videos clearly show highly professional artists, but do not fully reveal the microphone's own sound. Recording, processing, and repeated lossy video exports are unknown factors.

We offer a recording close to the original signal in uncompressed 24-bit/44 kHz format. We recorded the performance through the Lisk Audio MOD3 with a Lisk Audio discrete microphone preamp. With a balanced preamp connection, conversion provides a dynamic range above 123 dB and distortion below 0.0001%. Recording is 24-bit. You can download the file and listen offline rather than in a browser. For readers interested in the setup: Yamaha YAS-62 saxophone, Vandoren V16 S+ mouthpiece, Vandoren Optimum ligature, and D'Addario Select Jazz Unfilled reed. The performer is Maxim Liadov.

Please assess recording quality rather than musical or artistic value. This is not a commercial album. It is an article demonstration made in one continuous take, without selecting takes or cleaning up performance errors. Listen to saxophone clarity, frequency coverage, and natural tone. Compare it with other recordings, including commercial ones. Instruments are often heavily processed and hidden behind the rhythm section or excessive reverb. Such choices sometimes hide technical recording weaknesses, and others later copy the style even with better equipment. Modern recording increasingly aims for clear parts in a mix rather than an unclear mass of loud sound. A cleaner, more detailed source recording leaves more creative freedom.

Recording took place in an acoustically treated room. Basic dynamics processing and a little artificial reverb helped the saxophone fit the mix. Reverb is needed because very close recording in a room without wall reflections differs from the saxophone sound listeners normally hear. The backing track was added unchanged, with no mastering. We tried several microphone positions; aiming into the bell sounded worse. We used the full-range DAD-6001 adapter without a low-cut filter. Frequencies below 50 Hz were removed in the editor to exclude accidental key-mechanism noise during passages.

The recording clearly reproduces alto saxophone tone naturally, with all performance details audible. If the saxophone is not the lead part, dynamics, EQ, level, and depth can be adjusted as the arrangement needs. Importantly, level and tone stay even from start to finish. This is difficult with a stand-mounted microphone. Forcing an artist to stay completely still restricts playing and can harm the performance. The freedom offered by the DPA 4099 may matter more than subtle tonal differences.

A large studio vocal microphone has its own advantages. We compared the DPA 4099 saxophone recording with our Neumann TLM102, recording both simultaneously through the same interface. We noticed no tonal difference. The raw Neumann recording felt slightly freer dynamically. Once processed and placed in the mix, however, it was almost impossible to tell which microphone had been used. This surprised us. Small instrument-mounted microphones are sometimes considered suitable only for concerts. The 4099 is excellent live, but also works very well in the studio.

For a critical solo project, an artist can adapt to stand-mounted microphones. In typical work, we recommend giving the performer more freedom. Small microphones used to involve a major compromise, but the DPA 4099 shows that they can challenge studio models for instrument recording. The Royal Albert Hall uses DPA 4099 microphones alongside Neumann TLM102 models for instrument pickup and recording major artists' concerts. This is visible in videos and in the venue's published equipment specifications for concert organizers. We believe the choice followed practical testing. If better microphones suited the purpose, the venue would probably have paid for them.

Conclusions

The DPA d:vote CORE 4099 proved an excellent choice for professional musicians. Its 53-thousand-ruble price is not low, but in our view it suits both concerts and studio work very well. After testing, we decided to pay for it and keep the microphone for our own projects.

Note. This is an adapted machine translation into English. It follows the “In simple terms” approach. Read the original article at https://prosound.ixbt.com/microphones/dpa-4099s.shtml.