For anyone who might need phantom power to run a condenser mic, the Nady SMPS-1X or Behringer MICROPOWER PS400 that each sell for about $20, will do an adequate job.
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Double Bass DPA 4099 vs AMT SP25B
- Thread starter Ric Vice
- Start date
Um...yeah well...I'm still working on that.
Actually I have a few mic preamps from my recording gear to choose from. Nothing I would normally want to schlepp - but I'll figure it out soon enough.
I talked with John at Headway yesterday and he informed me that the EDB-1 will indeed power up the DPA mics. That's pretty nice from where I stand. It's all magic to me anyway.
Ric
mike at dpa told me the mic needs a minimum of 30+ volts, so you might want to double check that.
Hi Vincent,
Sorry for the delay!
I used the guitar version, and ordered a same. It very easy to set up on the bridge, and you can positioning the mic very easy where you want around the bridge.
So, I recommend the guitar mount!
I didn't use amp on the gig ( I dond like using amps with mic ), I use the mic to the front and in to the stage monitors, one monitor was very close to my legs, and as a test I bring the bass face to the front speakers, and didn't feedbacking.
We had no problems with bleed, but this was a no drums gig. I hope the mic will works in more loud situation too, since is supercardioid. It seems, I can report from a louder gig next week.
I got mine today.
It seems to work fine plugged in to my Dtar blender which only has 15v of phantom. Now, maybe it's not optimal - but it certainly works.
Gig with drummer tomorrow, we'll see how it goes. So far I like the sound. The violin mount works pretty well in a couple of places. It works better attatched to the bridge. Anywhere on the body or tailpiece and it picked up too much mechanical vibration. Seems like the gain before feedback is pretty good, but I can't make a judgement until I'm on the bandstand.
Edit:
I've been using a Beyer M88 on a stand. I set that up like usual (in my practice room, not a gig) along with the DPA. I put them both into a recorder so I could see a meter and I could match the levels. So now with essentially the same volume coming from each mic, I could listen for background noise. With the Beyer, I could hear more "room" while the DPA sounded more isolated. Subjectively, I think I preferred the sound of the DPA - but the Beyer is a great mic too. I sang while playing and my voice was more audible in the Beyer track. Not a giant difference, but certainly pretty significant. We'll see what happens on a gig soon.
J.R here is the reply to my email I sent to Headway yesterday.
"Dear Ric, we have already had a meeting with DPA and they displayed and recommended the EDB-1 to their customers at Frankfurt Music Messe's Pro Audio Hall, this year. Please read the manual carefully, as we put a lot of time into it. It says that most condensers are fine on a lower voltage. Actually I haven't found one that actually needs more than 14v and I trawled around widely. These are live sound devices and a tad less than the optimum should not notice. We wanted to offer battery power, so this is a v.slight compromise.
I hope this answers your question, but please put this reply on any chat rooms you visit and read on..."
Ric
certainly in no position to argue, nor do i care to, but it strikes me as kinda silly to spend that kind of money on a mic, if you end up compromising the performance by starving it of the power it requires ... i'd go with the mic manufacturer's recommendations first, before considering those of a preamp manufacturer ....
jeff.
jeff.
Jeff,
I haven't really made up my mind since it is indeed a conundrum. I would totally agree with you since the the DPA spokesperson would know the specs of their own product. It is a compromise, I just have to decide whether I'm willing to live with it. Unfortunately, the Water Woods doesn't have a notch filter, phase reverse or a lo cut filter. This is the first second party box to have all these things in one place.
Ric
I am seeing Rufus tonight in Cambridge and hope to get a close look at his mic set up....I saw him a few months back at the ISB Convention and he used this particular mic. He is in a Quartet tonight and may be using a pickup also...
I didn't AB the 4099 and M88, but I tired various mics on stage and I feel the same. Now The DPA 4099 is my first choice of mic and the Beyer M88 the second.
He said he only uses it for FOH. If I were to use one, it would be for amp 90% of the time.
Last night he was just using the Schertler stuff... but his sound was great. I got to hang a little after the gig and he showed me and Bruce Gertz his bass... Got to play a few notes on it and man I have had a bass w***y all day !!!! He is truly one of the greats on the instrument and one of the nicest cats you would ever want to meet. He always takes the time to chat and is very forth coming w. info... We are lucky he is around. 
I didn't tired to go to amp with this mic, but it really works in monitor. I asked the mic to the monitor near me from the soundman, ( it was an EV monitor ) and it sounded great without EQ.
First night with the 4099 was good.
You know how a pick-up has that weight and presence we need but does not sound like a bass, where as a mic sounds like the bass but you can't always get the same presence out of it?
The 4099 is much closer to the punch and presence of a pickup, but really sounds like your bass. You gotta figure out a way to mount it that you are comfortable with, and the cable seems a bit fragile. You also have to decide between a flat mic and a version with a high-pass built in. I accidentally ordered the high-pass, but it still sounded really good.
I AB'd with my Revoultion Solo. I could get about 80% of the volume with the 4099 as I could with the pick up before feedback. I could only get about 50% with other mics.
So yes, I consider this to be the mic to beat at the moment. It sounds great and gives you more headroom. It's a winner in my book.
You know how a pick-up has that weight and presence we need but does not sound like a bass, where as a mic sounds like the bass but you can't always get the same presence out of it?
The 4099 is much closer to the punch and presence of a pickup, but really sounds like your bass. You gotta figure out a way to mount it that you are comfortable with, and the cable seems a bit fragile. You also have to decide between a flat mic and a version with a high-pass built in. I accidentally ordered the high-pass, but it still sounded really good.
I AB'd with my Revoultion Solo. I could get about 80% of the volume with the 4099 as I could with the pick up before feedback. I could only get about 50% with other mics.
So yes, I consider this to be the mic to beat at the moment. It sounds great and gives you more headroom. It's a winner in my book.
I was wondering about this. I went through al lot of grief with the AMT cable, and when I saw the little cable that the 4099 connects to, I must admit my first thought was "uh-oh". How does it terminate, and can you conceive of a way to have it mounted on the bass so that you can keep it there in the case? If so can it terminate into some form of XLR cable that you can plug and play with (assuming phantom power)?
What are the specs on the high pass?
