DPA d:screet™ CORE 6061 Omni Submini Mic, Loud SP
For the 6061, DPA has taken some already pretty impressive miniaturized circuitry and shrunk it even more. It’s also notable that this tiny mic sounds so good.”
LSA’s Mark Johnson investigates our new d:screet™ CORE 6061 subminiature lav mic and comes up with one of the most original analogies with regard to its tiny size so far:
“What amazes me is how much more DPA was able to miniaturize its CORE amplifier circuitry from the first iteration. It kind of reminds me of the 1966 science-fiction movie Fantastic Voyage, in which a team of five people and deep-sea submarine are miniaturized down to microbe size and injected into the bloodstream of a scientist who needs precision surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain.
For the 6061, DPA has taken some already pretty impressive miniaturized circuitry and shrunk it even more. It’s also notable that this tiny mic sounds so good. Besides film, television, and theatre, I can imagine that some creative audio people will be coming up with additional applications as well.
(…) Spoiler alert: In Fantastic Voyage, the procedure is ultimately successful (though not without the requisite suspense and drama) and the team is able to get out of the scientist in the nick of time. For the mic: There actually is no spoiler. It is consistent with other products from DPA: high- quality design, construction, and performance, coupled with imminently useful accessories. And did I say that this mic is tiny?”
6061 features
- Amazing 3 mm CORE capsule technology
- Renowned DPA sound in a 60% smaller package
- Stainless steel, PVD coated mic housing
- Modular adapter system fits most professional wireless systems
Tiny and more versatile
These lavaliers are often used as hidden mics, especially in TV, film and theater applications. By shrinking the amazing performance of CORE into a 3 mm (0.12 in) package, DPA has created solutions that support professional sound engineers across industries:
- On theatre stages, where crisp, clear DPA sound is hidden on the actors with a bodyworn mic
- On high-profile film sets, where every millimeter counts when hiding bodyworn mics on actors or as plant mics on the film stage
- On the broadcast news or sound stage, where an unobtrusive lavalier mic allows viewers to focus on the speaker and the content
Placement and mounting depend on which application the mic is being used. In theater applications, these tiny mics can be concealed in the performer’s hair, on the forehead or even in their clothing. In broadcast environments, the lavalier will typically be clipped to the speaker’s clothing, usually on the tie, jacket or collar. As mentioned above, lavalier mics are very common in film applications, where they are often hidden in costumes or used as plant mics.
To attach these bodyworn mics to the talent, a special rotatable clip has been designed. The 360° clip allows the lav to be mounted in eight positions, chosen in 45° incremental steps. It allows easy placement on the talent and makes it quick and easy to change from left- to right-buttoned shirts.
Advanced new mic design
Both the mic itself plus the cap are made of stainless steel and treated with a Physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating that makes it extremely durable: able to tolerate high temperatures, resilient against impacts and resistant to abrasion. The entire mic has a pleasant matte look due to the coating.
The cable is often the weak spot on these types of mics, but we have opted to use the same size cable (Ø 1.6 mm (0.06 in)) and the same rugged cable relief as on our 5 mm (0.20 in) mics. The cables are extremely durable, do not become entangled and are equipped with an inner core made of Kevlar that withstands rough pulls.
CORE by DPA
While CORE has significantly improved the performance of all of our 5 mm (0.20 in) miniature mics, you will be amazed at the advanced performance CORE has provided our new 3 mm (0.12 in) subminiature range. Contrary to common understanding, our CORE subminiatures have a performance level that is comparable to our amazing miniature technology. Precision engineering and miniscule optimizations of our capsule technology have created a subminiature that significantly outperforms all other mics in their class – and beyond.
Due to the laws of physics, in general when you go down in membrane size, the self-noise of a microphone increases. Nevertheless, in the case of the new DPA 3 mm subminiature, we have been able to keep the noise level comparable to our 5 mm (0.20 in). In fact, the Loud-SPL version of the subminiature has a noise level that is the same as our 5 mm (0.20 in) versions. The Loud-SPL version of this mic is perfect for close miking situations like placement on an actor’s forehead. It is also the version used on all of our headsets.
By shrinking the amazing performance of CORE into a 3 mm (0.12 in) package, DPA has created solutions that support professional sound engineers across industries:
- On theatre stages, where crisp, clear DPA sound needs to be delivered via an unobtrusive headset or hidden bodyworn mic
- On high-profile film sets, where every millimeter counts when hiding bodyworn mics on actors or as plant mics on the film stage
- On the broadcast news or sound stage, where an unobtrusive headset or lavalier mic allows viewers to focus on the speaker and the content
IP58 certified
The CORE Subminiatures, are IP58 certified. This durability is achieved through a number of defense mechanisms:
• Water-repellant nano-coating of the cover and housing
• Hermetic sealing of the sensitive amplifier at the core of the mic
• Dual gold plating of the diaphragm
CORE by DPA minimizes distortion
When the output of the microphone no longer sounds like the input, we call this distortion. Although all systems and mics add some distortion, well-designed systems and mics exhibit less distortion. By increasing the dynamic range of the mics, CORE extends the point at which the distortion is audible. In addition, CORE lowers the general distortion heard at all levels – from soft to loud. That means a clearer more open sound across the entire microphone level range.
CORE by DPA expands dynamic range
In the 5 mm (0.20 in) miniature products, CORE by DPA increases the dynamic range up to 14 dB (at 1% THD) depending on the specific type of capsule. The performance of the d:screet™ 6060 CORE Subminiature Series is sonically and specifications-wise comparable to the legacy 5 mm (0.20 in) miniature capsules. These subminiatures have a lower noise floor than any other 3 mm (0.12 in) capsule on the market and they are better able to capture high sound pressure levels without distortion as well.
This gives users more flexibility by expanding the range of sounds that can be captured. In most cases, sound engineers prefer a mic with a wide dynamic range because they can use one mic to capture a wider range of sounds and in more applications.
With its increased dynamic range, a mic with CORE by DPA technology is less vulnerable to overload. At the same time, the mic maintains its low noise floor.
CORE by DPA increases clarity
A graphical representation of what can be measured and heard is given in the example below. It shows that across the workable range of the mic, overall distortion has dropped. These mics have the ability to accept very high sound pressure levels and yield the most clear and open sound you have ever heard.
Who should choose CORE by DPA?
In the film recording industry, CORE can potentially save the sound crew a lot of time, effort and money. DPA microphones are known for their ability to withstand expressive acoustical sound pressure levels (SPL) without distortion and now CORE minimizes distortion even more. With such a large dynamic range, one microphone can be bodyworn on an actor that needs to whisper in one scene and scream in the next.
Similarly, theater applications often also need to capture wildly varying SPLs with one bodyworn microphone. In addition, when there are 30 or more mics on the stage, the clear and open sound of CORE will brighten the entire sound picture.
In addition, try putting a CORE mic on any musical instrument and you will hear it as never before.