DPA's 4090 and 4091 instrument microphones for stage and studio

DPA Microphones has launched two instrument mics, which offer musicians flexibility and quality at an affordable price point, whether live or in the studio. The 4090 and 4091 mics feature an omnidirectional condenser capsule in a lightweight aluminium housing with a 3-pin XLR connector. The DPA 4090 and 4091 omnidirectional microphones are housed in a 19 mm anodized black aluminium barrel casing which sleekly tapers down to the 5.4 mm capsule. The mics, which are a total length of 12 cm, fit neatly into the mic clip included. “Studio and live sound users who wish to experience DPA’s high quality and open, natural sound at an affordable price can now do so with the new 4090 and 4091 microphones,” says Craig Parrish, sales and marketing manager at DPA. “The price level will mean that every studio and rental company will be able to own a pair.” Considering the miniature size of the 4090 microphone capsule, DPA has obtained a very low noise floor of just 23 dB(A) re. 20 µPa, and a sensitivity of 20 mV/Pa, while it can handle sound pressure levels of up to 134 dB SPL peak. The 4091 is acoustically identical with the 4090, but the sensitivity is adjusted to 6mV/Pa. The noise floor is 26 dB(A) re 20 µPa and it can handle sound pressure levels of up to 144 dB SPL peak, giving this variant a larger dynamic range. Applications abound for both mics when recording acoustic instruments in the studio, while in live performances they can handle many challenges, including miking an electric guitar amp. Due to the linear frequency response in the 20 Hz to 20 kHz range, FOH engineers can also use the mics for sound system alignment.