JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.
Stock up on studio essentials before your next session. Explore top selling gear from the best brands.
Checkout using your account
This form is protected by reCAPTCHA - the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Checkout as a new customer
Creating an account has many benefits:
DPA microphones are celebrated for their extremely transparent sound and low-noise performance, and the Danish company’s new CORE+ technology takes that to the next level. Based on the revolutionary CORE technology introduced in 2018, which dramatically reduced Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) levels across the board, CORE+ further reduces THD to levels that can’t even be detected except at the upper limits of SPL tolerance.
To better understand the technology behind CORE+ and its benefits for live and studio applications, we spoke with DPA’s Global Sales Support and Business Development Manager, Paul Andrews.
CORE+ isn’t some shiny new feature that DPA slapped on their microphones—it’s simultaneously much simpler and much more complex than that. Like CORE before it, CORE+ is the result of extensive R&D focused on measuring microphone performance and tweaking the diaphragm and other components to achieve the purest possible sound with the lowest levels of distortion and highest dynamic range achievable.
“With the CORE technology that we implemented about seven years ago, we made some huge advancements around THD and overall dynamic range, and those things have a lot of interplay with one another,” says Andrews. “Now, our R&D team in Denmark has figured out that we can improve on that once again, and that's what we're calling CORE+.”
The result? “It's so silent that when I first heard it, I almost felt like something was missing,” Andrews recalls. “It was like going from a cassette to a CD. It was that stark.”
CORE+ is currently being implemented into all of DPA’s five-millimeter microphones, including headsets, lavaliers, and the legendary DPA 4099 instrument microphone. Now that we've covered the basics of this innovative new technology, let's take a closer look at the science behind CORE+ and its real-world applications.
Because there is no universal standard for measuring THD in microphones, some manufacturers selectively publish measurements that make their products look good on paper. But DPA insists on measuring their microphones holistically, using laboratory-grade equipment and procedures to better understand how every aspect of microphone design influences the sound quality of the end product.
“Measuring total harmonic distortion is super complex, and there's no standardization for accurately measuring the highest sound pressure levels,” Andrews explains. “A lot of manufacturers neglect to include the capsule or the diaphragm, and they're only doing the electronic side of it. We don't separate the microphone into components when we test; we're testing the complete microphone from start to finish. Over the years, DPA has perfected the technique of performing these total harmonic distortion measurements, and as a result, we can assess the true performance of our microphones.”
Through rigorous testing and prototyping, DPA engineers found ways to measure the performance of their microphones with greater accuracy than ever, giving them the data they needed to make subtle tweaks to diaphragms and other components. The CORE+ technology that came out of that process pushed THD levels below the detectable threshold at all but the very highest SPLs.
“CORE+ linearizes the diaphragm output across the SPL range, and that means that the THD basically becomes unmeasurable until you’re reaching the absolute peak limits of the microphone itself,” says Andrews. “For example, if you have a microphone that can handle 144 dB SPL, around 141 dB is where you're going to start to detect any THD at all, and then it'll ramp up as it meets its maximum SPL. But anything below that is undetectable.”
Vanishingly low THD across a massive SPL range isn’t a hard sell. With preamps, converters, and outboard gear getting cleaner and quieter all the time, it’s more important than ever to make sure your microphone isn’t adding any noise or distortion to the equation.
“We understand that the entire signal chain has made huge improvements,” says Andrews. “Everything is that much cleaner, and everything has greater dynamic range. We want to stay on top of that. We're always telling clientele that one of the fastest ways to improve a mediocre sound system is to put a great mic in front of it, and the fastest way to degrade an amazing sound system is to put a bad mic in front of it.”
DPA microphones are routinely used in world-class studios, symphony halls, houses of worship, arenas, and touring productions because professionals have learned to trust in their purity of sound and reliable performance in situations that would push other mics past their limits. From dynamic classical and jazz recordings where the slightest distortion can ruin a take to large-scale productions where the noise floor of each mic can add up to an audible hiss, CORE+ eliminates audio artifacts and leaves behind only the uncolored sound of the source.
“In terms of end users, CORE+ excels in situations where clarity throughout the dynamic range is critical,” says Andrews. “That could be anything from a solo violinist or cellist all the way to large theatrical or orchestral sessions. Whether it be in a controlled studio environment or live, that capability of not introducing any distortion whatsoever throughout 97% of the dynamic range is pretty awesome.”
Starting with the iconic DPA 4099 instrument microphone, CORE+ is currently being implemented in all DPA five-millimeter microphones. This includes headset mics for live performance, lavalier mics for interviews and film production, choir mics for theater and worship, and podium mics for public speaking applications.
The DPA 4099 CORE+ instrument microphone is available in Loud SPL models with or without a clamp mount, universal mount, or mic stand mount, as well as custom clips for guitar, bass, violin, cello, saxophone; stereo sets for piano and accordion; as well as touring kits with 4 mics (with optional peli case), and kits with 10 mics (with optional peli case).
* Required Fields
exclamation-circle
