DPA 4015A

Sometimes a conventional cardioid pattern just isn’t quite open enough. Recording orchestras, and other ensembles, sometimes require a compromise between blending in the room reverberation and a more precise localization. When recording instruments with complex radiation patterns, the wide cardioid (also known as hemispheric) design covers a greater sound angle and is an excellent choice. This is the ideal mic for recording grand piano, guitar, marimba and percussion, or as a spot mic for groups in a symphony orchestra. Likewise, it is an excellent speech, dubbing, or vocal mic as its enhanced richness on the bass end nicely compliments many voices.
 

Combine it with the preamp of your choice

As with all of the modular (MicroDot output), allowing for very slim set-ups. The MMP-G even allows you to match a larger microphone directly to a wireless transmitter.

d:dicate™ 4015A Wide Cardioid Mic

This mic suits acoustic instruments and voices with rich and open sound. It is capable of handling extremely high sound pressure levels before clipping occurs. The d:dicate™ 4015A Wide Cardioid Mic even includes a 20 dB pad switch in the center of the XLR connector to prevent overloading of the mic amplifier.

The d:dicate™ 4015A Wide Cardioid Mic is also available as a matched stereo pair.

d:dicate™ 4015C Compact Wide Cardioid Mic

This is an excellent spot mic as a fill-in between an omni and a cardioid. The compact version is easier to position than other cardioid microphones. Visually discreet, the d:dicate™ 4015C Compact Wide Cardioid Mic represents an indispensably low-profile solution for audio engineers and set designers alike. Tremendously precise and natural sounding, these mics will certainly exceed expectations when used on choirs, percussion setups, grand pianos, wind instruments and much more.
 

A bit about cardioids

Named for its “heart shaped” polar pattern, a cardioid (or directional) microphone has the most sensitivity at the front and is least sensitive from the sides and at the back. They come in many variations – with wider or narrower angles of sensitivity (supercardioid, hypercardioid, wide cardioid etc.). Although cardioids also pick up sound coming in from the sides, this off-axis sound will normally be more or less colored and damped. The unique DPA capsule technique however skips the colorization of the sound coming from the sides or the rear of the mic and just reduces the sensitivity to these angles and thereby offers perfect sound stages. The amount of damping depends on the exact specifications of the mic.

A cardioid microphone is, by definition, damped -6 dB at the 90°side entry of the microphone but for many, the word cardioid generally covers mics with a directional pattern versus omnis, which pick up sound from all directions.

Due to their nature, directional mics are often used on the live stage – both during concerts as well as spoken-word events, to capture the focused sound of an instrument or voice. The narrow angle of sensitivity helps to minimize the bleed from other sounds on a busy stage. One thing to note with cardioid mics is the proximity effect, which causes an increase in bass response the closer the microphone is moved to the sound source. Therefore, when judging mic specs you should always look for a statement stating the distance at which the flat frequency response has been measured. In addition, cardioid mics are far more sensitive to wind, pop and handling noises than omni mics, so be sure to take precautions to guard against this.