PENCIL MICROPHONES

High-end audio amplifying

Our omnidirectional pencil microphones

An omnidirectional microphone has sensitivity at all angles – in principle picking up sound equally from all directions. This gives you extremely natural and realistic sound compared to a cardioid mic. Omni mics are often used for picking up ambient sounds, as well as miking a large sound source such as a choir in a recording situation. Unfortunately, due to their pickup pattern, omnis can also produce a lot of feedback in live situations.

Nonetheless, we recommend that you try a DPA omni first because, when used close to the sound source, the equal frequency response makes these mics a flexible addition in your audio toolbox. It will often give a more natural sound, it can handle extremely high sound pressure levels, it does not suffer from proximity effect and is not as sensitive to wind, pop or handling noise.

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4006 Omni Mic

This highly sought after mic has forged its enviable reputation over the past quarter of a century by repeatedly exhibiting its total transparency in any recording situation. It picks up incredible detail and depth of sound.

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2006 Twin Diaphragm Omni Mic

Two opposite-facing miniature omni capsules are custom rebuilt inside this microphone. They are placed into a double-diaphragm, one-capsule composition. This microphone bridges the gap between the extreme sound quality of our pencil mics and our well-known miniaturess.

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4090 Omni Mic, P48

This is a series of high-quality omnidirectional condenser microphones. Due to their uniquely natural and open sound, these mics are suitable for instrument-miking applications in the studio or on the stage. They are also often used as line up mics for measurement purposes.

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4041 Omni Large Diaphragm Mic, P48

This large diaphragm mic offers superior sound quality. This is the most quiet and most detailed mic in the DPA portfolio. It is designed to work in a standard 48 V phantom power environment.

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Our cardioid pencil microphones

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 cardiod microphone is in its definition damped -6 dB at the 90° side entry of the microphone but for many the word cardioid covers in general microphones with a directional approach versus the omnidirectional microphone that picks 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 specifications you should always look for the statement telling you at what distance 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.

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2011 Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Mic

Two opposite-facing miniature cardioid capsules placed into a double-diaphragm, one-capsule composition. With its large diaphragm sound combined with the benefits of a miniature size, this mic solution provides you with extreme sound quality in a smaller package.

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2012 Compact Cardioid Microphone

The 2012 is a reliable condenser mic, best for single instrument pickup. Its specifically powerful characteristics make it an extremely flexible mic that will shine on many instruments, particularly those in the high-frequency range.

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2015 Wide Cardioid Microphone

In a live situation when a conventional cardioid pattern isn’t quite open enough, choose a pair of 2015 Compact Wide Cardioids. They work ideally as overheads to capture a balanced sound of the entire group of instruments, like a drum kit.

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4011 Cardioid Mic

When you want it to sound just like the original then this mic is for you. It offers unparalleled directional quality and attention to detail. This mic makes everything sounds like the original and provides superb separation between sound sources.

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4015 Wide Cardioid Mic

Sometimes a conventional cardioid pattern just isn’t quite open enough. The 4015 Wide Cardioid Microphone is the perfect fill-in between an omnidirectional and a directional microphone.

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Our supercardioid pencil microphones

A supercardioid microphone is similar to a cardioid – it is most sensitive to sound coming in at the front and is least sensitive at the back. Supercardioid mics tend to have a much narrower angle of sensitivity  (and hypercardioids even narrower) – making them even more focused than a “normal” cardioid mic. The off-axis sound will normally be more or less colored and damped – and, due to the narrow angle of focus, the area of damped sound is increased significantly. 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.


Due to their nature, supercardioid 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 supercardioid mics is the proximity effect, which causes an increase in bass response the closer the microphone is moved to the sound source. In addition, supercardioid mics are far more sensitive to wind, pop and handling noises than omni mics, so be sure to take precautions to guard against this.
The standard ‘rule’ is that you don’t use a shotgun mic or a hypercardioid indoors, but I do that all the time with DPA, and it sounds incredible. With DPA mics, there’s no single way to do something, they can be used wherever and they’ll work perfectly every time.”

 

– Ben Nimkin, production sound mixer


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2017 Shotgun Microphone

The 2017 features durable construction and extraordinary acoustical properties. It performs reliably in difficult conditions, like cold weather and humid environments.

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4017 Shotgun Mic

Designed for a broad range of applications, this microphone is ideal for use with camera systems, in fixed positions for broadcast / ENG / film booming and even studio recording environments. They are also often the natural choice on a sports scene where large areas are to be covered with a lot of microphones, i.e. a football field and the likes.

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4018 Supercardioid Mic

Ideal for long-distance broadcast, ENG and film miking applications, such as booming, dialogue, interview and table or podium use. This mic offers superb flexibility through modular accessories.

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Our kits

Our wide and versatile pencil mics series is legendary in the high-end recording and film production industry. Delivering clean, accurate sound, the mics in this series are used by professionals, who understand sound and insist on only using the best.



Our Stereo Kits are matched within ±0.5 dB or ±1 dB on frequency response depending on the kit you choose. The stereo kits are available with:
 
  • 2006 Twin Diaphragm Omnidirectional Microphone
  • 2011 Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Microphone
  • 4006 Omnidirectional Microphone
  • 4007 Omnidirectional Microphone
  • 4011 Cardioid Microphone
  • 4015 Wide Cardioid Microphone
  • 4041 Large Diaphragm Microphone

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Stereo Kits

Available with 4006, 4011 or 4041 these specialized stereo kits contain a matched set of pencil microphones and the accessories you need to capture amazing stereo sound. All kits are matched within either ±0.5 dB or ±1 dB depending on the kit. These mics are used by professionals who insist on only using the best.

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Stereo Pairs

The Stereo Pairs contain the mathced pencil microphones, clips and windscreens and accessories. All kits are matched within either ±0.5 dB or ±1 dB depending on the kit. Available with either 4006, 2011, 2006, 4011 or 4015.

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Surround Kits

Available with 4006, 4011 or 4015 the kits all have unique features for surround sound recording. Used with the dedicated S5 Surround/Decca Tree Mount you’ll have endless of possibilities to capture the nature of the environment in which the mics are placed.

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Features of our pencil mics

  •  Modularity – interchangable capsules and preamplifiers
  • Up to 120 dB dynamic range
  • RF rejection between >60 and >40 dB
  • Linear frequency response
  • High SPL
  • Superior gain before feedback


Engineered for second-to-none sound

The capsule as well as preamplifier design promises linearity, low noise and low distortion in a huge dynamic range for use on stage in broadcast or studio applications. But the versatility of the pencil microphones doesn’t stop there. The line is extremely flexible and can be used for high-quality table, podium, floor stand mount as well as a hanging and instrument mic.

The range included encompasses both omnidirectional and several directional microphone capsules. Since most of the mics in this series are based on a modular design, the capsules and preamplifiers are completely compatible and interchangeable with the others. This means you can mix and match to create the exact mic you need for your specific task. The series revolves around the 4000  series microphones and the 2000 series microphones, both of which offer exceptional linear frequency response, high SPL and superior gain before feedback.


Best off-axis performance of any mic

For optimal directional mics, the only difference off axis should be a lower sensitivity. The frequency responses should be as uniform as possible. These mics feature unrivaled frequency-independent off-axis attenuation. Higher isolation can be obtained using interference tube technologies for shotgun mics.

Keeping the directional characteristic and behavior intact over a wide frequency range is an engineering art form. Test the off-axis responses of these pencil mics against any professional microphone –  they are pure art and you will appreciate the difference.

Bear in mind that the output of a microphone is a 360° total (not only on omnis!) and poor off-axis sound cannot be treated separately afterwards. As the first part of the audio chain, microphones set the limit for the level of sonic excellence you are able to achieve.
 

A truly flexible range

Any of our modular pencil microphone capsules can be transformed into a new configuration by combining it with one of our modular preamplifiers in the same range. This provides signal integrity, noise elimination and tight specifications. This transformation can be done at any time, and with no tools needed (except 4041, which has its own preamplifier).
 

Unique electronics design

With some of these microphones offering up to 120 dB dynamic range, the series is hard to beat. The electronics design is optimized for the capsules as well as for the connection via long cable runs. The electronics allows you to get all the best out of the individual pre-polarized condenser capsules.

In the electronics design, the CMRR (relevant for rejection of Radio Frequency Interference) is between >60 dB and >40 dB using the DPA Microphones’ philosophy of transformerless Impedance Balancing with Active Drive.

Pencil mics for the recording studio

Our pencil mics combine the best microphone capsules with the best preamplifiers to deliver superior sound for high-quality studio recording situations. The range is wide and provides superb-sounding microphones with any type of pickup pattern required for your specific needs.  Within the series there are a wide variety of capsules matching any recording need. For a more affordable studio recording solution, the  2011 Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Microphone is a fantastic solution. It performs as well as more exclusive microphones. It is a premium-class microphone and redefines the term value for money.



 

Microphones for recording music in project studios (home studios)

A continuing trend in the music business is the increase in high-quality, home-based project studios. While primarily for convenience, they need to contain top-quality equipment, including microphones. The twin-diaphragm mics in this series are the best choice for a project studio. Choose between the 2006A Twin Diaphragm Omnidirectional Microphone or the 2011A Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Microphone, depending on your specific needs. These mics performs as well as more exclusive microphones.

They are premium-class microphones and redefine the term value for money.
 

Microphones for concert halls

Recording classical symphonies in a large concert hall setting, has different challenges than recording rhythmic bands in a studio, but still great sounds starts with great microphones.

The 4006 Omnidirectional Microphone and the 4011 Cardioid Microphone combine the best microphone capsules with the best preamplifiers to deliver superior sound for high-quality reproductions of the acoustics of halls, churches and other pristine recording venues. The range is wide and provides superb-sounding microphones with any type of pickup pattern required for your specific needs.  Within the series there are a wide variety of capsules matching any recording need. This series also contains a range of meticulously matched stereo and surround kits that can be used in conjunction with the S5 Surround Mount to capture amazing surround sound recordings of classical symphonies.
 

Floor standing mics for classical singers

Classically-trained opera singers are used to using their voice to fill up the hall. These singers can sing at extremely high SPL, which can cause distortion in the microphone. Additionally, the right amount of "air" between the singer and the microphone is essential to give it a classical sound, so close miking, which is also done for other music genres cannot be used here. Recording these singers in concert is often done using elegant floor-standing microphones, which have the correct audio quality as well as visual impact for the performance.




Available in either a cardioid or a supercardioid variant, these floor stand mics are our best solution for the highest-quality sound capture in both recording and live performance situations. Both variants are widely customizable; available in a range of boom lengths to meet any need. The 4011F Floor Stand Microphone is the cardioid variant, which provides a natural response to voice and a noise rejecting quality. No equalization is needed to remove any microphone artifacts; voice intelligibility is straight out of the mic. The 4018F Floor Stand Microphone is the highly-directional supercardioid variant, which secures an identical sound color around the microphone. The usual rear lobe heard on most supercardioids is minimized making it much more isolated without sudden frequency dependent peaks and dips. This mic is highly customizable; available in a range of boom lengths to meet any need.
 

Microphones for film and TV

A properly boomed actor sounds very natural to the ear. Shotgun boom microphones are a staple in most film sound engineers arsenal of tools.



The 4017B Shotgun Microphone is equipped with a highly-directional hypercardioid pickup pattern; obtained using an interference tube that provides excellent off-axis rejection. Its unique directional pattern is useful when you need exceptionally high directivity with high background noise rejection. It is convenient when you cannot place the mic close enough to the sound source. The 4018C Supercardioid Microphone, Compact has a highly-directional supercardioid pickup pattern with a smooth and uniform off-axis frequency response. It is designed for use in long-distance film miking applications.
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10 important facts about acoustics for mic users

If you want to get the best out of your microphones, it is a good idea to have some knowledge of acoustics. This article takes you through 10 of the most important terms and facts.
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For really demanding situations, the 4011A microphone will tolerate an astonishing 159 dB SPL!
Read the full review on Sound on Sound
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The LA Opera with DPA Microphones

To ensure the cleanest sound possible, The Ghosts of Versailles, performed by the Los Angeles Opera at the LA Opera House and engineer Mark Donahue selected DPA Microphones - 4006 and 4011 Recording Microphone solutions to record both the cast and orchestra of the project.
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