When it comes to truly appreciating music, most fans will agree that brilliance lies in the details. Whether it’s the technique of a musician or the subtleties in a singer’s voice, these small differences are often what separate the good from the great. It is these intricate details – and the goal of capturing them – that seem to be the overarching mission within the walls of DPA Microphones.
Well known throughout the live events space, particularly for its specialisation in high-quality miniature microphones as well as its array of instrument mics, the company has expanded its offerings in recent years – most recently with the development of a new wireless solution to the market.
As well as its new product developments, this year the company announced that it will join the wider Audiotonix family, alongside Wisycom and Austrian Audio.
“DPA Microphones, Wisycom, and Austrian Audio are premium brands known for their strong and visionary product offering, used by many high-end customers who are familiar with all the Audiotonix brands,” commented CEO at DPA Microphones, Kalle Hvidt Nielsen, at the time of the announcement. “We share many location sound professionals with Sound Devices who rely on best-in-class audio quality and top-notch reliability, and so by joining Audiotonix, we get the opportunity to offer more premium solutions to discerning, quality-focussed customers.”
A few weeks later, TPi was sitting in the boardroom at DPA HQ to hear from Nielsen firsthand about what he hopes being part of this wider body of companies could mean for DPA. “We’ve found the perfect home with Audiotonix,” he began. “It will create many opportunities, lead to more connections, and open more doors for DPA. I don’t see it as a top-down ownership, but one where we can share ideas among brands.”
WIND THE CLOCKS BACK
DPA’s entry into the entertainment market began as a spin-off venture from Brüel & Kjær, a company that created measurement microphones. “They are the world’s leading specialists in measurement microphones used in multiple markets such as the aeronautical industry,” stated Nielsen, who, prior to his time at DPA, worked as CEO for Brüel & Kjær.
At some point in the 1970s, a measurement microphone was used to record an orchestra, and although that was not its original purpose, those working on the project admitted that the audio quality of the recording was superior.
This led to the company creating a small production audio branch within the business. Then, in 1992, Ole Brøsted Sørensen and Morten Støve made a management buy-out of the production audio branch, taking their learnings to form Danish Pro Audio (DPA), establishing the foundations of the company we know today.
Another key aspect of the company’s DNA comes from a hearing aid manufacturer, Muphone. “We started a collaboration with them in the mid 90s to aid in the creation of a miniature package for our microphones,” stated the CEO, outlining how this knowledge went into the development of some of the company’s current product lines. The CEO puts DPA’s success down to three core principles that go into each product: “clarity, consistency and durability”.
Morten Rubæk, Production Director at DPA, who oversees the company’s manufacturing warehouse in Denmark, furthered the point: “It’s not just about making a good capsule or microphone,” he stated. “These microphones must be used in real-life environments and need to last and continue to perform.”
Walking around the company’s warehouse, the word that immediately springs to mind is ‘intricate’. From the numerous stages of manufacturing that require work under a microscope to create diaphragms, to the extensive testing of each capsule, the level of care that goes into products such as the 4099 Instrument Microphone and the range of Lavalier miniature microphones is truly impressive. “We have processes in our manufacturing line where we are working below one micrometre,” emphasised Rubæk. To give context, the average strand of hair measures around 70 micrometres.
This level of precision is one of the reasons Nielsen stressed the importance of keeping manufacturing in Denmark. “Having all manufacturing here in Denmark has been pivotal for us. Not only does it mean manufacturing can work very closely with R&D but having all elements of the business in the same country means we can keep control of the most critical element – our IP.”
The CEO explained that while it’s possible to open up any microphone and identify the components, the real “secret sauce” lies in the process of creation. This is why he and the team have dismissed the possibility of outsourcing manufacturing to other regions, to ensure their quality standards are upheld and critical intellectual property is protected.
Nielsen also noted that DPA’s approach to bringing new products to market has evolved, particularly in how the company’s R&D teams prototype ideas by investing in digital modelling software. “It’s been a massive investment, but we now have a detailed acoustic mathematical model to develop microphones. At the start of the process, we can define the goal of a new product, model it, and the computer can create the optimal solution. It means we can crank out better products faster.”
The mission to provide better solutions – especially when it comes to achieving greater clarity in captured audio – was a recurring theme among DPA staff during the visit, including Bo Brinck, Global Sales Support Manager. “One of our biggest innovations in recent years has been CORE+,” stated Brinck.
Announced last year, CORE+ reinvents how audio is captured with DPA products, eliminating the non-linearities typically generated by the microphone’s membrane and electronic components. “It gives the ability to pick up the sound in a clearer way and not introduce that distortion; it’s a revolution in sound,” he enthused. “We’re having a smooth transition as we phase out CORE in favour of the new CORE+ system,” explained Helga Volha Somava, DPA Product Management Director. “We stopped selling the original CORE models from October of last year as we rolled out the new version.”
WIRELESS
While continuing to advance its microphones, DPA recently debuted its first entry into the wireless market with the N-Series, a fully digital, true-diversity, wideband system.
“The move into wireless is all linked to a broader strategy,” commented Nielsen. “DPA stands for high quality, and we want to maintain that with our microphones. However, we know that 80% of our mics will be used with some form of wireless system.”
With this in mind, the company aimed to provide customers with a solution that maintains DPA quality throughout the signal chain. That said, the CEO was clear that he sees the high end of the market as saturated.
As a result, the N-Series has been geared towards projects and events that may not have the highest channel counts, but where audio quality remains a priority.
“The N-Series is perfect for a wide variety of live and installed applications,” commented René Moerch, Director of Product Development. “We expect to see it quickly adopted in corporate events and presentations, houses of worship, touring productions, and fixed installations such as conference centres and government facilities.” Ease of use was also a key factor in the system’s development. As such, the N-Series offers wideband operation, giving engineers more flexibility than many high-end systems, making setup faster and more reliable in challenging RF conditions.
SHARING KNOWLEDGE
Although delivering high-quality products is clearly the goal for DPA, another common theme shared across the company is a desire to share knowledge. This is most evident in DPA Mic University, an online resource featuring articles and materials that explore the nuances of working in sound.
“We want to share knowledge, as we know that people who understand the principles of working with sound will make the right decisions themselves,” stated Somava. “We always want to keep it brand neutral as the goal is all about knowledge sharing and education of the community.”
All the resources for Mic University can be found on the company’s website. From its origins in measurement microphones to its latest ventures in wireless and digital prototyping, DPA’s journey has been defined by attention to detail.
Now, with the company part of the wider Audiotonix family, it finds itself with greater opportunity to further its ambitions to capture the purest sounds from artists. And if its track record is anything to go by, the details will continue to make all the difference.
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: DPA Microphones
