DPA Microphones 4017B Shotgun Microphone

Designed for a broad range of applications, the 4017 Shotgun Mic is ideal for use with camera systems, in fixed positions at sports facilities, for broadcast / ENG/ film booming and even studio recording environments.

This condenser microphone capsule is part of the flexible pencil microphones. It is equipped with a highly directional hypercardioid pickup pattern; obtained using a supercardioid design with an interference tube that provides excellent off-axis rejection.

The Shotgun Mic Capsule is immune to RF emission and the 19 mm (0.75 in) condenser cartridge is capable of handling peak SPLs of 152 dB before clipping. It withstands use in very humid environments with ease. It delivers clear sound even when used in very hot or cold areas of the world such as the desert and the arctic.

Extensive research and development have been undertaken to optimize the sound coming from the sides and back of the microphone. One of the key accomplishments is that we have minimized the often un-linear response of a shotgun microphone due to its side lobes. The condenser capsule uses a high voltage pre-polarized back plate, endowing the shotgun with high output as well as wide dynamics, extremely low noise, and distortion specifications. The sound coming from the sides and back of a shotgun often sounds unnatural but DPA has managed to make these additions sound natural as well – just damp.

The capsule, combined with the MMP-B Mic Preamp, Low Cut, and High Boost, is a short and exceptionally lightweight shotgun microphone with impressive accuracy and clarity.

All DPA mics, from the smallest miniatures to this shotgun, feature the same sonic character. This makes it easy to use a mix of hidden miniature mics and boom mics, while a minimum workload in postproduction. This common sonic character means that you have the same timbre, independently, whether the sound is best recorded via a miniature mic or a boom, plan mic, or any other DPA mic you choose to use.

4017B Shotgun Microphone
At just 210 mm (8.3 in) and 68 g (2.4 oz), this mic is one of the shortest and lightest shotgun condenser microphones available. At the same time, it offers impressive accuracy, clarity, and musicality. The mic is immune to RF emission and the 19 mm (0.75 in) condenser cartridge is capable of handling peak SPLs of 152 dB before clipping. It also withstands use in very humid environments with ease.

The 4017B Shotgun Microphone features two onboard filters. They are activated via an ingenious switching ring design. With a simple twist of two sturdy rings, engineers can implement a high-frequency boost that adds a 4 dB shelf at 8 kHz. This compensates for hi loss when used with windjammers. A first-order bass roll-off below 120 Hz minimizes handling and wind noise. A permanent third-order high-pass filter at 50 Hz effectively removes unwanted low-frequency disturbance from handling and wind noise.

This solution is also available with Rycote® Windshield and suspension system – a fully-packed and ready-to-go solution.

A bit about super cardioids
A super-cardioid 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 hyper cardioids 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. However, the unique DPA capsule technique skips the colorization of the sound coming from the sides of 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.

In the Box
DPA Microphones 4017B Shotgun Microphone
UA0639 Microphone Clip
DUA0073 Windscreen for 4017
Limited 1-Year Warranty