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DPA Winner Faced Extremes

DPA Microphones received 700-plus stories in response to its recent Tell Us Your Story competition, which offered a range of prizes and asked customers to share stories about how they use microphones.

Alleroed, Denmark (November 29, 2016)—DPA Microphones received 700-plus stories in response to its recent Tell Us Your Story competition, which offered a range of prizes and asked customers to share stories about how they use microphones.

“We were overwhelmed by the response and very surprised by the creativity of so many of our users,” says Anne Berggrein, VP of marketing at DPA Microphones. “It was a lot of fun hearing about the many different environments in which our mics have found themselves and the applications they have been used for.”

Australian sound artist Philip Samartzis’ story won first prize. Samartzis used his two Australian Antarctic Division Arts Fellowships (2009 and 2015) to document the effects of extreme climate and weather events in Eastern Antarctica and Macquarie Island.

Samartzis used a variety of DPA microphones, including four d:dicate 4006 omnidirectional microphones, two d:screet 4060 omnidirectional miniature mic and a d:dicate 4017 shotgun microphone. He also used a now discontinued 8011 omnidirectional underwater hydrophone mic, which DPA developed for him in 1999.

To prevent the Antarctic winds from blowing his microphones away, Samartzis used a variety of techniques including an ice anchor[AN1], where the base of the mic stand is covered with ice so that it literally freezes to the ground. The d:dicate 4006s were placed in Rycote Cyclone windshields, which protected them from the elements. Samartzis reports that at one point the windshields were frozen blocks of ice, but the mics kept on recording. The main problem he had was with his field recorders, which seized up from time to time due to the build-up of ice.

For his prize, Samartzis has chosen a pair of DPA d:dicate ST4011 cardioid microphones, so that he can explore new stereo and surround recording. He plans to use them on a public art project documenting the sound ecology of a traditional Tokyo shopping district.

DPA Microphones
www.dpamicrophones.com

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