DPA d:mension™ 5100 Mobile 5.1 Surround Mic DPA

5100 MOBILE SURROUND MICROPHONE

The d:mension™ 5100 Mobile Surround Microphone is compact and easy to use. The mic combines stunning sound quality with a plug-and-play solution. It brings engaging surround ambience to sport events, documentaries and other HDTV productions. The mic requires no external signal processing.
This microphone is versatile. You can mount it in many ways: on a camera, microphone stand, suspended from the ceiling or via a hand grip. It is lightweight and portable. It can also withstand inclement weather conditions due to its robust nature.

The d:mension™ 5100 Mobile Surround Microphone is a completely self-contained plug-and-play solution for 5.1 audio capture. It uses five miniature pressure transducers. These transducers have low sensitivity to wind and mechanical noise, low distortion and low frequency response. They also have a large dynamic range. Appropriate channel separation and directionality is achieved by combining the use of DPA Microphones’ proprietary Directional Pressure Microphone (DiPMic) technology with the use of acoustic baffles. DiPMic mounts interference tubes on the L/C/R omnidirectional capsules. Acoustic baffles preserve the accuracy of levels between the discrete analog output channels.

The three front microphones in this system are time aligned to eliminate comb filtering. This also ensures frequency consistency when down mixing to stereo or mono. In contrast, the rear microphones, with standard omnidirectional patterns, are optimally spaced from both each other and the front array to simulate the most natural time arrival differences. The LFE (0.1) channel is comprised of a L/R sum, which is then attenuated 10 dB in comparison with the signal from the main channels. This is in accordance with the 5.1 format.

The d:mension™ 5100 Mobile Surround Microphone provides a surround atmosphere that is rich, smooth and enveloping. It is great in its coherence, channel separation and localization accuracy.

The 5.1 output of the microphone runs through a multipin Lemo connector. This connector carries all six electronically-balanced channels. The microphone comes with a five-meter (16 ft), six-pair Mogami that cable breaks out to six Neutrik XLR-M connectors.

“As expected with DPA, the 5100 offers one smooth, silky-sounding array that can handle anything you put in front of it. […] Whether indoors or out, rain or shine, songbirds or opera stars – you can capture it all with the 5100.”

 – Joe Hannigan, MixOnline

Features

The product offers the following features
Plug-and-play solution
Lightweight and portable
Rich, smooth and fully enveloping sound
Discrete 5.1 analog output – no processing needed

Frequency response at 0 degrees
Frequency response at 30 degrees
Frequency response at 60 degrees
Frequency response at 90 degrees
Frequency response at 120 degrees
Frequency response at 150 degrees
Frequency response at 180 degrees
Polar pattern center mic
Polar pattern left mic
Polar pattern right mic
Polar pattern left surround mic
Polar pattern right surround mic
 
Typical frequency respose of a DPA 5100 at 0 degrees

Specifications
d:mension™ Surround Solutions 5100 MOBILE SURROUND MICROPHONE

Directional patternDirectional
Principle of operationPressure, with interferece tube and separation baffles
Cartridge typePre-polarized condenser element
Frequency rangeL, C, R, LS, RS: 20 Hz to 20 kHz; LFE: 20 Hz to 120 Hz
Frequency range, ±2 dBL, C, R: 200 Hz to 16 kHz; LS, RS: 100 Hz to 12 kHz; LFE: 20 Hz to 120 Hz
Sensitivity, nominal, ±3 dB at 1 kHzL, C, R: 26 mV/Pa; LS, RS: 28 mV/Pa
Equivalent noise level, A-weightedL, C, R: Typ. 18 dB(A) (max. 21 dB(A)); LS, RS: Typ. 20 dB(A) (max. 23 dB(A))
Equivalent noise level, ITU-R BS.468-4L, C, R: Typ. 29 dB (max. 32 dB); LS, RS: Typ. 31 dB (max. 34 dB)
S/N ratio (A-weighted), re. 1 kHz at 1 Pa (94 dB SPL)L, C, R: Typ. 76 dB(A); LS, RS: Typ. 74 dB(A)
Total harmonic distortion (THD)< 1% up to 123 dB SPL peak
Dynamic rangeL, C, R, LS, RS: 103 dB; LFE: 100 dB
Max. SPL, peak before clipping132 dB
Output impedance50 Ω
Cable drive capability100 m (328 ft)
Output balance principleActive Signal balanced
Common mode rejection ratio (CMRR)60 dB, 50 Hz – 20 kHz
Power supply (for full performance)48 V Phantom power
Current consumptionTyp. 5 mA (max. 5.5 mA)
ConnectorLemo multipin
ColorBlack
Weight500 g (17.6 oz)
Microphone diameterW: 240 mm (9.4 in), H: 140 mm (5.5 in), D: 195 mm (7.7 in)
Capsule diameter5.4 mm (0.21 in)
Cable length5 m (16.4 ft)
Cable colorBlack
Cable diameter9.3 mm (0.37 in)
Maximum output voltageL, C, R, LS, RS: 1,8 Vrms / 2,5 Vpeak; LFE: 1 Vrms / 1,4 Vpeak
PolarityPositive
Temperature range-40°C to 45°C (-40°F to 113°F)
Relative humidity (RH)Up to 90%