Recording - April 2020 - 46

REVIEW

DPA 2028

Studio-quality vocal clarity in the palm of your hand
BY ALEX HAWLEY

PA has a reputation for building some of the most accurate and
musical-sounding microphones on the planet, and for good reason. Best known for its miniature microphone technology, DPA
brings studio-quality sound to the stage in small, flexible packages that
use practical mounts and clips for precise placement. The d:facto 4018VL
(reviewed November 2013 as d:facto II) was the first DPA vocal microphone for live handheld performance, and it's still popular for its natural
frequency response, off-axis rejection, and wide dynamic range. The
new DPA 2028 aims to put a friendlier price point on the same quality
and sonic character as the flagship d:facto. With the 2028, legendary
DPA sound is more accessible than ever.

Overview

The DPA 2028 is a high-quality condenser microphone designed for the
stage. It comes in a sleek black finish
and feels comfortable in the hands. Using an SM58 as a baseline, the 2028
is slightly larger and more substantial
and feels equally as rugged. It comes
in three varieties: the wired XLR model
(on review here), the SL1 (built-in wireless adapter for selected Shure, Sony,
and Lectrosonics transmitters), and the
SL2 (built-in wireless adapter for selected Sennheiser transmitters). While the
d:facto is modular and comes with interchangeable capsules, the 2028 comes
46 RECORDING April 2020

with just one capsule, which serves to
bring the price down.
The capsule in the 2028 is a new design
by DPA. It combines cardioid and supercardioid directionality to minimize onstage
feedback. Supercardioid microphones are
great for live use but don't offer as much
rejection from the rear as cardioid microphones do, which can cause problems
when using wedge monitors on stage.
The hybrid design of the 2028 capsule
achieves the rear rejection of a cardioid microphone along with supercardioid directionality. This means it has a slightly tighter
sweet spot than a cardioid but features
excellent rejection from the sides and rear.

The polar pattern response chart depicts
an evenly balanced response throughout
the entire spectrum, slightly tightening up
from 16kHz; this ensures that the timbre of
the sound will not change when the source
is slightly off-axis; it will sound somewhat
lower in volume, but the sonic character
will remain balanced.
In addition to the new capsule design,
the 2028 also features new shock mount,
pop filter, and mic clip designs. The
shock mount aids in reducing handling
noise and cannot be unmounted from
the capsule. The pop filter features threelayer protection: the outer black metal
grille, a foam windscreen, and then the
inner metal pop filter. The included mic
clip fits snugly and securely, but isn't so
tight that it's a struggle to attach.
The 2028 capsule can withstand an
impressive 160dB SPL before clipping,
which I hope never to verify firsthand.
It has plenty of headroom for any genre
of live music performance. The frequency response is listed as 20Hz-20kHz, or
100Hz-16kHz +/- 2dB (measured at 4.7
inches). It has a permanent 3rd order low
cut filter at 80Hz and a gentle boost from
8kHz-9kHz. The rest of the spectrum looks
completely flat on the response chart.
The dynamic range of 117dB helps emphasize the quick transient response. The
crisp and punchy sound of the 2028 helps
with vocal clarity and speech intelligibility,
as well as cutting through the mix.

Recording - April 2020

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