The recording world is well acquainted with Danish-made DPA microphones, especially in classical music circles. In recent years, DPA microphones have been showing up in live settings where the mic budget is generous. Now DPA is seeking to reach a wider audience with their mid-priced 2028 condenser vocal microphone. Priced at $700 (street), the DPA 2028 is courting performers and churches willing to invest in a vocal sound that goes beyond that of a typical handheld dynamic mic.
The goods
The 2028 has a pre-polarized condenser element roughly 5/8-inch in diameter. This sits underneath a fine wire mesh screen that can be unscrewed and replaced if needed. Over this is a foam pop filter and traditional wire basket. The fit and finish of the 2028 is of the highest quality. The mic feels slender in the hand, not too heavy, smooth but still easy to grip.The 2028 has a tight super cardioid pickup pattern with fixed (80 Hz) high-pass filter. Maximum SPL is 160 dB peak, which translates to "nearly impossible to overload".
This is not just a vocal mic. Move it around the stage and use it on almost anything—it very well may sound better than the mic you were using.
With a fixed filter and such a high SPL rating, the 2028 has no switches to set (or forget to set). All you have to remember is that the 2028 requires a full 48 volts of phantom power to achieve its stated specs.The mic's frequency response is quite flat, with only two small bumps around 10 kHz and 15 kHz; response at the extremes is starting to roll off a few dB at 100 Hz and 20 kHz. This flat response is in contrast to the many vocal mics with a built-in presence (upper-mid) boost. You won't get hype with the 2028, only honesty. This honesty extends around the pattern as well. Response as 90 degrees off-axis is effectively identical to the on-axis sound. Further behind the mic the response gets lumpy, but only a little. The lackof off-axis coloration with the 2028 is impressive.
Road test
The working conditions of a handheld mic involve bumps and other challenges, and the 2028 handles these with grace. Handling noise on the 2028 is among the quietest of any mic I've ever tested. Rolling it in your hand, even tapping it hard with your fingertips results in almost no sound whatsoever. Blasts of air (plosives) are another offense that the 2028 essentially ignores. I couldn't get a thump out of the mic even with strong "P" plosives blasted right into it. Again, the 2028 is as unflappable with plosives as any mic I've ever tested.We choose and use mics based on sound, and the 2028 doesn't disappoint. The 2028 has a clear, open, natural sound.
… the 2028 is as unflappable with plosives as any mic I've ever tested.
At four inches (outside the proximity effect range), its response is essentially flat—like a studio condenser mic. Vocals at this distance are articulate but not harsh, requiring little or no EQ to cut through a mix. Thin voices don't get any help at this distance.With lips touching the grille, proximity effect fills out the bottom end in a controlled fashion and the 2028 sounds more like a typical handheld vocal mic. Though an 80 Hz high-pass filter should sit below the human voice range, I do hear its effects on lower male voices. The 2028 won't give you the booming low-end boost of some directional mics, so don't expect to use it for that effect. Instead, the 2028 gives you a strikingly accurate (but still flattering) sound.
Versatility
Knowing that the DPA 2028 is, at its heart, a very accurate condenser mic, the logical next step is to try it on instruments. Lo and behold—this is not just a vocal mic. Other than bass instruments, the 2028 sounded great on everything I put it in front of. Just one example: it bested an expensive small-diaphragm studio condenser on acoustic guitar and percussion. Beyond that, you could expect great results from the 2028 on choir, strings, snare, drum overhead, brass, winds, even electric guitar amps. Move it around the stage and use it on almost anything—it very well may sound better than the mic you were using.The new 2028 has the same street price as the popular Neumann KMS 105 and Shure KSM9, and I don't think that's a coincidence.
Handling noise on the 2028 is among the quietest of any mic I've ever tested.
It's as if DPA is saying "hold on!" to anyone who thought these mics were the only game in town in that price range. Finally, it's worth noting the 2028 is also available as a head unit for use with certain Lectrosonics, Sennheiser, Shure and Sony wireless transmitters.The DPA 2028 has pedigree and sound quality of a studio condenser mic in a stage vocal mic package. It checks all the boxes: fantastic sound, versatility, excellent feedback rejection, uncolored off-axis response, high max SPL, quiet handling noise/plosives, high-quality feel. I usually have at least one concern with every product I test, but not this time. I'm not even going to gripe about the DPA 2028's $700 street price, because the quality and versatility of this mic justify the cost of admission. This is truly an exceptional microphone.
