See the video review of the DPA 4099 Microphone

Many acoustic guitarists feel that microphones are the best way to capture the natural sound of their guitars, but mics can have serious limitations in performance situations. Besides a mic’s feedback potential and the likelihood that it will also capture the sound of other instruments onstage, many performers simply prefer not to be tied to a stationary microphone. DPA (Danish Pro Audio), a highly-regarded Danish manufacturer of high-end studio microphones, recently released a new clip-on guitar mic, the DPA 4099, that promises to make using a microphone in live performance much more practical and pleasurable.

Easy Installation: Clamped to the Body

Most mics included in dual-source pickup systems are mounted inside the guitar, but the DPA 4099 attaches to the outside of the guitar. The lightweight but sturdy system combines a small, highly directional supercardioid microphone, attached via a shock mount to a slender six-inch gooseneck, with a very lightweight plastic clamp that clips to the body of the guitar. The mic is permanently attached to a thin six-foot cable that terminates at a microdot connector, which is commonly used in the body packs of wireless systems. This means that it could be used with a wireless system, but most guitarists will probably use the included DAD4099 XLR adapter. The 4099 is a condenser mic, and the system is not battery powered, so it requires external phantom power from a mixer or other source—five volts if you’re using the microdot connector/adapter system or any voltage between five and 50 volts if used with the XLR adapter.

Installing the microphone is easy: simply hold the mount alongside the guitar and slide the small plastic grip up until it tightly clamps the back and top (DPA says the clamp is safe for guitar finishes). Once in place, the microphone feels quite secure. I got good results placing the clamp on the upper bout, with the mic aimed at the spot where the neck joins the body. I found this location quite convenient for my fingerstyle technique, but you’ll probably need to experiment to find an out-of-the-way location if you strum with large arm movements or use body percussion techniques.

Studio-Quality Mic Sound Onstage

The 4099 is easy to use right off the bat—it is very transparent and delivers spectacular sound. Because the mic is very directional, you can get dramatically different sounds simply by moving it a small amount. DPA has minimized the proximity effect—an inherent phenomenon that increases bass response when a mic is close to a sound source—by rolling off the 4099’s low-end response. But the effect is still partially present, so you can fine-tune the bass response by adjusting the distance between the mic and the top of the guitar.

In my studio, the 4099’s sound quality is comparable to that of more-expensive studio microphones, and indeed, the 4099 is an attractive choice for recording. But the 4099 also allows you to bring that studio sound to live performances. At a local open mic, with a large PA system normally used by house rock bands, I tried the 4099 as the sole sound source with a number of different guitars, from flattops to a National resonator, and with performers whose styles ranged from fingerpicking to strumming, with uniformly stunning sonic results. Listening to each performer, I had the sense that I was listening to a “live in the studio” performance, with completely natural guitar sounds.

For High Volumes, Combine Mic and Pickup

Of course, the 4099 can’t eliminate all the potential problems with using microphones onstage—guitarists who perform at high stage volumes are unlikely to be able to use any microphone-based solution—but in more moderate volume situations the 4099’s directional characteristics can help reduce feedback and bleed from other instruments. DPA recommends using the microphone in conjunction with another pickup system, so you can blend in just as much of the microphone as your stage volume allows. Another way to reduce potential feedback would be to use the 4099’s signal in the main speakers and a traditional pickup in the monitors.

The 4099 is not perfect for all situations, however. It was extremely effective with reasonably full-range PA systems, but I had difficulty getting acceptable volume before feedback with a small acoustic amp in close quarters. This behavior is not unique to the 4099; condenser mics and acoustic amplifiers are rarely a good match. Performers who have used stationary mics will enjoy the freedom to move around the stage, although the extremely thin cord combined with the lightly attached mic clip requires some care, especially if you combine the mic with a standard pickup—resulting in two cords to deal with. DPA makes optional stick-on clips that can be used to tuck the mic cord out of the way by running it along the guitar body, and it is developing a cable that promises to make it easier to run the mic and a standard guitar cord into one cord, connected at the end pin. Also, in spite of the shock mount, the mic can pick up some handling noise from the guitar body.

An Amplified Solution That Sounds Like Your Guitar

For performers who play in lower-volume environments, the DPA 4099 offers the potential for an amplified acoustic sound normally only heard in a studio or unamplified situation, like your living room, especially when paired with a high-quality sound system. If you’ve been searching for a way to reproduce the true sound of your guitar in a live setting, the DPA 4099 could be your answer.