Just starting this video now, but wanted to take advantage of the first-commenter position to say thank you for all the work you put into these videos. I've learned a lot from them. Your mix of consistent testing, your own personal preferences and non-judgemental discussion about the line between "good enough" and truly professional is great for people just starting or trying to level up. My own experience is that I went to film school, but eventually settled on post production - editing and motion graphics. As I get older after 25 years, I'm open to more freelance jobs that don't involve sitting at a desk for 12 hours a day, so learning more about live streaming, live sound, and basic production gear has been exciting. Additionally, learning more about sound has made me a better editor.
I purchased the DPA2017 two weeks ago and just used it on a three day job. As always your review is right on. I used it at a primary mic for sit down interviews. 6 to 8 inches above the subject. Ran into a SD833. The secondary mic was a Sanken CS1E. Also into the 833. I thought they matched really well. The room was 20x30 with glass on two sides and a 10ft ceiling. There was a small amount of air handling noise but the mic didn't seem to mind. Thanks for the review. Its always nice to confirm a good purchase choice. Especially in our business where the purchases usually start at a thousand dollars and go way up. ☮️
Thanks for covering this particular mic. I've used a couple of their lav mics over the years, no complaints. Would love trying one of their handhelds at some point.
Thanks for the review, and thanks B&H for sending Curtis a sample. So many mics were poised to try for the 416 crown, and this looks like the first contender that has some teeth.
Props to you and your team on making this incredible video and other videos like it. I have used DPA lav mics before and have dabbled with the 2012 during instrument recordings, but I have been really interested in the 2017 as a shotgun mic as a boom op/Location Sound Mixer. This really puts me at ease and I am impressed with the build quality, RF rejection, and off-axis response of this mic. Plus I love its sound.
I find it to be rather honest. It captures some of the not so nice characteristics of my voice, but is easy to EQ to make a very nice sound. (For clarity, I did NOT EQ any of the audio in this video)
Hi Curtis , thanks for your very timely video. and I just bought one. I was about to invest in a MKH416 and was reviewing some recent reviews/ comparisons before ordering. Your video (and also one from another reviewer) helped persuade me to spend a bit extra and purchase the 2017. (just under $1500AUD). It has just arrived about 10 mins ago so I am keen to take it for a walk in the woods.with a Mixpre3 II. Thanks for your on-going professional videos.
Terrific video, I'm personally loving the 4017b... the demonstrations were awesome, if I wasn't listening on nice studio monitors, maybe I would feel different. I watched again using my studio headphones and am still bias toward the 4017b. I was very surprised by how much presence boost the 416 has, and like you said, mostly in a pleasant way. While I've never heard your voice or your wife's voice in real life, it sounded like you were in the same room with me which is why I'm blown away by the 4017 and to a little lesser bit the 2017. The off axis sound didn't pick up any weird artifacts so that was also impressive (to me anyway, while outside - inside it was a bit of a different story to me). in your indoor examples, it sounded like the on axis area was very generous.
HA! GREAT!! I woke up from my sleep just now in the middle of night - couldn't sleep - thought "I need a shotgun mic - wonder how the new DPA 2017 is? Are there reviews of it yet"? Go to youtube to search for just that, but end up in the youtube rabbit hole of random stuf and forget to search for it...THEN, in my recommendations I see your video :) PERFECT UNIVERSE!! Thanks for the video ;) EDIT: now I've watched the review - I will get a 2017. THANKS A LOT!!
I prefer the 2017 to the others. The off-axis 'phasiness' of the 416 was clearly apparent in the traffic noise before you mentioned it -the DPAs were fine. Almost in the ballpark of the demos I've heard of the yikes expensive Schoeps C-mit mics.
Hey Curtis, loved the video as usual! Are you planning to make a video about the Zoom r4? Im kinda puzzled what market segment it would target which zoom hasnt already covered.
I really appreciate this video. I have been waiting for the right balance of good sound, solid build, compact, and the right price. When the 2017 was announced I got excited and have been waiting to hear your thoughts. I did end up receiving mine yesterday in the mail and everything you say is right in line with my first impressions. It's a wonderful sounding mic! Thank you for all your hard work on these reviews. Helps people like me make informed decisions and also to know what to look for when searching for a mic. Also I've learned a lot about what to listen for when doing our own tests. I've learned a lot from you channel and I hope this mic will serve me will for many years to come. Thanks again!
Visiting your channel is a must anytime I'm thinking about new gear! As someone that is looking for a shotgun to pair with my MKH 50, do you think these two would have similar enough tone to be a good pair or should I look elsewhere?
To me off-axis quality is how well the voice tone remains unchanged if the speaker goes slightly of axis, not so much the background ambience. That's a key point of spending much more on a good quality shotgun or hypercardioid.
I really prefer the MKH416, both the male and female sound comparisons. I bought my first 416 almost 8 years ago and i still think its the best sounding all around mic! I had the 4017b aswell as CMIT 5 but i kept going back to the 416!
This is awesome review, thanks so much for making it, the only thing I miss is the test of the phantom friendliness Some mics require full 48 to operate some are happy with 12 and some work with even less, especially important for small field recorders.
@@ericappla From the data sheet. The mic was on loan to me so I wasn't not going to try undervolting to see how it responds. The data sheet makes no mention of 24 or 12V.
Hi - I’m trying to figure out the best way to record the sound of my paint brush on my fine art oil paintings. This will often be outside. Right now I’m using an sennheiser mke 400 and it’s ok. Would the dpa 2017 be a big step up? Is there a different mic I should ponder. These are pretty quite sounds mind you but they are really lovely to listen to.
Hello community. 15+ year IATSE journeyman sound mixer here. I own two 4017B. They are definitely the workhorses in my professional sound arsenal. They do almost everything better than an MKH416 with the exception of maybe wide exterior shots with heavy ambient noise. I own two of those as well. So get out there and buy $6200 worth of mics folks! Then buy another $100K+ in gear and you’re well on your way to becoming a production sound mixer.😂 All jokes aside though. The MKH416 is tank and possibly the most versatile mic for film and television production ever made with the exception of some of its quirks regarding proximity effect in interiors with low ceilings. I would recommend it as anyone’s first shotgun mic for sure though.🎉
Thanks Curtis, great video, I'm looking for an indoor boom miking mic; what do you advice : the 2017 or p.e. the AT4053 (1/2 price....), thanks !! Marc
Sonically, do you still prefer the 2017 over the 4017B? I ask because I feel the price factor was taken into account as well. But I was wondering which one you prefer taking that factor out. A side question what are those gloves you are wearing at min 5:40 or at least if you know what material the palm area is made of? Lastly, excellent video. It is much appreciated not only for the content but how it is edited and worked. Best regards and have a nice day
Straight out of the recorder, I prefer the sound of the 4017b on my voice. But with a touch of EQ, the 2017 is right there as well. The gloves were just some synthetic material that is a bit like cotton.
@@curtisjudd thanks Curtis! I'll try it out at NAB. I've heard the issue with it is that you need to be 1 foot away with it to get the voicing right (think that is with the C pre-amp) so that was a bit of a concern for anything but closeup shots
At 5:22 what kinda cover do you have on the dpa and why this over fur Option ? If this is the CINELA Pianissimo when is the fur option used over the smooth cloth you are using on the mic ?
Can you review Zoom M3? Is it if not what's the best solution to have stereo or 3d surround sounds on camera mic that I can sound great behind the camera too?
All good - trust your ears! Note also that every voice/microphone combination will be a bit different, but I do find that the 4017 and MKH416 sound better with my voice to my ears without any processing. The 2017 picks up across the frequency spectrum and, in my experience, is easily EQ'd to produce a great sound.
I wonder how it compares to Sennheiser 8060. I love the sound of it, but it seems to be very sensitive to wind with a furry slip on. Maybe this would be better and also in a similair pricerange?
Can be, depending on your recorder. If you manage low-end rumble with a high pass on your mic, that may make it easier on your recorder’s preamp and converter, IF the recorder doesn’t implement its own high pass prior to the converter. (E.g., ZOOM recorders do NOT)
@@user-zv7lm8uk7h Mmm, I believe the bass is still captured by the capsule, but the microphone then takes that signal and filters out some of the bass. It doesn't stop the capsule from vibrating in response to the bass frequencies.
Hi Curtis thank you I expected this response, it may be in relation to a specific mic (I thought it was DPA and Ty Ford talking about this). I have the MKE600 so I am wondering if there is any point to getting one of the DPA short shotguns (obviously they will sound way better but as you know that's... you know its already 80% of the way there with the MKE (or maybe 60%). I am looking for the most natural sounding interior dialogue mic there is. That has led me to looking at DPA, the question is WHICH. Since the 4017/2017 seem to overlap MKE600, leads me to thin of the DPA2018.... but at that point I wonder if it won't be good enough or something??? @@curtisjudd
They're two different types of mics. The MKH50 is typically used more often indoors while shotgun mics like the 2017 are used primarily outdoors. So it isn't easy to compare the two since they're intended for different situations.
Just starting this video now, but wanted to take advantage of the first-commenter position to say thank you for all the work you put into these videos. I've learned a lot from them. Your mix of consistent testing, your own personal preferences and non-judgemental discussion about the line between "good enough" and truly professional is great for people just starting or trying to level up. My own experience is that I went to film school, but eventually settled on post production - editing and motion graphics. As I get older after 25 years, I'm open to more freelance jobs that don't involve sitting at a desk for 12 hours a day, so learning more about live streaming, live sound, and basic production gear has been exciting. Additionally, learning more about sound has made me a better editor.
Thanks so much, Jon. Great to meet reasonable, intelligent people like you on the internet. Gives me hope. 🙏
Well said, Jon. We are lucky to have someone of Curtis's integrity teaching audio on TH-cam. He's a throwback in all the very best ways.
I purchased the DPA2017 two weeks ago and just used it on a three day job. As always your review is right on. I used it at a primary mic for sit down interviews. 6 to 8 inches above the subject. Ran into a SD833. The secondary mic was a Sanken CS1E. Also into the 833. I thought they matched really well. The room was 20x30 with glass on two sides and a 10ft ceiling. There was a small amount of air handling noise but the mic didn't seem to mind. Thanks for the review. Its always nice to confirm a good purchase choice. Especially in our business where the purchases usually start at a thousand dollars and go way up. ☮️
Glad it is working well for you!
Been waiting for this one, I was hoping you'd compare it to the 4017. You did not disappoint. 😆 Thanks for yet another great review, very helpful !
👍
Thanks for covering this particular mic. I've used a couple of their lav mics over the years, no complaints. Would love trying one of their handhelds at some point.
👍
Thanks for the review, and thanks B&H for sending Curtis a sample.
So many mics were poised to try for the 416 crown, and this looks like the first contender that has some teeth.
👍
Props to you and your team on making this incredible video and other videos like it. I have used DPA lav mics before and have dabbled with the 2012 during instrument recordings, but I have been really interested in the 2017 as a shotgun mic as a boom op/Location Sound Mixer. This really puts me at ease and I am impressed with the build quality, RF rejection, and off-axis response of this mic. Plus I love its sound.
It’s a solid new option 👍
the only thing that I couldn't find online about this mic was the RF rejection of the 2017, thank you for testing it!
👍
I really like the sound of the DPA 2017!
I find it to be rather honest. It captures some of the not so nice characteristics of my voice, but is easy to EQ to make a very nice sound. (For clarity, I did NOT EQ any of the audio in this video)
Curtis, you are the best!
🙏
Hi Curtis , thanks for your very timely video. and I just bought one. I was about to invest in a MKH416 and was reviewing some recent reviews/ comparisons before ordering. Your video (and also one from another reviewer) helped persuade me to spend a bit extra and purchase the 2017. (just under $1500AUD). It has just arrived about 10 mins ago so I am keen to take it for a walk in the woods.with a Mixpre3 II. Thanks for your on-going professional videos.
Thanks, congrats, and happy recording!
Terrific video, I'm personally loving the 4017b... the demonstrations were awesome, if I wasn't listening on nice studio monitors, maybe I would feel different. I watched again using my studio headphones and am still bias toward the 4017b. I was very surprised by how much presence boost the 416 has, and like you said, mostly in a pleasant way. While I've never heard your voice or your wife's voice in real life, it sounded like you were in the same room with me which is why I'm blown away by the 4017 and to a little lesser bit the 2017. The off axis sound didn't pick up any weird artifacts so that was also impressive (to me anyway, while outside - inside it was a bit of a different story to me). in your indoor examples, it sounded like the on axis area was very generous.
👍 I agree, straight out of the recorder, the 4017b is quite nice, the 2017 as well, but needs just a touch of EQ.
i was trying to pony up some money for the DPA 4017b but two 2017's is a must now.
👍
HA! GREAT!! I woke up from my sleep just now in the middle of night - couldn't sleep - thought "I need a shotgun mic - wonder how the new DPA 2017 is? Are there reviews of it yet"?
Go to youtube to search for just that, but end up in the youtube rabbit hole of random stuf and forget to search for it...THEN, in my recommendations I see your video :) PERFECT UNIVERSE!! Thanks for the video ;)
EDIT: now I've watched the review - I will get a 2017.
THANKS A LOT!!
Hahaha! Happy recording!
I prefer the 2017 to the others. The off-axis 'phasiness' of the 416 was clearly apparent in the traffic noise before you mentioned it -the DPAs were fine. Almost in the ballpark of the demos I've heard of the yikes expensive Schoeps C-mit mics.
👍
Very nice, however...Not enough to sell my 416s and switch to the 2017! Great job Mr. Judd!
Good call. 👍
Hey Curtis, loved the video as usual! Are you planning to make a video about the Zoom r4? Im kinda puzzled what market segment it would target which zoom hasnt already covered.
Thanks! No plans to cover the R4. I’m also not sure who it’s for.
I really appreciate this video. I have been waiting for the right balance of good sound, solid build, compact, and the right price. When the 2017 was announced I got excited and have been waiting to hear your thoughts. I did end up receiving mine yesterday in the mail and everything you say is right in line with my first impressions. It's a wonderful sounding mic! Thank you for all your hard work on these reviews. Helps people like me make informed decisions and also to know what to look for when searching for a mic. Also I've learned a lot about what to listen for when doing our own tests. I've learned a lot from you channel and I hope this mic will serve me will for many years to come. Thanks again!
Thanks @MainMountainMedia. 🙏 Happy recording!
Great vid as always ❤. Do you plan to review new the 32-bit float Zoom M3 MicTrack shotgun? Thx
Thanks! No plans at the moment for the M3.
Visiting your channel is a must anytime I'm thinking about new gear! As someone that is looking for a shotgun to pair with my MKH 50, do you think these two would have similar enough tone to be a good pair or should I look elsewhere?
To me off-axis quality is how well the voice tone remains unchanged if the speaker goes slightly of axis, not so much the background ambience. That's a key point of spending much more on a good quality shotgun or hypercardioid.
I really prefer the MKH416, both the male and female sound comparisons. I bought my first 416 almost 8 years ago and i still think its the best sounding all around mic! I had the 4017b aswell as CMIT 5 but i kept going back to the 416!
👍
This is awesome review, thanks so much for making it, the only thing I miss is the test of the phantom friendliness
Some mics require full 48 to operate some are happy with 12 and some work with even less, especially important for small field recorders.
This requires 48V phantom power and draws 1.8mA.
@@curtisjudd is the p48 From datasheet or something you have tested ?
@@ericappla From the data sheet. The mic was on loan to me so I wasn't not going to try undervolting to see how it responds. The data sheet makes no mention of 24 or 12V.
@@curtisjuddok I’ll ask DPA guys to test it
Hi - I’m trying to figure out the best way to record the sound of my paint brush on my fine art oil paintings. This will often be outside.
Right now I’m using an sennheiser mke 400 and it’s ok. Would the dpa 2017 be a big step up? Is there a different mic I should ponder.
These are pretty quite sounds mind you but they are really lovely to listen to.
Hello community. 15+ year IATSE journeyman sound mixer here. I own two 4017B. They are definitely the workhorses in my professional sound arsenal. They do almost everything better than an MKH416 with the exception of maybe wide exterior shots with heavy ambient noise. I own two of those as well. So get out there and buy $6200 worth of mics folks! Then buy another $100K+ in gear and you’re well on your way to becoming a production sound mixer.😂 All jokes aside though. The MKH416 is tank and possibly the most versatile mic for film and television production ever made with the exception of some of its quirks regarding proximity effect in interiors with low ceilings. I would recommend it as anyone’s first shotgun mic for sure though.🎉
Hahaha! Thanks for sharing your experience!
stereothrilla, my toothbrush is a CMIT5U.
Thanks Curtis, great video, I'm looking for an indoor boom miking mic; what do you advice : the 2017 or p.e. the AT4053 (1/2 price....), thanks !! Marc
I found the 4053b to work well.
Both are very good. MKH 416, because it has more "S" tone present.
Except a little different when it comes to off axis response.
Sonically, do you still prefer the 2017 over the 4017B?
I ask because I feel the price factor was taken into account as well. But I was wondering which one you prefer taking that factor out.
A side question what are those gloves you are wearing at min 5:40 or at least if you know what material the palm area is made of?
Lastly, excellent video. It is much appreciated not only for the content but how it is edited and worked. Best regards and have a nice day
Straight out of the recorder, I prefer the sound of the 4017b on my voice. But with a touch of EQ, the 2017 is right there as well. The gloves were just some synthetic material that is a bit like cotton.
@@curtisjuddok, thanks very much
Hi Curtis, I bought this thanks to this review and I love it. Do you have an indoor dpa recommendation to pair with this and maybe 6060 lavs?
The DPA 4018 has been on my list to try for many years.
@@curtisjudd thanks Curtis! I'll try it out at NAB. I've heard the issue with it is that you need to be 1 foot away with it to get the voicing right (think that is with the C pre-amp) so that was a bit of a concern for anything but closeup shots
At 5:22 what kinda cover do you have on the dpa and why this over fur Option ? If this is the CINELA Pianissimo when is the fur option used over the smooth cloth you are using on the mic ?
This is the Rycote nano shield and I only use the fur in faster wind, greater than 25mph.
Can you review Zoom M3? Is it if not what's the best solution to have stereo or 3d surround sounds on camera mic that I can sound great behind the camera too?
Probably not going to review the M3. Sorry about that.
the new mic sounded really good, but I kept preferring the 4017b
All good - trust your ears! Note also that every voice/microphone combination will be a bit different, but I do find that the 4017 and MKH416 sound better with my voice to my ears without any processing. The 2017 picks up across the frequency spectrum and, in my experience, is easily EQ'd to produce a great sound.
👍
The DPA 2017 is supposed to handle greater SPL than the MKH 416. Would love to hear some tests.
It was on loan so I don’t have it any longer, unfortunately.
I wonder how it compares to Sennheiser 8060. I love the sound of it, but it seems to be very sensitive to wind with a furry slip on. Maybe this would be better and also in a similair pricerange?
I wonder that, too. Hopefully some day I’ll be able to try the 8060.
is using a filter that's onboard a mic better than applying the same filter in post? or is it just a time saver?
Can be, depending on your recorder. If you manage low-end rumble with a high pass on your mic, that may make it easier on your recorder’s preamp and converter, IF the recorder doesn’t implement its own high pass prior to the converter. (E.g., ZOOM recorders do NOT)
Sometimes the on mic filter will cut off the bass to the capsule, meaning the capsule won't even vibrate at the freq you don't want.
@@user-zv7lm8uk7h Mmm, I believe the bass is still captured by the capsule, but the microphone then takes that signal and filters out some of the bass. It doesn't stop the capsule from vibrating in response to the bass frequencies.
Hi Curtis thank you I expected this response, it may be in relation to a specific mic (I thought it was DPA and Ty Ford talking about this). I have the MKE600 so I am wondering if there is any point to getting one of the DPA short shotguns (obviously they will sound way better but as you know that's... you know its already 80% of the way there with the MKE (or maybe 60%). I am looking for the most natural sounding interior dialogue mic there is. That has led me to looking at DPA, the question is WHICH. Since the 4017/2017 seem to overlap MKE600, leads me to thin of the DPA2018.... but at that point I wonder if it won't be good enough or something??? @@curtisjudd
DPA4018 I meant. *
Really curious how this mic compares with the 416 in terms of moisture resistance
Not sure, I live in a desert. 🌵
That’s going to be drastically different than Michigan’s unpredictable weather, thank you for the reply!
Prefer the sound of the 4017, but preferred the sound of the off-axis 2017. Tough decision!
👍
Hello thanks for video, could you add turkish subtitles please. 🙏
I don’t know the Turkish language. I’m sorry. 🙁
4017 sounds like it has more body to me
👍 With no processing, I agree, at least on my voice. Though I will say the 2017 EQs nicely.
Is this as good as MKH 50?
They're two different types of mics. The MKH50 is typically used more often indoors while shotgun mics like the 2017 are used primarily outdoors. So it isn't easy to compare the two since they're intended for different situations.
oh an alternative on the same price? 😑 thought it would be cheaper
We cover a bunch of more budget friendly options on the channel as well.