Path of Miracles - OUTRIGGER

Outrigger Left and Right (DPA 4006)
Named for the lateral support floats that project from certain types of boats, outrigger microphones bolster the far left and right sides of an image, allowing it to extend further without capsizing. The positions of the soprano and bass voices from this recording extended well into the pews on either side of the church, making them difficult to capture with the Decca Tree. While spot microphones can capture each singer's individual voice, they are not ideal for capturing the blended sound of the entire section. Outriggers are often the same type of microphone as the main system, and function in a similar way.  The DPA 4006 microphone is a small-diaphragm condensor with an exceptionally flat frequency response. Originally developed by B&K as a measurement microphone, the 4006's omnidirectional pickup pattern stems from its fixed pressure capsule. Omnidirectional microphones are more sensitive to low frequencies than directional microphones, making them the most complete single-point capsule. Not only is the DPA 4006 favoured by classical engineers on Earth, NASA's Perseverance rover was equipped with a 4006 on its 2020 mission, making it the favourite microphone on Mars. Download the uncompressed audio excerpt here, or stream the mp3 below.