Acoustic Pressure Equalizer Ball

The Acoustic Pressure Equalizer Ball for d:dicate™ 4006A Omnidirectional Microphone is a sphere shaped Acoustic Pressure Equalizer. It comes in three sizes and can be used for the microphone or the stereo kit.

• The 30 mm sphere gives a mild modification of your microphone's on-axis and off-axis frequency responses and a slight change in the direction-to-reverberation ratio to give your recordings greater presence, nearness and clarity on-axis (especially around 4 kHz). An on-axis boost, between 2 kHz and 8 kHz, and high-frequency roll-off off-axis, will sometimes help you capture the subtle audible details of both musical instruments and voices.
   
• The 40 mm sphere offers a more noticeable on-axis boost between 2 kHz and 8 kHz and stronger off-axis attenuation than the 30 mm version for a marked increase in the directivity of your recordings (at 4 kHz, the front-to-back sensitivity ratio is 8 dB). It also decreases the effects of reverberation and off-axis sources. You can modify the spectral characteristic of a source by simply altering the angle of incidence to give a frequency boost, a flat response, or attenuation.
   
• The 50 mm sphere offers a stronger on-axis boost and off-axis attenuation than the smaller APEs. Its larger dimensions accentuate the on-axis boost at lower frequencies and allow off-axis sources to be strongly attenuated above 1 kHz. This will give your recordings a more intense sensation of source clarity and presence and a marked increase in brightness. It will also extend the effective reach of your microphones. You will also find that the APE50RS is particular useful for making recordings under reverberant conditions.

The Acoustic Pressure Equalizers – APEs – are passive acoustic processors functioning as both spatial and spectral modifiers. They use surface diffractions to modify the sound field near the microphone diaphragm. This technique is only possible on omnidirectional pressure microphones.

Two primary changes occur when using APEs.  The first is an upper-midrange/high frequency boost (without changing the low end). This is due to the pressure build-up at certain frequencies depending on the element’s size. And the second is more directionality at higher frequencies (focus).

A presence (upper-midrange) lift is often desirable in rhythmical genres, to make a voice or an instrument cut through a mix or simply to make it more intelligible or well defined. For symphonic music, the frequency response of certain legendary vintage types of microphones can be obtained using an APE. However, you will achieve a much higher degree of naturalness and detail when using a precision-handcrafted d:dicate™ 4006A Omnidirectional Microphone.