Earthworks DP30C User manual

Notice the Low Prole:
The snare and all of the toms are
miked with Earthworks DP30/Cs.
DP30/C
Frequency response
Polar Pattern
Cardioid
Sensitivity
1
0mV/Pa (-40dBV/Pa)
Power requirements 48V Phantom,
1
0mA
Peak acoustic input
1
45dB SPL
Output XLR (PIN 2+)
Minimum output load
600Ω, balanced
between pins 2&3
Noise
22dB SPL (A weighted)
Dimensions L x D
Weight
30Hz to 30kHz +2dB@1’
1
0.75 x .860 inches
(275mm x 22mm)
.22lb (
1
00g)
DP30/C
Made in U.S.A.
Earthworks, Inc.
37 Wilton Rd.
Milford, NH 03055
603-654-6427, ext. 14
www.earthworksaudio.com
Printed in U.S.A.

Congratulations on your purchase of the DP30/C Earthworks Drum Periscope
Microphone(s). After reading this manual, if you have any unanswered ques-
tions, please email or phone us using the contact information on the back
cover of this manual.
First, identify all the items that came with your DP30/C to verify that you
have received each of the items listed below.
Included with DP30/C Tom and Snare Microphone
1 – DP30/C Drum Periscope™ Microphone
1 – PW1 Foam Windscreen
1 – Users Manual
1 – Case with foam insert
IMPORTANT NOTICE - Please Read This:
Use of the LevelPad™ - The DP30/C microphones have a high output level,
which may overload the preamps of some mixers or consoles. Many outboard
microphone preampliers and preampliers in mixing consoles will handle as
much as +24dBv at the microphone input, without distortion. We suggest that
you check the “maximum preamp input level” specications of your mixer or
preamplier to see if it will accommodate signal levels this high. Some mixers
and preamps will not handle level this high at the microphone input. To avoid
overload, please use an Earthworks LP1530 LevelPad™ in the microphone
cable feeding each Drum Periscope Microphone.
Some mixer or outboard preampliers may have a pad that can be switched
in or out. However, some of these pads are not attenuators that precede the
preamplier input, instead they only reduce the gain of the preamplier. These
(so called) pads will provide no input overload protection from high level micro-
phone signals (see Fig. 1-A). In contrast, other outboard or mixer preampliers
have actual pads that precede the preamplier. These types of pads will provide
the input overload protection that is needed (see Fig. 1-B). Such pads will typi-
cally provide –10dB or –20dB attenuation. However, due to the very high output
level of the Drum Periscope™ microphones, -10 dB or even –20dB may not be
enough attenuation when close miking snares or toms with DP30/C Drum Peri-
scope™ Microphones.
(continued on next page)
Version 4, Dec 3, 2011 2
NOTES
13

In any case where the pad does not actually precede the preamplifier, or
the pad does not provide enough attenuation, the Earthworks LP1530 Lev-
elPad™ can be used and will provide either –15dB or –30dB of attenuation.
The LevelPad™ comes housed in a stainless steel tube with gold-plated XLR
connectors on each end. As the LevelPad™ is inserted in the mic line, it will
always precede the preamplifier input. It makes no difference if the Level-
Pad™ is either inserted at the microphone, or somewhere in the middle of the
mic line, or by plugging the LevelPad directly into the preamplifier input. The
most popular practice is to plug the LevelPad™ into the preamplifier input,
which makes it more accessible to switch the attenuation settings (-15dB or
–30dB) if required. Figures 2-A, 2-B and 2-C show how the LevelPad can be
inserted into the microphone line in one of three ways as indicated below:
3
Figure 1-A and 1-B Preamp Input Pads
A. B.
This so-called pad, is not really a pad,
it only changes the gain of the preamp,
and will not prevent overload of the
preamp input.
This is an actual microphone preamp
pad, which is an attenuator that will
reduce level prior to the preamp input.
Figure 2-A LevelPad™ inserted at the microphone base
Figure 2-B LevelPad™ inserted in the microphone cable
The DP30/C High Denition Drum Periscope Microphones™ have been used suc-
cessfully by drummers with major recording artists in both recording sessions and
for live performance. The DP30/C Drum Periscope Microphones™ will provide
you with years of exceptional and reliable results and will withstand the rigors of
the road. We welcome you to the ever-growing number of drummers and sound
engineers using Earthworks High Denition Microphones™.
We know that when you use the Earthworks High Denition Drum Periscope Mi-
crophones for your recording and live performances you will be thrilled with the
results. We are pleased to welcome you to the ever-growing family of profession-
als using Earthworks High Denition Microphones™.
We hope the suggestions in this manual have been benecial to you. Don’t be
afraid to experiment with mic placement. You can be as creative with your mic
placement as you are with your music. You are the judge of what works best and
sounds best.
If you have any questions, or require any additional information, please do
not hesitate to contact Earthworks using the contact information on the
back cover of this manual.
FIFTEEN-YEAR WARRANTY
All Earthworks
®
products carry a 15-year limited warranty (parts and
labor). If you have any problems with your Earthworks products, please
contact our warranty/repair department by email at:
[email protected] or by telephone at [phone], ext 19.
12

4
Earthworks Drum Microphones
The Earthworks DrumKit™ High Denition Three-Microphone Systems have
had great success because they pick up drum sounds with far more detail and
accuracy than conventional microphones. This improved sound quality is due to
proprietary advanced technologies utilized in Earthworks High Denition Micro-
phones™.
Many drummers such as Jeff Campitelli with Joe Satriani, Keith Carlock with
Steely Dan, and FOH engineers such as Randy Lane with Dream Theater, were
using Earthworks High Denition Microphones™ for overheads, and kickdrum
with exceptional results. They then wanted the same exceptional sound qual-
ity from their snare and tom mics. With the introduction of the DP30/C micro-
phones, they were able to get the same pristine, detailed sound on their toms
and snares as they were from their Earthworks High Denition drum overhead
and kick-drum mics.
We worked with major artists for nearly two years developing and eld test-
ing our new DP30/C High Denition tom and snare mic. During the develop-
ment phase, we miked a set of drums with nine Earthworks High Denition
Microphones (including our new DP30/C tom and snare mics) and for compari-
son, we also miked the same drum set with nine industry’s favorite drum mics.
When veteran engineers heard the difference between these two recordings,
they made the comment that the improvement was so dramatic, it didn’t even
sound like the same set of drums. They all agreed, “the increase in detail and
sound quality was astounding.”
Close Miking Toms with the DP30/C
The DP30/C TomMic™ has been optimized for miking toms with a low frequen-
cy response of 30Hz. This extended low frequency response will provide a rich
and full tom sound. You can mike either the top head of a tom with the DP30/C
TomMic™ as indicated in Figure 8 or you can also mike the bottom, or top and
bottom of a tom in a similar fashion as shown on a snare in Figure 7-B. You will
notice in Figure 8-A the microphone head is placed closer to the drum rim, while
in Figure 8-B the microphone head is moved closer to the center of the drum-
head by changing the position of the mini-ex gooseneck.
11
A. B.
Figure 7-A and 7-B Miking the Top or Top & Bottom of a Snare
A. B.
Figure 8-A and 8-B Miking the Top Head of a Tom
Figure 2-C LevelPad™ inserted into mixer mic input
CAUTION: Plugging the LevelPad into the mic input
of a mixer can cause damage to the mixer input con-
nector if the LevelPad receives a hard push to the
side. However, if your are careful, placing the Level-
Pad at the mixer mic input will provide greater ease
of use in changing the LevelPad attenuation switch.

The DP30/C was designed specifically for snare and toms featuring a flexible
mini-gooseneck for easy positioning and a high acoustic input level that can
handle up to 145 dB SPL. The Earthworks patented polar technology pro-
vides excellent rear rejection and a uniformity of frequency response out to
90 degrees off-axis. This vastly reduces phase cancellation or other phasing
issues, and minimizes cymbal leakage as well as acoustic feedback problems
in “live sound” applications.
Earthworks High Definition Microphones™
the New Science in Microphones
David Blackmer, the brilliant engineer who invented the unique technologies
of dbx, is also the inventor and founder of Earthworks. In the last few years of
his life, David developed a number of revolutionary technologies that dramati-
cally improve the quality and performance of microphones. In short, Earth-
works High Definition Microphones™ will pick up sounds and detail that other
microphones cannot. These dramatic improvements are in the areas of im-
pulse response, diaphragm settling time and polar technologies. Those who
have heard Earthworks High Definition Microphones™, say that they hear
more of attack, more subtle details and a more pristine sound quality than
with any other microphones, regardless of price.
Miking Drums
There are many ways to mic drums and it seems that most every recording or
live sound engineer has their own way of doing so. Our objective is not to indi-
cate which drum miking approach is better, but to make suggestions and look at
advantages and disadvantages of each. Every engineer or producer uses their
own methods to obtain the results they desire, and that’s what matters.
Multi-microphone Method
The objective in multi-microphone drum miking is to place a separate mi-
crophone on either most or all the elements of a drum set. Typically, sepa-
rate mics are used on snare, toms, high-hat and kick drum with one or two
overhead microphones. The overhead mics pick up the overall sound of the
drums including cymbals, which are typically not miked separately. With this
method, the mixing engineer can control the level, and signal processing (lim-
iting, EQ, etc.) for each element of the drum set (toms, snare, hi-hat, etc.).
This provides a great deal of control over the sound of the entire drum set
and allows bringing out certain patterns on sock cymbal, snare, etc. Multi-
miked drums may be desirable when you are recording in a large room with
high ambient sound as it will reduce the amount of unwanted room sound,
5
Plug in the LevelPad, if Necessary
In close miking drums, one should keep in mind that the peak sound level at
the microphone head is extremely loud. Microphones used for close miking
drums should have a sound pressure handling capability of at least 140dB
SPL in able to prevent audible distortion. The Drum Periscope™ microphones
will handle up to 145dB SPL. However, as mentioned earlier, with this kind of
high sound pressure level, it is possible for the DP30/C microphone output
level to be as much as +24dBV which may overload some microphone pre-
amplifiers. The use of the Earthworks LP1530 LevelPad™ in the microphone
line will prevent any such distortion or overload. So, to be safe, we suggest
that you first plug a LevelPad into the mic line feeding the Drum Periscope
microphone. For full information refer to pages 3 and 4 of this manual.
Close Miking Snare Drums with the DP30/C
As previously mentioned, when close miking drums with a DP30/C Drum Peri-
scope™ microphone, never position the microphone head parallel to the drum-
head. Always position the microphone head at an angle to the drumhead. It is
also suggested that the microphone head be positioned between 1.5 inches and
3 inches above the drumhead. All of the previous information in this manual
applies to both toms and snares when using a DP30/C Drum Periscope Micro-
phone.
The DP30/C Drum Periscope Microphone has been optimized for miking snare
and toms. The DP30/C has a frequency response of 30Hz to 30kHz. The 30Hz
low frequency response will provide a full and fat sound from your toms. How-
ever, when miking snares with the DP30/C its low frequency response my make
the snare sound “tubby”. If you feel that there is still too much low frequency
response when miking a snare, use either a high-pass lter set somewhere be-
tween 60Hz and 100Hz to reduce the DP30/Cs low frequency response, or a low
frequency equalizer (EQ) to accomplish the same thing by attenuating/cutting a
few dB in the area of 60Hz to 100Hz for the desired results.
The DP30/C Drum Periscope Microphone™ can be used on either the top drum-
head, bottom drumhead or both. Figure 7-A shows the DP30/C on a snare drum
with the microphone placed over the top drumhead, while Figure 7-B shows a
snare drum with both the top and bottom heads miked.
10

and it will also provide more gain before feedback as well as a greater control
of the drum mix.
No Phase Cancellation Issues
with Earthworks™Microphones
One of the typical disadvantages in the multi-microphone approach, when
using conventional microphones, is interactive microphone phasing problems
that result in the cancellation of certain frequencies. These phasing prob-
lems are a result of the poor polar response of conventional microphones.
Conventional microphones have a drastically different frequency response
between the front and sides of the microphone. It is common for conventional
microphones to have a loss of 10 to 20 dB at high frequencies on the sides of
the microphone. This is why you cannot place three singers on a conventional
microphone, the one in front of the mic sounds great, but the two on the sides
have a dramatic loss of quality. These drastic changes in high frequency
response on the sides of the microphone cause phase differences, which are
the root cause of phase cancellations when using conventional microphones.
In contrast, Earthworks has a patented polar technology that provides our
microphones with virtually the same frequency response on the sides of the
microphone as at the front (no more than a 3dB loss at any frequency out
to 90º off-axis). This extremely uniform frequency response at the front and
sides of the microphone will virtually eliminate any phasing issues when using
Earthworks microphones. In addition, Earthworks cardioid microphones have
a very high rejection of sounds at the rear (back) of the microphone. This
characteristic will greatly reduce the leakage of cymbals or other sounds
at the rear of Earthworks microphones.
Close Miking Toms and Snares with the
DP30/C Drum Periscope Microphones
Inserting the DP30/C Microphone into the RM1 RimMount
The RM1 Rim Mount is designed specifically to house the DP30/C and pro-
vide a mechanism to mount the microphone on the side of a snare or tom.
The RM1 will allow you to mount a DP30/C on either the top or bottom of a
snare or tom.
It is suggested that you insert the DP30/C microphone into the RM1 Rim-
Mount™ prior to attaching the RimMount to the drum.
To insert the DP30/C microphone into the RM1 RimMount™ just place the
mic head and the mini-gooseneck into the rubber holder from the bottom of
6
Positioning the MicroPhone head
Once the Drum PeriscOPe micrOPhOne height has been set, yOu can POsitiOn the mi-
crOPhOne heaD. the micrOPhOne heaD shOulD never PlaceD “Parallel” tO the Drum-
heaD, but shOulD always be at “an angle” tO the DrumheaD. this will Prevent any
POssibility Of the DiaPhragm being fOrceD tO the micrOPhOne backPlate which cOulD
cause an unwanteD POP Or thumP in the sOunD Or recOrDing system. the flexible
mini-gOOseneck will allOw yOu tO mOve the micrOPhOne heaD either uP Or DOwn
abOve the DrumheaD as well as in anD Out frOm the Drum rim. yOu can alsO change
the angle Of the micrOPhOne heaD as shOwn in figure 6-a anD figure 6-b shOws
hOw the micrOPhOne heaD can be mOveD mOre tOwarD the center Of the Drum by
changing the POsitiOning Of the mini-gOOseneck.
9
a. B.
a. B.
Figure 5-A And 5-B Adjusting dP MicroPhone height
Figure 6-A And
6-B Positioning the
MicroPhone heAd
a.

the RimMount. Then push the body of the microphone from the bottom (XLR
connector end) to move the microphone up inside the rubber holder. The fit
will be firm, so you will need to apply a little pressure to move the microphone
body up into the rubber holder. The suggested procedure is indicated in Fig-
ure 3.
Mounting the RM1 RimMount to the Drum
The RM1 RimMount is designed for metal drum rims, and will not work on
wooden drum rims. While reading this section, please refer to Figure 4-A,
which shows the various elements of the RimMount™. Mounting the Rim-
Mount to the drum rim is quite easy. First, unscrew the thumbscrew so there
is more than enough space for the Delrin® cushioned rim-guide to clear the
bottom of the drum rim. Then determine where on the drum rim you want to
position the microphone and then place the top “hook portion” of the Rim-
Mount bracket over the drum rim. Referring to Figure 4-B, notice that on
7
Soft Polyolen® Coated
Metal Bracket
Rubber
Holder
Delrin®
Cushioned Rim-guide
Hook Portion
of Bracket
Thumbscrew
Figure 4-A. Elements of the RM1 RimMount™
Figure 3. Inserting the Drum Periscope™ Mic into the RimMount™
8
the Delrin® cushioned rim-guide there are two sets of grooves. One set of
grooves is in the “center” of the rim-guide, while the other set of grooves
are “off center” (or closer to the edge of the rim-guide). These two sets of
grooves provide you with “three” mounting options: (1) using the “off center”
rim-guide grooves will place it closest to the drum shell, (2) or rotating the “off
center” grooves 180 degrees will place the rim-guide furtherest away from the
drum shell, and (3) the “center” grooves will allow placement in-between the
positions described in 1 and 2.
The various types of metal drum rims may have the bottom flange of the
rim either closer to the shell or further from the shell. Depending upon the
type of metal drum rim, one of the previously described three positions will
allow the RimMount bracket to be mounted parallel to the drum shell. The
soft protective Polyolefin® coating on the RimMount bracket will prevent the
possibility of scratching the drum shell finish. So position the rim-guide so
the bottom edge “flange” of the drum rim fits comfortably into one of the rim-
guide grooves. This will insure that the cushioned rim-guide remains securely
in place as you tighten the thumbscrew to firmly secure the RimMount to the
drum rim.
Adjusting the Microphone Height
Once the RimMount is mounted securely on the drum rim with the Drum Peri-
scope microphone housed in the rubber holder, the microphone body can be
moved either up or down in the rubber holder to provide the desired height.
Then the mini-gooseneck will provide a good amount of latitude in positioning
the microphone head from any pre-set microphone body height. Adjusting
the height of the Drum Periscope microphone body is shown in Figure 5-A
and 5-B.
Figure 4-B Positioning the Cushioned Rim-guide
Offset Groove
Positioned
on Left
Offset Groove
Positioned
on Right
12
Centered
Grooves
3