The first thing Ricketts mentions about the 4099 is its sound - a logical observation given that the microphone design is based partially on acoustic test measurements of his sax playing, conducted by DPA design engineer Ole Moesmann.
"The sound is so natural," he says. "I've played about 25 concerts in the past few months across the Scandinavia, the US, Japan and East Africa, and the sound techs always comment on how the sound from my horn through the 4099 requires little or no EQ, and signal output is never an issue for them.
"The same is true onstage - I get a sound from the stage monitors - regardless of quality and brand - that is identical to the sax sound I hear in my head. In situations where I perform with amplified instruments, I'm able to get the volume I need without worrying about feedback. I play wireless and move around a lot, even out amongst the crowd, and when moving past the front of house speakers, which is a huge risk, there's never been any problem with feedback."
(Jim Evans)
