DPA microphones collect the sounds of the jungle

Italian researcher David Monacchi produces an environmental audio artistic project in large forests, capturing the sound of nature with DPA Microphones' 4060 microphones.

David Monacchi, an eco-acoustic researcher and composer, has used the 4060 miniature omnidirectional microphones from DPA Microphones to capture the sound of the jungle as part of his ambient audio art project titled Fragments of Extinction.

Monacchi is a professor of electroacoustic music at the G. Rossini Conservatory in (Italy) and collaborates with several institutions in this project that takes place in some of the largest and most remote forested areas in the world. “I use various microphone techniques in the field, which mostly involve complex and heavy systems.

DPA miniature microphones are extremely light, which makes them very compatible with field work in which I have to walk long distances in extreme terrain,” Monacchi assured.

The researcher has two high-sensitivity 4060 microphones with DPA accessories. "The 4060 microphones are so small that they fit into any position, allowing them to be used for binaural recordings. When I use them like this, they give optimal results since their dimensions are perfectly adequate to be placed at the entrance to the ear canal," he says.

Originally intended for use in wireless systems in theater, television and instrument applications, DPA's 4060 microphones have a high precision omnidirectional pattern and do not need to be directed directly at the sound source to achieve high quality sound.

Monacchi states that "considering their size, the signal-to-noise ratio of these capsules is extremely high, being compatible with low-intensity biophones and distant sound sources. In addition to that, the microphone extends the high-frequency response around 40kHz, making them ideal for non-audible recording of biophony, as is the case of some species of insects and bats."

This researcher recently traveled to Asia, on the Island of Borneo, and previously visited the most remote forests of the Amazon and Africa.

"The project has collaborators from Greenpeace, various academic institutions and organizations around the world. The objective is to collect sound data and complex sound portraits of one of the oldest ecosystems on Earth, many of which are in danger of extinction," he highlighted.