Before every New York Mets home baseball game at Citi Field, SNY, the Mets’ official television network, takes to the air with its pregame broadcast. In a search to find a microphone that would provide superior sound quality, SNY’s Senior Studio Director, Luis Pantoja, found the solution he was looking for with the d:fine 4288 Directional In-Ear Broadcast Headset Microphone from DPA Microphones.
In addition to baseline remotes at Citi Field for the Mets’ pregame broadcasts, SNY also uses the 4288 in-ear headset mics at the Mets’ spring training down in Florida, as well as at Major League Baseball Winter Meetings and New York Jets football training camp broadcasts.
Pantoja first heard about DPA’s in-ear headset mics at NAB 2016. “We’ve had our d:fine 4288s for close to three years now,” he said. “We like the form – factor of these mics and the inclusion of built-in earbuds. The mics experience the normal amount of wear – and tear, and we’ve found that they are durable and hold up very nicely, even in the wind and light rain. Also, these mics are much better looking than traditional broadcast headsets, and easier to set up than other manufacturers’ microphones. Sound quality has proven to be superior to the previous brands we’ve used, and the mics also mix in the right amount of ambient sound.”
DPA’s innovative in-ear headset microphones are the first broadcast solution to provide superior mic performance with convenient in-ear communication for broadcasters who insist on superior voice reproduction combined with comfort and ease of use. DPA’s in-ear broadcast microphone series, which includes the d:fine 4188 and 4288 directional and 4266 omnidirectional microphones, feature a lightweight and flexible headset mic system and in-ear driver.
The unique design of the mic and in-ear ensures there is no audio leakage from the ear to the capsule and the in-ear audio is easily driven due to the high sensitivity. “In my experience, I’ve found that any time you put form and design before sound quality, there are compromises,” added Pantoja. “But, with that said, we didn’t have to compromise when it comes to the d:fine 4288 In-Ear. My audio engineers rave about the quality of audio on them.”
Like all DPA solutions, these microphones offer accurate, natural voice intelligibility and very-high SPL capabilities. Both solutions are available in either single -or dual-ear versions, with black or beige colour options and wired or wireless configurations. Two sizes of ear pads are included for the in-ear, to fit most ears, and the cable steer – located at the headset mount controls the cable run down the neck.