I tried one but I think I lasted about an hour or so before wrapping it back up and sending it back to Sweetwater.
My issues were as follows:
Yes, the clip is a disaster waiting to happen. I was unwilling to really crank it down on my two custom shop Martins or my Bourgeois OM-150. At least twice I *thought* it was fine but in the middle of a song it came loose and dropped to the floor. Not good.
Price. If want the true and transparent sound you get from a microphone, there are MANY fine ones available in that price range (or less!) - both small diaphragm condensers and better quality dynamic mics. Of course, you would be constantly dealing with staying in the "sweet zone" and the DPA 4099 to some degree eliminates that. But if I'd always be on edge for the possibility of it coming off - with a large THUD as it hits the floor - that will affect my performance, i.e., I don't think I could ever completely relax when using the 4099. I play a wide variety of venues from small cafe's to outdoor concerts for crowds numbering in the thousands and everything in between. The less I have to worry about regarding my hardware, the happier I am.
Feedback. Probably best to run it through some sort of equalizer. It is EXTREMELY prone to feedback in the bass end. Do NOT set up with your amp or PA speakers anything close to being behind you. I have something of a solution for that.
This issue is just me being weird but I found the thing impossible to ignore. That placement issue may be no big deal for many guitarists. I'm not one of them.
Bottom lines:
Yes, the overall sound you will get from your guitar w/4099 is very good but
for me, all the above are deal-breakers. If I want a truly natural sound I will use a small diaphragm, good quality mic. An interesting sidebar here.... While in Sarasota FL a few months ago I attended a classical guitar performance by an absolutely incredible musician, Jorge Caballero. It was held in a large theater that held 2000+. The set up was simplicity at its best: two small diaphragm mics a couple feet away from his chair with a "Y" pattern, controlled by a sound engineer. The sound was WONDERFUL and reminded me of just how good any performance with just a mic or mics can be when a good sound person is involved. So yes, if you are committed to finding as natural a sound as you can, almost any mic will help you get it compared to 99% of the pick-ups out there.
But for me anyway, it's just too much of a PIA to worry about. One BIG proviso though. If you go into a project having a clear idea of what you're trying to do, and you're willing to sacrifice a bit of the sound quality by going with an interior mounted pick-up, you can get most of what you want sound-wise. But be sure to run your signal through a high quality pre-amp. I use the Grace ALiX and it is so good at sculpting your sound (I use K&K pick-ups in all my guitars) I consider it an absolute necessity.
Please post a review or your reactions to the DPA 4099 after you've spent some time with it!
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