2016/03/28

NATHAN PACHECO AND DAVID ARCHULETA PERFORM USING DPA MICROPHONES

nathan-pacheco-and-david-archuleta-perform-using-dpa-microphones-l-1.jpg
Duo and Accompanying Symphonic Orchestra Used Company’s d:vote™, d:screet™ and d:dicate™ solutions during Concert at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center.
As a classically trained tenor, Nathan Pacheco has a very powerful vocal range that often brings his voice from just a few decibels all the way to 130 dBs in just one song. Miking a singer of this caliber of talent requires a solution that offers high SPL and low distortion. Nick Assunto, CEO of Audio Formula, was called in as a consultant, and in turn found the answer in DPA Microphones, which he implemented during the artist’s concert with former American Idol contestant David Archuleta at Adrienne Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall in Miami.

To address the extreme range of both Pacheco and Archuleta’s vocals, Assunto looked to DPA’s d:facto™ Handheld Microphone, which features DPA’s tried and true d:facto™ 4018V capsule. “I needed a capsule that could handle the amount of pressure and range of Nathan’s voice without any distortion,” says Assunto. “The microphone can handle high amounts of SPL without distortion and with an extremely natural color of the voice. That was the main reason I chose the DPA mics.” 

Pacheco and Archuleta both sang on the same microphone, “so obviously they were singing harmonics,” explains Assunto. “I needed the mics to be able to detect both voices perfectly and I was able to get that with the DPA capsules. One other key point is how easy it was for me to set up the show using the mics. When you start with the right mic, that requires no EQ at all, you get a great sound right out of the box. And that makes our work very easy and saves a lot of time, especially when it’s a 60- to 70-channel show.”

In addition to the two acclaimed vocalists, the concert featured a full choir, along with a hybrid of a live band and symphonic orchestra. “We had to deal with all of the challenges that a symphonic room can bring, including an extremely high amount of reverberation,” explains Assunto. “The most important issue to me is having clean reference from the beginning, which starts with choosing the right microphone.” For Assunto, the solution was DPA’s d:vote™ Instrument Microphones. “We used a total of 24 d:vote™ mics with various adapters for cello, violin, trumpet and pretty much all other ensemble instruments, along with three d:screet™ SC4098 Supercardioid Miniature Microphones above the choir. 

“On the instruments – the main violin and the cello, the sound quality was extremely clean,” he continues. “I experienced a very warm yet natural sound coming out of the DPA mic on the cello, and, just by adjusting the distance between the mic and the string, I was able to get my ideal sound. That was one of the things that I liked the most, being able to change the position of the mic itself. The d:vote™ Instrument mic is basically a retractable arm with a mic on it.”

This isn’t the first time that Assunto has experienced DPA microphones, “I was introduced to DPA a couple of years ago and I really loved what I heard,” he adds. “I was waiting for the opportunity to start using them in a project and I’ve already put three on the schedule, including this concert.  Everyone else involved was very pleased with the quality and sound of the microphones, so hopefully we continue to grow that list.”

EXPLORE FURTHER

Be the first to hear about our new products, workshops, events, contests and more.

Subscribe
Loading