VDM Studios in Rome have been using DPA microphones in their quest to find a natural, full-bodied sound while also preserving the sonic detail and realism of their recordings.
“Our love for sound and music made us choose DPA microphones,” says Igor Fiorini, chairman and CEO of VDM Studios. “When we use them, we immediately feel that we are working with musical instruments, because they have a linear response and an incredibly wide bandwidth, and respond really naturally to musical instruments themselves.
“A piano, violin or flute have different sounds depending on the location, the temperature and the musician. We’ve discovered similarities with the DPAs: even if they are extremely stable from a mechanical point of view, they respond perceptively to a change in placement and to the musician's personality and technique, always changing their timbre. They allow us to achieve the sound we are looking for with almost infinite nuances. This is much more evident with DPA microphones than with any other brands.”
VDM usually uses its collection of DPA mics - the 4006-TL transformerless omni, 4021 compact cardioid, 4091 omni, 4061 miniature omni, 4099 instrument mic and 4017 shotgun - to record classical, contemporary and jazz music, as well as for live events.
“We have a specific recording method for big orchestras, concerts with a soloist and chamber music,” continues Fiorini. “In all cases we work with a multiple stereo technique referred to as the Zoom Technique. This consists of positioning different stereo pairs at certain distances to recreate a complete and natural sound image. The next stage is to correctly balance the different pairs according to their characteristics.”
A recent recording made was in the Teatro Verdi in Florence. Two 4019s were set up around five meters behind the conductor, with two 4006s in a wide A-B position and two pairs of 4021s in ORTF configurations behind the conductor and in the middle of the orchestra respectively.
“For us, the first step for correct mic placement is to think about what you are listening to during the recording; hence we work with good speakers or, if the ambience is bad, with very good headphones,” says Fiorini. “After the first hearing, it’s important to build the final sound you want to obtain in your mind - thinking not about one pair at a time, but about the final mix, and the correct interaction between each pair. To achieve this, you should concentrate mostly on the sound that interacts with the other microphones – the off-axis sound – of the different kinds of mics. The off-axis instruments and the interaction among them in the different microphone pairs are those which generate the final mix timbre, much more than the direct sound.
“In conclusion, DPA microphones have the flexibility and quality to achieve the ideal timbre and sound you want to reproduce.”
http://www.vdmstudio.it/