FOH Engineer Marcel Cacdac Turns to DPA Microphones to Present Artists’ Authentic Sound in Live Sound Performances
SAN FRANCISCO – FOH Engineer Marcel Cacdac was on-tour with Lorde when he first encountered the pristine sound of DPA Microphones’ 4099 Instrument and d:facto 4018VL Vocal Mics and immediately fell in love with the brand’s signature sound. Today, Cacdac consistently turns to the brand to meet all of his live sound needs, which is why he called on DPA’s 2011C Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones for guitars and drums during Gary Clark Jr.’s most recent tour.
Switching over to DPAs was a no-brainer for Cacdac, and he plans to stick with the brand for future projects as they’ve become his go-to mic solution. “As soon as I tried out DPA with Lorde, I knew I found a winner,” he adds. “It was like night and day compared to what we were previously using – even Lorde noticed a difference. Everything sounds so real in her in-ears and it’s amazing how well the d:facto 4018VL translates everything.”
To capture Clark’s unique sound – a cool mix of blues, rock and hip-hop – it is especially important for Cacdac to implement microphone solutions that never color or distort the sound coming from the stage. “I’ve been really happy with the results I get from these mics,” he says. “I use them in a variety of instrument mic’ing applications, including snare, hi-hats and drum underheads, as well as Gary’s guitars, so I can obtain an even, natural sound all over the stage.”
Cacdac appreciates the accuracy of the sound he captures with DPAs, as well as the fact that he doesn’t need to use any EQ while using the 2011Cs on guitar. “With other manufacturer’s mics, I would really have to dig in with the EQ to make the guitar sound the way I wanted it to,” he explains. “But that’s not the case with DPA; it’s uncanny how natural the sound is with these mics. Whatever I’m capturing, that’s exactly what you’re going to hear in the audience, without any coloration.”
For live sound applications, the DPA mics capture crystal-clear audio on all ends of the spectrum, in a discreet profile. “The small stature of DPAs is huge,” says Cacdac. “I’m able to place them virtually anywhere without having them get in the way. They also have impeccable rejection capabilities at a lower frequency – especially with the mics being in such close-proximity to monitors on stage. Additionally, DPA’s solutions are extremely flexible. Their sound is rich and accurate, and they’re able to go from aggressive to sublime all within one stroke. I haven’t been able to find any other mics that have that much breadth.”
Whether mixing monitors or front of house, DPA mics provide Cacdac with a true and accurate representation of what they’re hearing on stage. This gives him the confidence to provide that sound to both the audience and the artist.