Pop singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is also heading out on tour with DPA, thanks to FOH Engineer Andy Bush. To ensure crystal clear vocals, Bush chose the DPA
2028 Vocal Condenser Microphone. He also miked the entire drum kit with DPA, opting for a variety of
2011C Twin Diaphragm Cardioids,
4018C Supercardioid,
4011E Cardioid and
4099 Extreme SPL Instrument Microphones. Of the 2028, Bush says it “just makes Lewis’ voice sound very natural; there’s no artificial presence peaks and very little proximity effect, so I feel that my end result is far superior. Additionally, the stereo pair of 4011s on the overheads has really opened up the sound of the kit. It gives it that extra bit of clarity and precision that we didn’t have before. There’s very little EQ on all the close mics, just deploying the high-pass filters to get rid of unwanted room sounds. Because the mics are so flat and articulate, I don’t need to process channels as much or cut as much EQ, and I feel that they offer a more accurate representation of what’s actually happening on stage.” Bush and the DPAs will be supporting Capaldi throughout his European tour this summer.
For its European tour, alternative rock band Tindersticks’ FOH Engineer Graham Pattison is also utilizing DPA microphones. With many of the stops this summer featuring an orchestra accompaniment, Pattison needed mics that would pick up every instrument without muddying the sound. To meet these requirements, he chose
4099 CORE Instrument Mics and 4015 Wide Cardioid Microphones from DPA Microphones. “We have 4099s and
4015s across our string section and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he says. “The clarity and detail we get from the DPA mics is extraordinary.”
American indie-folk band Bon Iver is heading out on a U.S. tour this summer, with long-time FOH Engineer Xandy Whitesel. For lead singer Justin Vernon, Whitesel regularly calls on the DPA d:facto 4018VL Vocal Microphone to create the clearest and truest sound of his unique vocals. After initially testing the mic during a rehearsal, Whitesel was immediately impressed with the increased clarity. “It never sounds muddy,” he explains. “The upper-mids are smooth and the highs are un-hyped, which is something I always look for in a microphone. The
d:facto™ is the most clear and natural sounding mic I have had the opportunity to use. Justin has a fantastic voice and we needed to present it as if he isn’t using a microphone at all. I found that the DPA d:facto achieves this better than any other mic I’ve used in the past.”