After hearing the 4018VL on H.E.R.’s vocals, Harpe found it to be the best choice he has used in the last couple of years. “When Kevin decided to bring the 4018VL out on tour with H.E.R., it was the first time I actually had the opportunity to listen to it, mess with it and use it consistently,” he says. “It turned out to be a fantastic microphone. I noticed right away that DPA is very consistent – even when you hit it hard.”
Another strength, according to Brown, is the d:facto’s ability to minimize proximity effect. “H.E.R. has great mic technicality in pulling away from the capsule when she needs to and staying closer when she wants to,” he adds. “But the d:facto stays pretty tonally neutral across the spectrum. Supercardioid/hypercardiod mics versus cardioid mics; that’s something we’ve been trying to figure out for years. This d:facto capsule captures it all. It really is the perfect solution for vocals.”
The duo also finds that their workflow is smoother with the use of the DPA mics. “For me, there is definitely less filtering,” says Chainey. “We have two very dynamic background singers who also use the d:facto sometimes to add more harmony to H.E.R’s lead line, so we might have a lot more presence in the mix, whereas other times we don't. So, we end up with several mixes, with each one positioned differently. I usually set the gain structure and do minimal adjustments, but otherwise it really holds that consistency in the texture and timbre from song to song. It’s unlike any other capsule I have ever used.”
Brown, meanwhile, is “always cutting and speeding up annoying frequencies in competitor capsules. With the DPAs, I can run with just a high-pass and a low-pass, and maybe a boost, and I'm okay. I loosen the top-end because it’s so linear and I let the vocals do the rest of the work. It’s really that simple.”
