The
d:facto™ also checked off many other boxes for the engineers. “Our list of requirements for choosing a new vocal mic were clear,” adds Casamatta. “We needed low-handling noise, plenty of open usable high end, tight low mids, good rejection, moderate and usable bleed, as well as consistency between wireless and wired. The d:facto™ hits in all these areas with a great deal of balance. Halsey noticed the difference in microphone capsules immediately the first time we used the d:facto™.”
The
d:facto™ was also able to solve some unique audio challenges presented by previous microphones. “Every singer and every situation is different, but like other modern pop concerts we have an artist that spends a good deal of time in front of the PA interacting with the crowd,” says Wasilk. “Rejection and bleed are important issues for monitors and out front. I typically shy away from hyper or supercardioid vocal mics. I have found microphones with tighter patterns that reject more, tend to have a very harsh, almost shotgun mic quality that tends to bleed through. With the d:facto™, we don’t have that issue. The d:facto™ has a tight pattern and the bleed making its way into the microphone is more natural and usable than other options we have tried.”
Another issue the engineers faced in the past was the lack of usable high-frequency response at the front of house. According to Casamatta, “Prior to using the
d:facto™, we were left to choose between a microphone with good rejection that was very dull, or a microphone with studio quality high end but with a wide pattern. Halsey spends so much time in front of the PA that we need both a great high end and great rejection. The d:facto™ has clean high frequency response and tight pattern control in a way we haven’t experienced before. It has addressed usable high-frequency response at the front of house, which is pretty amazing.”