The mics have proven essential at front-of-house as well. “They deliver a crystal clear and sonically neutral representation of the source,” says FOH Engineer Brian Pomp. “The mics stand up to the insane SPL that the artists deliver and, when EQing, I find that the DPAs are far less drastic than other mics in similar applications.”
The mics aren’t just a stand-out for the engineers, the musicians have noticed the benefits as well. “Percussionists are usually somewhat low on the totem pole and don’t really ever have a say when it comes to microphones,” says Arriaga. “But, when Jon switched over to DPA from another brand that we had, it was night and day – the DPA is just so much better. The pencil mics on the trashcans and lower-level shakers, timbales and cowbells are awesome. The tone that I get out of them is amazing.”
Arriaga goes on to add that the
4011 overhead mics are especially important to the way he plays. “I use a lot of shakers and tambourines, so you have to use open, wide mics,” he says. “With other mics, you hear so much bleed from the other instruments, which is not conducive to a proper performance. But the DPA 4011s are outstanding. I move around a lot, dancing and jumping, and to know what the mics are going to pick up, and when, is a game changer for me as far as incorporating that choreography and musical articulation dynamic. I love that.”
The mics make Kooren’s job easier as well. “I can alter what I’m hearing to match what I need in the mix, but what I put out is more or less the same as if I am standing right there listening to it,” he adds. “I especially like that the
4099s are small and pliable, so I can put them wherever I need; they’ve been really great. Then, with the d:factos, the background vocals are standing off-axis, right in front of percussion. The bleed that I get from those vocal mics is just a lot smoother than what you would normally get, so it’s easy for me to blend that into my mix. As far as the percussion mics, even though there’s so many of them, it’s easy to balance them together to get a professional sound.”