Torben Sminge, an experienced live sound engineer working mainly with acoustic music, knew exactly what to expect when asked to handle sound for the ceremony. "Firstly I had to deal with lots of instruments with very low acoustic output, such as violins, acoustic guitars, mandolas, and ethnic Nordic instruments like the n°gleharpe and hardanger fiddle," he says. "These were instruments that I needed to amplify a lot while still keeping them sounding very natural and 'acoustic'. This introduces the problem of feedback from stage, especially in this setup where a drum kit was part of the orchestra.
"Another problem was using a massive amount of stands and microphones, which can block the view of the audience and limit the movements of the performer. I think every FOH engineer has experienced the feeling of being helpless as the artist gets carried away and moves away from the microphone. As this show was also being broadcast for the radio I had to look for another solution."
Sminge had worked with the new DPA 4099 clip microphone and was confident they could solve his problem. He carefully worked out mic placements with the 4099 to deliver a balanced and natural sound on both strings and horns. But the real test came when miking up the accordion. "The 4099 proved itself by delivering the best accordion sound I have ever got on a live stage," he says.
"I was very pleased with the performance of the DPA mics, especially the 4099s," he concludes. "I already knew what to expect from the more established DPA mics, as I bought my first set of DPA 4007s some 20 years ago! The performers were also very happy with the microphones as they could hear that they sounded great, and were in no way restricted in their movements."
As a final seal of approval for the DPA 4099 range, Sminge purchased one of his own after the concert. "I am a trumpet player myself, and have already bought a 4099T for my own jazz performances," he says.
(Jim Evans)
