DPA out in force for with summer tours
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Phillip J. Harvey, FOH mixing engineer for pop artist Lorde, is currently travelling through Europe in support of the artist’s Solar Power Tour. A longtime fan of DPA, Harvey started Lorde on a d:facto 4018VL Vocal Microphone in 2017. Since then, he has put DPA mics on nearly the entire drum kit, with 4099 CORE Extreme SPL on snare bottom, hi-hats, toms and under heads, and a 2011 Twin Diaphragm Cardioid on snare top.
“The flat response of the d:facto is a huge asset and the bleed is very palatable - unlike any other vocal mic I’ve experienced,” he says. “That realistic response provides the foundation for colouring sounds in the mix any way I want, and it’s amazing. All five backing vocalists use the 4488s with wireless belt-packs, which is imperative because the band members change stage positions for each song during the set.”
Singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is also heading out on tour with DPA, thanks to FOH engineer Andy Bush. 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.
For its European tour, alternative rock band Tindersticks’ FOH engineer Graham Pattison is also utilising 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 US 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. “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.”
Production manager/monitor engineer William ‘Chainey’ Harpe and FOH engineer Kevin Brown have also entrusted DPA to provide clear, uncoloured sound for R&B singer H.E.R., who is on a U.S. tour supporting Coldplay. For H.E.R.’s performances, the duo usually selects DPA’s d:facto 4018VL Vocal Microphone to allow the singer’s natural talent and vocals to shine through uninhibited.”
As an audio veteran and FOH engineer for Florence + The Machine, Brad Madix will be out on tour in Europe with the band this summer. Madix typically selects the brand’s 4099 CORE Instrument Mics and 2011C Compact Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Mics to capture accurate audio from the band’s percussion setup. “The integration of these two solutions from DPA provide such a clear, natural sound,” he says.
