For the 2014 Where We Are Tour, FOH engineer Mark Littlewood and monitor engineer Ant Carr decided to add four Milab DC-96B's to the line-up.
Says Ant, "I'd never used Milab before we started rehearsals. Mark had put them on the input list for overheads and I was willing to give them a try. I like to build drum mixes in in-ears starting with the overheads, it's important to me to get a balanced mix of cymbals and drums without too much ambience outside of the kit and then mix in the direct mics. The DC-96B has such a smooth response and accurate pick up pattern, it gives me exactly the sound I need."
Drummer Josh Devine notes, "These overhead mics are insane, I can pick everything out. The devil is in the detail."
DC-96B's are also used for the guitar amps. "While going through the input list with Mark I said I really wanted a dynamic and condenser combination on the main guitar amp," says Ant. "We tried several combinations but always came back to a pairing that used the DC-96B, Mark only uses this mic in the PA mix. We use them on both Dan Richard's amp and 1D member Niall Horan's amp."
The microphones were delivered by Milab's UK distributor Autograph Sales - www.autographsales.co.uk.
One Direction is currently in the USA for the third and last leg of the tour which will end with a final show in Miami on 5 October.
(Jim Evans)
