"We've been using DPA mics on stage for a few years now," explains Erik Bouwmeester, owner of Sound Adventure and Front of House engineer for Yamato. "We already use the d:fine 4066 Headset Microphones for vocals or flutes and the d:screet 4060 Omnidirectional Miniature Microphones for string instruments such as the guitar-like Japanese Samisen. It made perfect sense to use the DPA Rock Touring kit for these shows as well."
Bouwmeester was introduced to the d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones on Yamato's previous European tour by DPA's Belgian distributor Amptec Belgium. "They are a perfect match with our beltpacks and can easily handle the SPL of the drums, which is sometimes more than 132dB," he adds. "The variation of good clips and clamps is very useful. For example, we use four guitar clamps with an elastic extension on the medium drums called the Myadaiko. We also use a single d:vote 4099 on the biggest drum Yamato plays, the Odaiko which weighs almost 500kg, but it has no problems picking up that sound as well."
In total, Bouwmeester uses 32 wireless channels, 14 of which are miked with DPA. These are fed through a d&b audiotechnik PA system via a Digidesign venue profile/mixrack console. Having successfully used the DPA d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones in Europe, Bouwmeester says the Yamato troupe is now considering buying another DPA Rock Kit package for their own shows in Japan.
The troupe tours for between six to 10 months a year, creating and presenting original compositions on an impressively global scale. This level of touring means that all equipment has to be very hard wearing to survive the demands of life on the road. Added to this, Yamato's artistic director Masa Ogawa insists that the audience must not see any microphone during the show. Happily, the new d:vote 4099 clip mics used by Sound Adventure are discreet enough to ensure that remains the case.
The group is currently back home for various performances but will be returning to Europe in June for shows in Germany and Eastern Europe.
(Jim Evans)
