When the Collinsworth School of Music at California Baptist University became dissatisfied with the sound from its acoustic bass and cellos in live performance, Technical Director Matthew McConnell called on Jeff Suchy at Apex Audio to help find a solution. After testing various clip-on mics and pick-ups, DPA Microphones‘ d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphone proved to be the tool for the job.
Though they have since become a staple at the school, the use of the d:vote 4099 wasn’t McConnell’s first foray into DPA mics. ‘I initially discovered DPA a decade ago, when I was trying to close-mic a grand piano, with a closed lid, through a PA system,’ he explains. ‘DPA’s d:screet 4060 Miniature Omnidirectional Microphone helped me get the sound I was looking for, for that application. Soon after I used a d:screet 4060 on a solo violin, with the included string mount, with similar success.’
More recently, McConnell turned to DPA after having a tough time finding a good mic position for string bass and cello performers who moved around the stage while playing. ‘I heard about the d:vote 4099 and purchased three of them, based mainly on my previous experience with the brand,’ he says. ‘It was better than I could have hoped. The microphone stayed in place while the musicians performed. After that, I bought them for the entire cello section.’
DPA microphones are used in almost every Collinsworth School of Music event, especially those that rely on a PA system – roughly 400 live events each academic year. Most take place off-campus in churches, grade schools and public venues. In all, the university’s DPA inventory consists of 51 DPA d:vote 4099 instrument mics, 11 d:screet 4060/4061 Stereo Kits, four wired d:facto 4018VL Vocal Linear Microphones, one wireless d:facto 4018V Vocal Microphone for Shure and seven d:fine 4088 Directional Headset Microphones.
‘After we first started using the d:vote 4099s, I would get comments from brass players about how easy it was to switch a d:vote 4099 from a trumpet to flugelhorn,’ says McConnell. ‘When students listen back to live recordings, they always note how transparent the microphone sounds.
‘I remember the first event we did with a DPA d:facto vocal mic. As soon as the MC started speaking, another faculty member turned to me and asked how I made the person speaking sound so great. I showed him the EQ, which was flat, and told him it was good placement and a great microphone.’
During the school’s inaugural event at the recently built California Baptist University Events Center, McConnell employed a full complement of DPA mics with great success. ‘We used 106 channels of audio from more than 55 DPA mics, and they sounded amazing,’ he says. ‘Everyone was pleased with the sound in the room. The d:vote 4099 is as close to perfect as I have found for live PA.’
In addition to its sound quality, McConnell is also impressed with how the DPA mics fit into his daily workflow and notes that the d:vote 4099 takes up less storage space: ‘We now use only a fraction of the number of mic stands that we used to,’ he continues. ‘Instrumental performers are freed up to move around on stage as needed, and it’s really convenient for when the students need to stand up for a featured solo. With the d:vote 4099, I can connect into a wireless pack, and now a trumpet player can literally move anywhere on the stage and still sound great. DPA will continue to be used for all future events produced by the school.’
Since Collinsworth School of Music adopted the d:vote 4099, DPA has released an upgraded version of the 4099, the d:vote Core 4099 Instrument Microphone. The Core by DPA amplifier is a new technology that addds clarity and detail to music across the entire dynamic range. McConnell recently purchased four d:vote Core 4099 mics for a church project and was so impressed that he would like to incorporate the Core line of mics into the school’s audio locker as soon as possible.
More: www.dpamicrophones.com
