Having gathered more than 600 songs and in excess of 3bn users since its launch in 2016, the Spotify Singles’ playlist reckons to be an ideal companion to work-from-home environments.
Senior Producer William Garrett oversees the production, recording and mixing of the playlist, which comprises two songs from each featured artist – one is a new recording of an original track and the second is a cover – captured using DPA Microphones’ 4099 instrument and 4011 cardioid mics.
‘When I came onto the scene at Spotify, they had already purchased a combination of DPA’s 4099s and 4011s; this marked the first time I used the brand,’ Garrett explains. ‘I was impressed by how natural they sounded, but I wanted to learn more about DPA, so I did a deep dive online and found that its solutions were being used in a lot of amazing applications and on high-end orchestral recordings. I knew I needed to put the DPAs in front of some instruments to see what they were capable of, and I was really amazed when I did.’
For Spotify Singles, Garrett positions the 4099 inside an upright piano, with the 4011 cardioids placed as overheads. ‘We originally used these mics on strings and acoustic guitars, and they sounded so unbelievably beautiful that we decided to test them out on our upright piano,’ he says. ‘With the combination of DPA’s 4099s and 4011s, we were able to achieve a more transparent and realistic sound out of the upright piano, to the extent that it almost sounded like a grand piano.’
Additionally, for acoustic guitar, he relies on a matched pair of DPA 4011s. ‘Using the 4011s on vintage acoustic guitars, I am able to capture a truly amazing stereo recording – it’s the best sound I’ve ever captured from those guitars,’ he adds. ‘I also like having the option to close- and far-mic the strings simultaneously by using the 4011s and the 4099s with a clip-on option; it’s a huge advantage for postproduction.’
Throughout his time recording the Spotify Singles, Garrett has become a fan of DPA Microphones. ‘DPA mics have become my go-to mic solution for recording applications,’ he confirms. ‘I recently used the 4011s and 4099s on the piano for a session with Alicia Keys, and they sounded amazing. The consistency of the sound between the different microphones is on such a high level that it always makes them my first choice. I’m so happy that I discovered DPA, and now I’m locked in and will continue to use them on all of my projects moving forward.’
More: www.dpamicrophones.com
