The reception to Status Quo’s 2014 Aquostic (Stripped Bare) acoustic album was sufficient to see the band take the collection of 25 reworked hits to London’s Roundhouse for a show that was streamed live on BBC Radio 2. This, in turn, encouraged the band to play five more acoustic sets around the UK.
‘We had an extensive band on stage, which included a string section,’ explains FOH engineer, Andy May. ‘The microphones I normally use were not appropriate for strings so I decided to try DPA because they have such a great reputation in the classical world.’
May beleives that the key to a great tour is reliable microphones: ‘The microphones are the first part in the audio chain so they must provide a predictable benchmark,’ he says. ‘This is really important when you are playing gigs in a variety of venues where the sound system and the acoustics may change.’
Because of the acoustic nature of the performance, he had to rethink certain aspects of the equipment list – in particular the mics. He contacted UK distributor Sound Network who recommended d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones – not just for strings, but also for percussion and drums. DPA d:dicate 4011 Cardioid Microphones were used as percussion overheads, and the line-up was completed with three d:facto Vocal Microphones, which were used by Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, and Andrew Bown.
‘The d:facto Vocal Microphone has a really clear and natural sound, which makes it ideal for acoustic performances like these,’ May says. ‘I did wonder what Francis, Rick and Andrew would say about using a different microphone because they have been using another brand for years, but I stuck the d:facto’s up at the first rehearsal and used them for the entire tour.’
The d:facto Vocal Microphone was also able to handle the switch between Bown’s vocals and harmonica: ‘That did surprise me. I usually have to change the EQ on and remove some mid-high for the harmonica, and then change them back again when Andrew starts to sing. But with the d:facto, I didn’t need to change anything because it coped beautifully with the transition. It certainly made my job a lot easier.’
May was also impressed with the performance of the d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones: ‘I had no issues with feedback or spill between the percussion and the strings,’ he says. ‘I also loved the clamping systems for the different instruments – they worked really well.
‘People do get stuck in their ways and it can be hard for manufacturers to persuade an old hand like me to give something new a try,’ he adds. ‘But on this occasion, we were delivering a very different performance, therefore I had the opportunity to experiment. I must say I was really pleased with the outcome.’
More: www.dpamicrophones.com
