Although Luis Flores – studio engineer at Linda Perry Management in Sherman Oaks, California was aware of DPA, his first experience using the Danish company’s microphones came at the request of Linda Perry herself. ‘Linda went to a session in New York with Alicia Keys,’ Flores recalls. ‘Her engineer, Ann Mincieli, had DPA 4015s on the piano in the studio and Linda fell in love with them. When she returned, she was still raving about them and asked me to procure some – that was the first time she had ever specifically requested a mic for the studio in my more than seven years working with her.’

Flores contacted DPA in the US directly. ‘DPA initially sent me a pair of demo 4015C Wide Cardioid microphones,’ he says. ‘I liked them so much that I didn’t want to give them back;so, I bought them.’ In addition to the 4015C Wide Cardioid mics, which are used primarily on piano, he also now has a pair of 4011A Cardioid mics for hi-hats and cymbals.

‘Before we used DPA, we were always on a rotation of microphones for the piano depending on the situation,’ he explains. ‘Ever since I started using the DPA 4015s on the piano, I have not removed them. There hasn’t been one time where I’ve questioned whether we had a better option. I’m obsessed with the 4015 on the piano. I also love the 4011s, they are capable of handling louder sounds incredibly well.

‘The DPAs are clean; there is no noise whatsoever,’ he continues. ‘Usually, if you are doing more delicate piano or other quiet recordings, you have to turn the microphone up a lot. That creates a noise floor that is not ideal.’

The pair also uses the DPA mics live whenever they can: ‘Before the pandemic, Linda and I did a charity event, where we performed her 4 Non Blondes mega hit, ‘What’s Up’. Linda was on a grand piano and I was on acoustic guitar. We used the DPA mics, and they were incredible on stage.’

Flores is also impressed by DPA’s EQ capabilities. ‘I tend to like darker sounds than most people and what I like about DPA is that the high-end is present, but it’s not shrill,’ he says. ‘It’s just very smooth, which I love because it allows me to have the high frequencies there without them jumping at my ear and me wanting to cut them out. I can’t say enough good things about DPA; we love our mics. They have been a real game-changer at the studio.’

Linda Perry Management is a Los Angeles-based artist empowerment label, publishing, management and production collective with a mission of fostering a creative community of artists. The company has assembled a wide array of up-and-coming artists, among them are Natasha Bedingfield, Imogen Heap, Jesse Jo Stark, Terror Jr, Willa Amai and Frances Lion.

More: www.dpamicrophones.com