Salisbury-based Major Tom are supporting long-term client Ed Sheeran with a full production package including DPA’s new CORE 4099 mics on his current ‘Divide Tour’, an extraordinary global trek for the singer-songwriter that started in early 2017 and is scheduled to finish some 20 months later in November 2018.
The European dates featured opening artist Anne-Marie, for whom Front of House engineer Ben Dexter specified the new DPA d:vote CORE 4099 microphones on drums. Major Tom was supported by Ben Tredwell at Autograph Sales & Installations, who not only sourced the new DPA mics, but arranged a super-fast courier to catch the touring system before it left Salisbury.
Ben Dexter said, ‘I had first heard the [d:vote™] 4099s and [d:dicate™] 2011s on drums while I was on a tour with another artist and was really impressed with how they sounded. I purchased a set of each for myself when I returned from that tour to use on Rae Morris, who I was also mixing at the time and haven’t looked back – although I’m not mixing her show at the moment as I’m busy with Anne-Marie, she still has a selection of DPA microphones including 2011 and d:facto™.’
Danish manufacturer DPA Microphones has long been heralded as a leader in the microphone world when it comes to clarity and has recently upped the game by developing a new amplifier technology, dubbed ‘CORE’, which improves their instrument microphones’ dynamic range even further. The reception of these CORE mics in the professional audio industry has been excellent across the board, offering a step up in quality many didn’t believe possible.
I have always been impressed with how natural and detailed the microphones sound with minimal EQ.
Ben goes on to say, ‘I have always been impressed with how natural and detailed the microphones sound with minimal EQ. I find I don’t really have to EQ at all to compensate for the response of the microphone, only for the tonal changes I require for the instrument. I was pretty impressed that the new CORE versions we are using currently sound even more natural and open especially with the high SPL from a drum kit.’
He concludes, ‘I would say that the mounting system is also a big plus for me on drums – Anne-Marie’s drummer has a large setup with a lot going on so the clip and unobtrusive profile of the microphones makes attaching them very easy and I don’t have to worry about him giving them a whack. On top of all that, both her drummer and MD have commented on how they like the sound of the DPA microphones – I will always spec DPA 4099s and 2011s on drums!’