British pop/rock band Level 42 recently introduced a selection of DPA Microphones into its live sound gear, including the company’s d:facto vocal mics, d:vote 4099 instrument mics for brass and toms, and a d:dicate 4011 cardioid recording mic for ride cymbal.
A mainstay of the British music scene for over three decades, the band is currently undergoing an audio transition that has seen them switch to DPA mics and introduce in-ear monitors so they can do away with a “stage full of wedges.” According to Mark “Joey” Jowitt, who has been Level 42’s sound engineer since 1999, seeing the last of the wedges was a wonderful feeling.
“Thank technology that those days have gone,” he says. “It’s taken a while, but it’s all ears now. Musicians switching to in-ears find it quite disconcerting at first – as you move around the stage, nothing changes in level and that takes some getting used to. But the benefits are immense. In my experience, bands become tighter, their pitching improves and obviously front of house engineers love it.”
Level 42 co-founder and funk bassist Mark King appreciates the difference, especially when the stage setup is coupled with the sensitivity of the d:facto vocal mic, which allows him to sing more freely during live performances.
“Most engineers will tell you that mic spillage is one of the hardest things to overcome during the performance,” he says. “I for one have spent far too much time trying to clean up vocal parts because of drums and monitors screaming down an open mic that is being driven too hard. The definition in the lower registers has improved significantly for me since I started using the d:facto.
“It was such a difference that I bought two microphones to carry with us all the time in case the production team we were working with couldn’t supply them,” he continues. “Having the d:facto is like having a great studio mic onstage. I love it.”
“We were impressed by the d:facto’s overall rejection of unwanted residual noise,” adds Jowitt.” “More often than not, condenser mics on vocals tend to become another drum overhead when you come off them, but there were no such issues with this mic.”
The DPA microphones used during Level 42’s tour were supplied by Capital Sound Hire and DPA’s U.K. distributor, Sound Network. This included the d:vote instrument mics that got the attention of the band and sound crew for their ability to help ensure all 18 channels of Pete Ray Biggin’s titanic drum kit could be heard.
“With the kit being so large and such an important part of Level 42’s sound, tight miking is imperative,” Jowitt continues. “The size and clip fitting of the d:vote was quick and easy, which is good as miking a kit of that size can become quite tedious after the first 10 shows! It also has a very big sound for such a small diaphragm.”
With the 2014 Sirens Tour now behind them, Level 42 is looking forward to a busy 2015 that will see them touring Japan before moving on to the European festival circuit and wrapping the year up in a one-off show at London’s indigo at the O2.
