Front of house engineer Sjoerd Terpstra relied on DPA Microphones to capture the unique sound of recent concerts by the noted Kyteman Orchestra at the Utrecht Tivoli in Holland. The six concerts, which took the form of elaborate jam sessions, were all multitrack recorded for subsequent mixing and broadcast on the internet using DPA d:vote 4099 instrument, d:dicate 2011A recording and d:screet 4061 miniature microphones.
Terpstra, who has been working with Kyteman for the last five years, says he chose DPA Microphones for this project because he knew their mics were capable of delivering studio quality from the live stage. The microphones were supplied by Amptec, DPA’s distributor in the Netherlands.
“Our aim was to create a library of completely original Kyteman material,” explains Terpstra. “There are approximately 18 musicians in the orchestra and none of the songs were written in advance – they were all improvised on the spot. We used the d:vote 4099 mics on strings and horns, a d:dicate 2011A on the drums and percussion and a set of d:screet 4061 miniature mics on the upright piano because they sound amazing, especially at low noise levels. I also used a d:vote on the snare drum because it could handle the low pitch well and gave me enough snap to make it cut in the mix.”
Terpstra adds that the d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones were especially useful because they were able to deliver very isolated sound. “We were recording on an exceptionally cramped stage, so this was an important feature,” he says. “The isolation achieved by the mics gave me tons of possibilities in both the FOH and studio mixes”
With the latest Kyteman Orchestra project now completed, Terpstra is now working with a number of bands from the Middle East. “I’m hoping to use DPA mics for some of those projects, too,” he continues. “I am always happy with the results I get from DPA, so I have no hesitation in recommending them to all the bands I work with.”
Founded by Colin Benders (aka Kyteman), the Kyteman Orchestra plays a mixture of hip-hop, opera and jazz laced with melodies and raw beats. Its first album, The Hermit Sessions, was released in 2009 and was a great success in the Netherlands where it reached the top five of the Dutch Album Charts and sold over 75,000 copies.