The sibling violin duo of The Twiolins, Marie-Luise and Christoph Dingler have tapped Point Source Audio‘s SERIES8 headset microphone to complement their cool avant-garde performances of progressive classical music punctuated with pulsing rhythms.
With their successful recordings, including their first CD, “Virtuoso,” in 2011 followed by “Sunfire” in 2014, The Twiolins were intent on maintaining the natural sound of the violins when amplified.
As such, they wanted the violin microphones to only augment the acoustics of their performances—but never change the natural acoustical features of the violins themselves.
The Twiolins auditioned many microphone options, and Point Source Audio’s CO-8WD headset microphone was clearly the stand out.
“When performing on large stages we always use two CO-8WD headset mics with our wireless systems,” affirmed Christoph Dingler. “The frequency response of the entire spectrum of our violins are completely captured and conveyed, and the high linear resolution from the miniature-sized capsule is excellent. The CO-8WD is extremely close to the original sound even without equalization—it is absolutely at the top of its class.”
Although the CO-8WD was originally designed for vocal performers, Dingler explains his choice for the headset microphone, “Since our shows are constant performances and some songs contain vocals, the pickup patterns are difficult to capture in our performances, so why mount something on our instruments when a headset is the ideal position for capturing the sound?”
He adds, “The headsets are easy to adjust and position, and after a few minutes we forget it’s even there—it is extremely stable and light.”
Point Source Audio’s German distributor Trius, introduced the headset mic to The Twiolins to meet the high bar for acoustic performance and the necessary comfort. Because of the stringent standards in the classical music sector, only the most pristine amplification is acceptable.
Trius product manager Matthias Höbeler shared that “Marie-Luise and Christoph were immediately captivated by the comfort of the CO-8WD and its ability to project the complex overtones of the violins, as well vocals, while not altering their natural acoustic characteristics.”
The Twiolins now rely on Point Source Audio’s CO-8WD in performances and join a growing roster of clients using SERIES8 including the San Francisco Opera, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Universal Studios, the Kravis Center, the Shiki Theater Company Tokyo, and Chase Oaks Mega-Church.
Point Source Audio’s SERIES8 headset, earworn and lavalier microphones are constructed to suit the most demanding professional applications for live sound and measure just 4mm or less in diameter.