When contemporary Mexican ensemble The Villalobos Brothers headed out on tour, they chose DPA Microphones to capture their acoustic instruments.
After purchasing four of the company’s d:vote 4099 instrument microphones, the quartet – comprised of Luis, Ernesto and Alberto Villalobos on violin and Humberto Flores on guitar – is able to perform its Mexican folk music with modern flair.
Additionally supported by Rosa Avila on drums and Leo Sherman on bass, The Villalobos Brothers first discovered the d:votes three years ago, when it was decided that Flores needed an amplification method.
“Coming from classical and traditional Mexican backgrounds, we never really amplified the violin. Once we began incorporating additional instruments and vocals,we knew we couldn’t keep using a completely acoustic sound,” says Luis.
“We tried all sorts of microphones and pickups, but we were never satisfied with the quality of the sound, which is most important to our performances. Then, we discovered DPA. After gathering information from the DPA website and several reviews, as well as watching video statements from other musicians, we decided to try them, first with Humberto’s guitar. We quickly fell in love with the microphones’ clarity, ease of use and ability to stay put throughout our rigorous performances, so we bought additional mics. The sound is so real; we wouldn’t change it for anything.”
In addition to the d:vote’s ability to replicate the natural sound of the band’s various instruments, the microphone mounts are also, according to the band, top notch.
“We are very fond of the way the mounts are so well designed for each specific instrument,” adds Luis. “I love that I can remove the microphone from my violin with just one hand. We use the d:votes on all of our violins, Humberto’s guitar, and even on Rosa’s drum toms. We love that they are so versatile.”
