Last Updated on August 23, 2017 by Andrew Culture
Musicians and sound engineers alike love to know what gear other professionals are using. It’s not only because sometimes we’re looking for a recommendation, more often than not it’s a case of professional curiosity. At the more extreme end of the scale I’ve seen engineers give a knowing nod when they find out what bit of kit was used for a specific recording, or when they learn what equipment has been used to get a certain sound in the live environment.
We really love it when a sound engineer with years of experience reveals what his go-to gear list. We’re not alone in this, which is why websites like the brilliant Equipboard exist. What’s sometimes more revealing is when an experienced pro changes what he or she uses to do their job.
Doug Kimball recently revealed that he has switched to DPA microphones. Doug has been a front of house engineer for 35 years and has worked with some of the biggest names in music. When we say ‘big names’ we mean it. Doug has worked with Aerosmith, Meatloaf, Motörhead, David Lee Roth, Melissa Etheridge, Christina Aguilera and so many other massive acts that we’re going to stop listing them.
Recently Doug has been working with Tears for Fears. You’ve probably heard of Tears for Fears; since forming in 1981 they have sold over 30 million albums. During the band’s 2017 tour Doug has been using DPA’s d:facto™ Vocal Microphones. The reason is quite simple, when the band heard their vocals through the d:facto mics they loved the sound.
Doug explained,
“The d:facto vocal microphones are more natural sounding and have a better rejection than anything I have used in the past. The guys in the band quickly noticed how their vocals sounded and liked what they heard. Their voices were natural without being colored by the microphone.”
Since turning to DPA for vocal duties Doug has started using other mics from the Danish company. Including the d:vote™ 4099D for toms on the drums and d:dicate™ 2011C Cardioid mics for the hi-hats.
“The d:vote 4099D allows for high-quality audio capture on the toms,” adds Kimball. “Not only are they very small and stay out of the way, but they require no EQ and deliver an amazing natural sound. I am blown away by the results.” explains Doug.
Find out more about DPA Microphones…
