Jazz Artist Esperanza Spalding Chooses DPA Microphones d:facto Vocal Microphone for World Tour

	DPA Microphones d:facto and d:vote are used with Esperanza Spalding and her new group Radio Music Society.

Bassist and vocalist artist Esperanza Spalding is currently touring with her new group, the Radio Music Society, with a full microphone setup from DPA Microphones, including the new d:facto vocal microphone, which she is using for her vocal performances. Spalding's sound engineer Jaime Armengol chose DPA for the world tour because of the sound quality he knew he could achieve with the brand. In addition to the d:facto, Armengol relies on the full range of d:vote 4099 instrument microphones, and has employed them on piano, upright bass, and saxophone.

Armengol is delighted with the performance of DPA's new d:facto vocal microphone -- and he's not the only one. "Esperanza enjoyed the d:facto from the first minute she used it -- and so did I," says Armengol. "I didn't tell Esperanza that I had changed her microphone at first. When we started a sound check, she said 'what did you do with my vocal? It sounds much better and more natural.' After that, we decided to make the full switch to d:facto, and Esperanza is now using it for her vocals during this year's tour. Being able to use it is a wish fulfilled for me."

DPA's hand-held d:facto vocal microphone bridges the gap between live stage performances and studio recordings. Offering an exceptionally natural sound, high separation from nearby sound sources, and extreme sound level handling, this microphone is ideal for live music performances as it combines a supercardioid pattern with superb definition to give high separation and true sound color on stage, according to the company. Similar to all DPA mics, d:facto features superior gain before feedback, while the inbuilt three-step pop protection grid effectively removes unwanted noise.

"It is a very clean microphone, which is typical of the sound you expect from DPA," continues Armengol. "I usually use a channel strip, and the clarity at all frequencies is really impressive. The frequency response cuts the lows appropriately, and it has a nice HF boost. It is evident that its capsule comes from one of the best mics ever -- the DPA 4011 cardioid microphone. I was really impressed with the optimized proximity effect, and so far I have not had any problems with feedback or pop and handling noise. I also liked the linearity in frequency and phase and the impressive off-axis response. It is a powerful microphone and DPA has done a really good job!"

DPA's d:vote is ideal for live performance settings requiring high-quality, discreet mics that are effortless to change. Building on the success of the highly acclaimed 4099 instrument clip mic series, d:vote features an enhanced shock mount to provide even better absorption.

"The d:vote's are also really great," Armengol concludes. "They give incredible results that everyone is very happy with."

Spalding draws upon many genres in her own compositions and has garnered numerous accolades for her musicianship and smooth, experimental sound. In 2011, she won a Grammy for Best New Artist, becoming the first jazz musician to do so, and her career also includes collaborations with great artists like Wayne Shorter and Joe Lovano.