If there’s a musical niche fans love to rave about, it’s nostalgic 80s music. That’s why it was so important for veteran FOH Engineer Doug Kimball to get the sound right during the Tears for Fears 2017 tour. The iconic pop creators of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” required a sound reminiscent of their preeminent new wave hit — so Kimball went with DPA microphones.
The sound engineer says he was first introduced to DPA microphones by his colleagues.
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“My sound engineering friends were raving about DPA and that piqued my interest,” says Kimball. “After doing some research and having additional discussions, I decided to use DPA on the Tears for Fears 2017 tour. In the short time that I have been using DPA, I have been very impressed.”
To let Tears for Fears vocals ring out like they did in the 80s, Kimball uses DPA d:facto Vocal Microphones. He says the bandmates quickly noticed a difference after the switch.
“The d:facto vocal microphones are more natural sounding and have a better rejection than anything I have used in the past. Their voices were natural without being colored by the microphone,” he says.
Smaller DPA d:vote 4099D Instrument Microphones are used for the drummer’s floor toms, while :dicate 2011C Cardioid mics cover the hi-hats. Kimball says the d:vote 4099D require no EQ and deliver a “natural sound.”
Tears for Fears isn’t the only 80s act Kimball has worked with. Since the beginning of that decade, he’s toured with David Lee Roth, Aerosmith, Meatloaf, Whitesnake, Heart, Motörhead, Foreigner, Velvet Revolver, Billy Idol, Pat Benatar, and many more.
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All DPA microphones are manufactured in Denmark. Learn more about the company on its website.
