Quartet hits the road with company’s d:voteâ„¢ 4099 Instrument Microphones; Chooses Oklahoma high school as mic recipient
EDMOND, OK, JUNE 4, 2014
–
DPA Microphones
recently joined cello-rock group
Break of Reality
as advocates for the importance of music education in schools. In conjunction with its tour schedule supporting its latest album,
TEN
, the group hosted a month-long Music Education Tour, making its way to 10 school districts across the U.S. At these stops, students attended workshops and performances hosted by the quartet to learn about the art and appreciation of music. In an effort to provide music programs with the opportunity to experience world-renowned quality technology, DPA Microphones donated three
d:voteâ„¢ 4099 Instrument Microphones
to
Edmond North High School (ENHS)
, in Edmond, OK, deemed by the band to be the school in greatest need for an audio solution.
“Next year, we will be kicking off our Strolling Strings program, the first of its kind at Edmond,” said Peter Markes, orchestra director at ENHS. “One of the tricky pieces I have been trying to figure out is the best way to amplify a few students for performance programs. These d:vote mics are a great solution. Thank you, DPA and Break of Reality for this generous gift!”
The members of Break of Reality are no strangers to performing for and/or conducting workshops at public schools and wanted to use their good fortune in the industry to afford aspiring musicians with the same opportunities they’ve encountered. That’s when the members decided to launch the Break of Reality Music Education Tour. With the help of fan donations through a Kickstarter campaign to fund the group’s tour expenses, the band members set out on the road with a mission to raise money at each school concert. After the stops, 100 percent of the donations and ticket proceeds were given to the music programs for each school they visited.
“We learned to play our instruments through public school music classes,” shares Ivan Trevino, co-founder and percussionist for the group, which has been performing for more than a decade. “If it weren’t for those programs, I don’t think Break of Reality would exist today.”
In addition to the donation, the band also teamed up with DPA to use the d:votes for its performances on the Music Education Tour. At all schools, especially ENHS, the microphones gave the next generation of musicians the chance to gain hands-on experience with some of today’s most advanced technology.
“We truly value the importance of music education programs,” said Eric Mayer, President of DPA Microphones, Inc. “By providing the d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones, we hope the students at Edmond North High School can learn how to properly amplify their instruments and understand the importance of using a high-quality microphone to capture their sound.”
Ideal for everyone from beginner to professional, the d:vote 4099 Instrument mics were chosen for the school on recommendation from the quartet, which previously selected the d:vote 4099s after experimenting with a series of audio setups, including both pickups and microphones, that continuously fell short of finding an ideal audio solution. Plus, the d:vote 4099 is designed with the touring musician in mind, so it can easily be unclipped and repositioned on the instrument, without any cable ties or other obstructions. This creates an effortless solution for both groups. The accurate natural sound, balanced EQs and functionality of the microphone will come in handy for Break of Reality and Strolling Strings tours.
“The students started using them in our orchestra room, just experimenting, the first day we received them,” continues Markes. “What I like most thus far is their ease of use. While we haven’t had a chance yet to use them in a public venue, we’re already practicing with them in our orchestra room and we’ve found that they are basically plug-and-play to the setup that we have in place. I look forward to using them in different halls as we kick off our Strolling Strings program.”
The DPA mics give the group a sense of comfort that previously did not exist when miking the cellos and they say they can already recognize many benefits of the DPA mics, including a pristine natural sound and the unique mounting solution. “We love the d:vote, I don’t know any other microphone of its kind that is designed specifically for the cello and that makes it a lot easier to work with,” shares Patrick Laird, cellist and Break of Reality co-founder. “The frequency response is much more balanced than anything we’ve used before, so it requires a lot less treatment in the venue. In addition to giving us great sound, the d:vote actually can fit inside the cases while still mounted to the cello, which provides a quick and simple setup.”
With Break of Reality as avid users because of DPA’s reputation for providing highly durable and pristine sounding microphones, and a whole generation of students familiarizing themselves with these features, everyone will be able to perform like the pros.
ABOUT DPA:
DPA Microphones is the leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high-quality condenser microphone solutions for professional applications. DPA’s ultimate goal is to always provide its customers with the absolute finest possible microphone solutions for all its markets, which include live sound, installation, recording, theatre and broadcast. When it comes to the design process, DPA takes no shortcuts. Nor does the company compromise on its manufacturing process, which is done at the DPA factory in Denmark. As a result, DPA’s products are globally praised for their exceptional clarity and transparency, unparalleled specifications, supreme reliability and, above all, pure, uncolored and undistorted sound.
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