Legendary drummer Steve Gadd enthralled audiences in Hong Kong recently during his 70 Strong world tour. And key to achieving a great sound at the Hong Kong City Hall venue was the choice of DPA microphones, which were exclusively used to amplify the various instruments, especially Gadd’s all-important drum kit.
“As this was a very high profile event, concert promoter Mr Clarence Chang wanted the sound to be absolutely first class,” says Francis Lai, Market Development Manager at DPA’s APAC office. “He approached us for help with the microphone specification because he had used DPA mics for previous concerts, most notably for vocalist Ivan Rutherford and guitarist Robben Ford. On those occasions the microphones performed very well and therefore he felt confident in choosing DPA again.”
Lai, who was on site during the concert to assist the local sound engineer, specified a d:dicate™ 4011C cardioid compact microphone for the snare drum, a d:dicate™ 2011C twin diaphragm cardioid microphone for the kick drum and a d:vote™ 4099 Instrument Microphone for the toms. He also specified a pair of d:dicate™ 4018A super cardioid microphones as overheads to capture the general ambience of the performance. DPA d:dicate™ 2011C microphones were used to amplify the guitar amp and Leslie speaker on keyboards, while the trumpet was miked with a d:dicate™ 4011A and a d:vote™ 4099 Instrument Microphone.
Mr. Clarence Chang adds: “I am happy to be using DPA microphone for our 2015 Jazz World Live Series. The clarity of sound is so important in Jazz music, especially in concert situations. In the case of the Steve Gadd Band concert, DPA helped to reproduce the legendary drummer’s dynamic performance – from light brushes to hard driving clashes and snare, DPA ensured that every detail was heard.”
Steve Gadd’s concert is part of an ongoing tour to promote 70 Strong, an album released earlier this year to celebrate Gadd’s 70th birthday. Widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time, Gadd’s groove can be heard on seminal tracks such as Paul Simon’s 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Steely Dan’s Aja and Rickie Lee Jones’ Chuck E’s In Love. In 1984 he was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame and he has worked with a wide range of popular musicians including Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, James Taylor and Chick Corea.
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