LOS ANGELES, MARCH 16, 2017 – For most, Al Schmitt needs no introduction. Over the last five decades, the accomplished engineer and producer has worked closely with an incredible list of music royalty including Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Paul McCartney and Michael Bublé, among many others. For Schmitt, equipment selection is a critical component to the success of his projects. When he had a chance to try out DPA Microphones’ d:vote 4099P Instrument Microphone for Piano, the results were nothing short of spectacular.
“I received my first DPA microphones as a gift from someone who was in my ‘Mix with the Masters’ class in France,” says Schmitt. “The ‘Mix with the Masters’ program is a weeklong music production seminar held in the south of France and conducted by A-list producers. We were talking about microphones and I said I would love to try DPA’s d:vote 4099P sometime and the next thing I know, my student gave me a set. They sounded great and I’ve been using them ever since.”
Schmitt has recently used DPA mics for recording albums with major artists. “Using DPA to record on any album is great,” says Schmitt. “The artists sit down at the piano and have no idea there are microphones hidden inside of it. The d:vote 4099Ps have a small footprint, are easily hidden and are perfect for studio recording. The fact that they’re so small means it helps with our isolation when we’re recording.”
Since Schmitt does not use any EQ in his recordings, the sound of the microphones he uses is extremely important. “The d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphone is an excellent, beautiful high-end microphone,” says Schmitt. “It has the quality of a large diaphragm microphone, yet you can put them in out-of-the-way places where it can’t be seen and still get an incredible sound out of them. I plan on using DPA on future projects and am planning on trying them out on tom toms next.”
The winner of 20 Grammy awards, 2 Latin Grammys and a Trustees Grammy for Lifetime Achievement, Schmitt has helped artists garner an astounding 160 gold and platinum albums. In 2015, Schmitt was awarded a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.
ABOUT DPA MICROPHONES:
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.
For more information on DPA Microphones, please visit www.dpamicrophones.com
