LONDON – Singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ellie Goulding has switched to a DPA d:facto Vocal Microphone after trying it for the first time at the Chime for Change concert, which took place in London in June. Currently touring in the U.S. to promote her second album, Halcyon, Goulding is now using a wireless version of the microphone for all of her concerts.
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Goulding’s first proper test of the d:facto came during the Chime For Change concert, which also featured artists such as Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Jessie J, Rita Ora and Florence and the Machine. Supplied via Adlib Audio by DPA Microphones’ UK distributor Sound Network, the microphone is equipped with an adapter to fit the existing Sennheiser system owned by Oz Bagnall, Goulding’s front of house sound engineer. Together with Goulding’s monitor engineer James Neale, Bagnall selected the microphone on recommendation by Dave Kay at Adlib Audio.
“We both felt it was the best microphone for Ellie,” says Neale. “She is really happy with it and is now using it for all her live performances.”
“At FOH, the microphone was a huge success as I had all the level I needed and much improved audio quality and clarity,” adds Bagnall. “I especially like its flat response and virtually no low end proximity effect. During the first sound check, Ellie did find the change in tonality a little disconcerting because she wasn’t used to it, but we persuaded her to use it for the show and in the end she was very happy with the result.”
Kay recommended the d:facto to Bagnall and Neale as an ideal replacement for the hardwired microphone Goulding had been using on her previous European tour. DPA’s UK distributor Sound Network was able to arrange a demo just prior to the Chime for Change concert, and Bagnall and Neale were so impressed by its performance that they bought one.
“During Ellie’s European tour we struggled with level and ambient spill on her vocal, so we used a mic that was discontinued several years ago and was only available as a hardwired version,” continues Bagnall. “From that point our search was on to find a modern microphone with similar rejection but hopefully with better quality sound. We tried out a lot of different microphones before demoing the DPA d:facto Vocal Microphone. Apart from sounding amazing, it was the only microphone that was able to deliver what we wanted in terms of rejection, plus it allowed us to go back to a wireless system which gives Ellie much more scope to move on stage.
“At Chime for Change our slot in the concert program put us on the side stage so that the main stage could be reset for Beyoncé. This meant that Ellie was in front of and in between the SL main and side PA hangs, which from a sound quality perspective is not an ideal position. However, thanks to the DPA d:facto Vocal Microphone, the sound we got in the stadium was great. I was so pleased that we were able to take delivery of the wireless version of the d:facto before Chime for Change – and very grateful for the help Sound Network and Adlib Audio gave us.”
