LOS ANGELES, NOVEMBER 14, 2017 - Jon Castelli is a Los Angeles-based record producer, mixing engineer, songwriter and owner of The Gift Shop studio, who has worked with Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Kesha, 6lack and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, among many other talented artists. Castelli and close collaborator/producer Ron "Spider" Entwistle recently recorded a friend's improvisational accapella singing session in a barn, backed by a jazz trio. The artists were also joined by Gabriel Antonini from DPA Microphones, who brought along some of the company's mics for the group to try out.
"We've all known of DPA mics from opera houses and big venues, so I was excited to record with DPA in this setting to see how we could capture this unique space," says Castelli. "Gabriel suggested that we put d:dicate 4006A Omnidirectional Microphones in the top of the barn. We pressed record and then played it back. I couldn't believe what I heard. It sounded exactly the same through the speakers as it did when played live in the room. Spider and I immediately knew we needed the mics for The Gift Shop, my studio loft in downtown Los Angeles. My studio is similar to the barn in that it has a high wood, kind of 'hanger-ish' feeling. I acquired a pair of d:dicate 4006A's for a similar session and they have not left my studio since they arrived."
Antonini also introduced Castelli to the d:dicate 4006A Nose Cone accessory, which quickly became another favorite audio tool. "The Nose Cones make the room sound so realistic," adds Castelli. "The tweeter of the PMC loudspeakers that we were using came much more into focus. It was an emotional feeling. The Nose Cones are incredible accessories."
Castelli is thankful that Antonini showed him the mics and accessories. "Prior to Gabriel introducing us to the d:dicate 4006A, I had given up on room mics in my space. Anything I was using sounded flat and papery, so I was using a lot of reverb. Now, I find myself turning up speakers and recording sounds back through the room to capture the space. Pretty much everything I do in the studio, recording wise, the d:dicate 4006A mics are on. DPA made a believer out of me."
The d:dicate 4006A Nose Cone provides a perfect omnidirectional response across the whole audio frequency range. It counteracts the directional characteristics that omnidirectional microphones exhibit at higher frequencies. It also guarantees an even tonal balance of sound arriving at all angles of incidence but with a high-frequency boost on-axis. This nose cone is especially suitable for increasing the ambiance to your recordings, or for miking a variety of sound sources that are positioned around the microphone.
ABOUT DPA MICROPHONES:
Celebrating 25 years in the industry, DPA Microphones is the leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high-quality condenser microphone solutions for professional applications. Over the last two-and-a-half decades, DPA's goal has been 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 exceptional clarity and transparency, unparalleled specifications, supreme reliability and, above all, pure, uncolored and undistorted sound. DPA looks forward to the next 25 years and beyond.