DPA Microphones Gs on a Musical Journey with the Walk to Fisterra

New York-based Cellist Dane Johansen is embarking on The Walk to Fisterra, a 600-mile musical/walking journey along the Camino de Santiago, a popular pilgrimage route through France and Spain. Over the course of his six-week journey, which began May 14, Johansen will stop at several of the 36 historic churches along the Ancient Roman footpath, where he will perform Bach's Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, while a team of filmmakers and music producers capture content for a stunning documentary about the pilgrimage. To ensure the highest quality audio, sound engineer, Kyle Pyke, and Grammy Award-winner, Jesse Lewis, who is the music producer and co-sound engineer on the project, are using several pieces from DPA Microphones' product line.

Included in their audio arsenal are d:dicate 4007A Omnidirectional mics for location recording and a combination of d:dicate 4011F Cardioid Podium and d:vote 4099 Instrument mics for close-pickup of the cello. A variety of d:mension 5100 Mobile Surround and d:dicate 4017B Shotgun mics are being used to capture ambience along the trail, while d:screet 4061 Miniature mics pick up dialogue.

DPA was our top choice for microphones to record the audio for this journey, shares Pyke. When we were spec'ing out what we might need for the project, we enlisted DPA Microphones to be our exclusive mic partner. The reason is pretty simple, not only does the company's catalog offer everything we could hope for, and more, in terms of microphone quality and detail, but DPA itself embodies an open, adventurous approach to pushing the industry forward, which is an intrinsic quality of The Walk to Fisterra.

DPA's entire line of microphones is world class and the first I turn to for literally any situation, adds Lewis. Whether they are used for dialog, mobile-surround ambience or a solo cello, there isn't another product line out there that can do everything that DPA's mics can do. The accessories give us configurability, the vast microphone line gives us a freeing flexibility - which is something we especially need on this journey - and the capture of speech, ambience and music is lifelike and pristine. For a project like this, we need voices to be clear and the music has to be stunning, and that's just what we get with DPA. Since DPA spares no expense in development and production, no matter the microphone or application, their mics are really a perfect fit for The Walk to Fisterra.

As Johansen performs at churches along the route to Fisterra, his team will produce recordings and sound maps of each location, which Lewis can then use back in the studio to recreate the audio during film screenings or as background for Johansen's live performances. When we are on the road in often less-than-ideal acoustic environments, it's important to make sure that nothing is lost due to noise or lack of detail, continues Pyke. We're very happy with our selection of DPA mics, which ensure we keep the natural sound of the instrument intact during the recording process.

To prepare for any unique audio challenges that they may encounter at the older venues, Pyke will rely on the cardioid pattern of the DPA d:dicate 4011F and d:vote 4099 mics, to capture sound directly off the instrument. The 4011F, superior for high sound levels and close pickup, will highlight the sound around the cello, while the d:vote 4099, much more natural sounding than any internal microphone or pickup, will be mounted directly on the cello to accurately record the instrument while removing any unwanted noise. Pyke also plans to use his DPA d:dicate 4007A Omni mics to capture in surround sound the reverberations produced by the instruments in the churches, which have an antique architecture that offers unique acoustics. The setup uses a decca tree in front, with two mics spaced at a variable distance and width, to give a sense of depth between venues.

The 4007A's flat response across the frequency spectrum is the perfect tool for capturing the true sound of the hall in both musical recording and impulse responses, shares Pyke. The 4011F offers a colorless pickup yet still retains its musicality, while the 4099 is conveniently small and unobtrusive without losing any detail. Additionally, the 5100, which we use to capture ambience in the venues, offers incredible audio quality in a rugged, easily mounted microphone design.

In order to ensure the recordings offer listeners a true sense of the experience, Pyke must also capture dialogue and the ambience of journey along the Camino. To produce the best results, a combination of a d:mension 5100 Surround, 4017B Shotgun and several d:screet 4061 Miniature mics will be used. The d:mension 5100 comes conveniently packaged for recording surround on the road, as it can be mounted to a camera or boom, while the 4017B shotgun provides everything necessary for clear directional sound regardless of environmental conditions. The d:screet 4061s, though tiny, produce an accurate omnidirectional pattern without need to be aimed directly at the sound source.

The Walk to Fisterra was inspired by Johansen, who feels the voyage is symbolic to his relationship with music. The dedication needed to perfect the Bach Suites requires an artist to continuously pursue a singular goal and therefore is like a pilgrimage, endless and requiring extreme effort, daily commitment and absolute resolve. Johansen and his team hope the performances of Bach's music and visits to mentor young cellists in schools along the Camino during The Walk to Fisterra, will inspire the communities as they speak through the universal language of music

Johansen performs throughout the world as a soloist and chamber musician and he is a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He made his Lincoln Center Debut performing Elliott Ca

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