FOH and Monitor Engineers Call on d:facto 4018VL and 4099 CORE to Deliver Big, Warm Rhythmic Sound.
LOS ANGELES In Hip Hop and R&B, it can be difficult to find a microphone solution that allows the artists' natural talent to shine through, but that's exactly what H.E.R.'s Production Manager/Monitor Engineer William Chainey Harpe and FOH engineer Kevin Brown found in DPA Microphones' d:facto 4018VL Vocal Microphone. The duo have collectively worked with some of the biggest recording artists in these genres, including Toni Braxton, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Lil Wayne, Cody Simpson, Outkast and Chris Brown. So, they understand the pressure of delivering the best sound possible to sold-out stadiums, arenas and festivals. When they set out on the Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter's most recent tour, they found that DPA provided the unrivaled sound for which they were looking.
The pair chose the d:facto entirely as a result of Brown's experience using it with Toni Braxton. The fundamental of H.E.R.'s voice is the huge mid-range she has in the timbre of her voice, he explains. The linear response of the d:facto 4018VL capsule actually helps accentuate and pull out that mid-range. Normally, as an engineer, you think about the top-end and the upper mid-range to bring out the presence, but that's not the fundamental of her voice. For the DPA to capture that and give you this big, warm vocal through a PA in a huge arena says a lot about the capsule.
After hearing the 4018VL on H.E.R.'s vocals, Harpe found it to be the best choice he has used in the last couple of years. When Kevin decided to bring the 4018VL out on tour with H.E.R., it was the first time I actually had the opportunity to listen to it, mess with it and use it consistently, he says. It turned out to be a fantastic microphone. I noticed right away that DPA is very consistent even when you hit it hard.
Another strength, according to Brown, is the d:facto's ability to minimize proximity effect. H.E.R. has great mic technicality in pulling away from the capsule when she needs to and staying closer when she wants to, he adds. But the d:facto stays pretty tonally neutral across the spectrum. Supercardioid/hypercardiod mics versus cardioid mics; that's something we've been trying to figure out for years. This d:facto capsule captures it all. It really is the perfect solution for vocals.
The duo also finds that their workflow is smoother with the use of the DPA mics. For me, there is definitely less filtering, says Chainey. We have two very dynamic background singers who also use the d:facto sometimes to add more harmony to H.E.R's lead line, so we might have a lot more presence in the mix, whereas other times we don t. So, we end up with several mixes, with each one positioned differently. I usually set the gain structure and do minimal adjustments, but otherwise it really holds that consistency in the texture and timbre from song to song. It's unlike any other capsule I have ever used.
Brown, meanwhile, is always cutting and speeding up annoying frequencies in competitor capsules. With the DPAs, I can run with just a high-pass and a low-pass, and maybe a boost, and I m okay. I loosen the top-end because it's so linear and I let the vocals do the rest of the work. It's really that simple.
In addition to the d:facto vocal mic, the duo also utilizes DPA's 4099 CORE instrument mics on H.E.R.'s touring drum kit. A lot of times when I m mixing other mics on drums, I go back and forth moving and testing, says Chainey. The 4099 CORE mics sound so natural. I noticed that if we have them in a good position, we're pretty much set to go. There is never a lot of phasing or cross pattern between the drums; I really enjoy the sound we get.
Brown and Chainey aren't the only ones to become DPA believers. The day following H.E.R.'s Grammy performance, she appeared on The Ellen Show. We took the DPA mics over to the show in hopes of using them for that performance as well, adds Brown. Ellen's long-time in-house audio team were reluctant to swap out their mic, but ultimately agreed to let us use DPA. At the conclusion of the show, Ellen's broadcast engineer stated that the DPA's were the best mics he had ever heard.
Performance isn't everything for Brown and Chainey. For me it's also about customer service, says Brown. It's one thing to get a great technical product, it's another to be able to call a rep and, within 24 hours, have someone from the company drive to your rehearsals to drop off the capsule or gear you need. When world-class products are matched by world-class customer service, its noticed. Everyone at DPA has been exceptional.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
13/11/2026
The UIM E1 Series wraps its third season this week with the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP, Nov. 11-14, on Biscayne Bay at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island...
13/11/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
13/11/2026
Singer-songwriter Benson Boone will headline entertainment for the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles St...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, a 7th order ambisonic microphone array that captures spatial audio for immersive video prod...
13/11/2026
SMPTE has announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infrastructure and communications technology for the Solutions Hub at t...
13/11/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, which takes place Feb. 14-18, 2027, in La ...
13/11/2026
Football Manager 27 Touch is available on Apple Arcade starting today. The game ...
13/11/2026
MotoGP has announced a two-year media rights agreement with ESPN covering the Un...
13/11/2026
Apple Sports, the free iPhone app, has added the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to its lineup of supported sports, in time for Saturday's UFC 334. The...
13/11/2026
The NBA and Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and entertainme...
13/11/2026
ESPN held its annual EDGE Innovation Conference last night and offered up an ove...
13/11/2026
Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be pla...
13/11/2026
Studer-inspired 500-series PWM compressor unveiled
The HLabs range already includes a couple of Studer-inspired offerings in the form of the PRE169 and EQ16...
13/11/2026
Download Now!
To view the white paper, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name
Company*
Country* Please select your countryA...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
Beginning today, November 13, Apple HomeView is available for purchase at Apple Store locations, on the Apple Store online, and in the Apple Store app in select...
13/11/2026
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients.
Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
12/11/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its fifth a...
12/11/2026
RTL Deutschland will bring the NHL to free-to-air TV in Germany starting Nov. 30...
12/11/2026
Clear-Com supported On Air 2026, a 24-hour student-led broadcast connecting 45 u...
12/11/2026
uniqFEED has opened a Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Madrid, Spain. It is already operational, delivering virtual advertising for LaLiga matches. The ROC is ...
12/11/2026
Disney, ESPN and the NBA will present Dunk the Halls, the third real-time animated NBA game using Sony's Beyond Sports data visualization technology, on Chr...
12/11/2026
Van Wagner has launched Van Wagner RELAY, a digital platform for official athlet...
12/11/2026
Deal brings together two of the industry's most established graphics brands and significantly expands Vizrt's footprint in U.S. sports and regional broa...
12/11/2026
Euro TV Production GmbH of Austria has upgraded its outside broadcast vehicle with Lawo technology. The mc 36 Classic console in service since 2019 was replaced...
12/11/2026
Tagboard has launched Spark Resize, an AI-assisted tool now in beta that takes an existing graphic and produces a new version for a different aspect ratio or sc...
FOH and Monitor Engineers Call on d:facto 4018VL and 4099 CORE to Deliver Big, Warm Rhythmic Sound.
