Sound Designer Gareth Owen Relies on Brand's Instrument and Headset Mics for Versatile and Reliable Live Audio
Known for crafting flawless audio for musicals such as Bat Out Of Hell, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Beauty and the Beast and Sister Act, Sound Designer Gareth Owen recently worked his magic on the Broadway hit, & Juliet. As a completely self-taught audio designer, Owen has always aspired to incorporate only the best techniques and high-end equipment into his workflow. Now a seasoned professional with countless musical credits and awards, Owen's work on & Juliet recently earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Sound Design of a Musical. This recognition can be credited in part to the crystal clear sound of Owen's trusted DPA Microphones solutions, which for this show include the 4066 CORE Omnidirectional Headset Microphones, as well as the 4015 Wide Cardioid, 4099 Instrument and the new 4055 Kick Drum Microphones.
A long-time user of DPA, Owen regularly turns to the brand's 4066 CORE Headset Mics for cast members. I think I probably use 4066s in one format or another on pretty much every show I do, he explains. Even if the show isn't using boom mics on the side of the face, I can still get the 4066 down the forehead without having to put ugly tape on the face. Plus, I have yet to find another headset microphone that delivers the same audio quality that the 4066 does, especially while being placed in such odd positions and staying there! They survive the rigors of pulling, pushing and moving; sweat, tears and fake blood; being ripped off the head and getting caught on costumes. I'm always impressed by how well they survive.
When it came time to consider mics for the drum kit, Owen found himself testing out DPA's new 4055 Kick Drum Mic. This is the first time in a long time that I'm using a different kick drum mic, but it has turned out to be a very nice departure from my usual choice: I'm very much enjoying it, he says. What I'm finding about the 4055 is that unlike many kick drum mics, it's not designed to sound very specific. DPA is known for its transparency and, at first, I was concerned about it working for multiple genres, but I found that I was able to EQ the 4055 quite easily. I could make it sound like the public perception of a pop kick drum while also making it sound like a classical music kick drum.
According to Owen, the unique, genre-defying EQ capabilities of the 4055 are unlike anything he has ever seen. In the past, when I've had different music styles for the same instruments, I've had to use multiple mics, with each set to sound a particular way, he explains. I don't have to do any of that with the DPA 4055. That was very eye-opening for me; it wasn't something that I expected. My original worries ended up not being a concern at all.
Beyond the 4055, Owen also outfitted the ride cymbals and hi-hats with DPA's 4015 Wide Cardioid microphones, which he notes work really well individually and when paired with the 4055. One of the things that DPA is very good at is off-axis rejection, he explains. That, combined with the very small size of the microphones and the ability to separate the capsule from the preamp, means you're able to get the DPAs into very tight positions particularly in percussion rigs. Many times, percussion setups in theatres can be very tight because you have a lot of gear packed into a very small room. The fact that you can get a microphone into a very tight position and have great off-axis rejection is extremely useful. It lets you focus on what it is you need without picking up too much of the audio around it.
Owen also consistently relies on DPA's 4099 Instrument Mics, which he utilized on this show for the strings section. The 4099 is just a really fabulous mic, he says. Since the day it was released, I don't think I've ever used anything else on strings. I use 4099s for everything, just with different clips because it's such a versatile mic. Sometimes I think that you could almost do anything with a 4099. They're a great investment, too. You know you're going to get a great life out of one of these mics. I am often quite amazed at their durability and at how well they survive getting thrown on the floor in the orchestra pit.
For the rest of the orchestra, Owen selected DPA's 4011 Cardioids for the brass and reed instruments. A d&b XLS line array PA system, Avid mixing desk and Shure radio mics also keep the show running smoothly behind the scenes.
After wrapping sound design for & Juliet, Owen got right to work on Broadway's Bad Cinderella, where he continues to rely on DPA for the brand's authentic audio and space-saving solutions. With the exception of a few drums and the French horn, almost all the microphones are DPA, he says. The 4099s are on all of the strings, including double bass, cello and acoustic guitar. The cast has 4066s, plus there are DPAs on the guitars and keyboards, and 4011s on the reeds and brass. For the drum kit, we have 4015s on cymbals and hi-hats and 4018s on snare bottom. These pencil mics are what first attracted me to DPA they're small and very easy to position in places that you just can't get a normal pencil mic. We have a 4015 tucked underneath every single cymbal on the drum kit, and you'd never be able to do that with another brand.
With such a long history working with the brand, Owen anticipates DPA staying in his workflow for all future projects. I started out with DPA 4099 instrument mics for orchestras and the legacy 4022s on reed instruments, he finishes. These days, if it's strings, drum, brass or reeds, they've usually got a DPA on them. Considering the durability and transparency, plus that off-axis rejection, there's jus
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
06/12/2025
In a live broadcast from the Reagan National Defense Forum, L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher Kubasik joined Morgan Brennan on CNBCs Closing Bell: Overtime. Ku...
06/12/2025
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A new survey from Pixitmedia by Datacore revealed a major shift in the Media & Entertainment industry in media archiving, with 85% of resp...
06/12/2025
HACKENSACK, N.J. LiveU has announced that the national public broadcaster Czech Television has completed one of the largest LiveU live production deployments fo...
06/12/2025
NEW YORK The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) presented the Excellence in Production Technology Emmy Award to NASA+ and Dr. Tom Leight...
05/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Curt Gowdy Jr. - Master Storyteller, Nati...
05/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Veritone's Sean King on the Power of Mining Video, Audio DataThe company's Data Refinery offers users total control and governance over da...
05/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: Inside the Nashville Predators' Unified, Flexible, Sca...
05/12/2025
Netflix Reaches Agreement To Acquire Warner Bros. Following Planned WBD SplitThe deal does not include WBDs sports assets like TNT Sports (US, UK, LatAm), Euros...
05/12/2025
FOX Sports Returns to Indianapolis for Primetime Broadcast of Big Ten Championsh...
05/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Digital Engagement & Monetization Workshop Tackles the ...
05/12/2025
Atlanta United Lights Up New Emory Healthcare Studio With First Live Broadcast f...
05/12/2025
As Messi Takes the Pitch, MLS, Apple, NEP Roll Out Largest MLS Cup Production Ev...
05/12/2025
ESPN Enters College Football's Most Intense Month With Elevated Workflows fo...
05/12/2025
It's about that time! Awards season is in full swing, and the Film Independe...
05/12/2025
Every year, Spotify Wrapped offers a personalized look back at the audio that defined your year. It's a snapshot of your listening habits, designed to tell ...
05/12/2025
In 2025, Spotify's EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR programs celebrated women, LGBTQIA , and emerging artists who turned moments into milestones. From breaking record...
05/12/2025
In our latest blog, we explain how Wi-Fi 7 rollouts can drive consumer loyalty with value-add services such as consumer cybersecurity. We also explore how this ...
05/12/2025
LOS ANGELES Netflix announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion....
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Nielsens Gracenote has launched Gracenote Content Connect, a new ad platform that provides agencies, brands, supply-side platforms (SSPs) and demand-si...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK In an most important update to the workings of deal-based programmatic advertising, IAB Tech Lab has released version 1.0 of its Deals API for public c...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Pass the turkey. Pass the stuffing. Pass the cranberry sauce. All are common requests of Americans celebrating Thanksgiving Day with family and f...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Iris, the new cloud-connected camera control platform, has officially launched with features that turn virtually any PTZ camera into a software-connect...
05/12/2025
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. Netflix announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion....
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Iris, the new cloud-connected camera control platform, has officially launched with features that turn virtually any PTZ camera into a software-connect...
05/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has approved AT&T's $1.02 billion acquisition of spectrum from UScellular in a decision that was issued sho...
05/12/2025
The Best Coldplay Songs: 21 Tracks That Shoot for the Stars From Yellow to Viva La Vida, Fix You to Paradise, this playlist goes back to the start.
December ...
05/12/2025
Zafris Lecture Series Brings Nabil Ayers to Berklee The 32nd annual James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture series was held on Thursday, November 13, with guest...
05/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the First Look for Land of Sin' - Premier...
05/12/2025
Introducing New Perks to Help You Get Even More from LinkedIn Premium Published on Dec 5, 2025 Categories: Company News, Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Co...
05/12/2025
Friday 5 December 2025
A new Game of Thrones Tale: Official trailer for Sky Exc...
05/12/2025
Back to All News
Don Lee, Lee Jin-uk, and Lalisa Manobal to Star in Netflix Act...
05/12/2025
Tis the season of giving once again and this year we've taken our Give Back Fridays' concept and turned it on its head.
In the autumn we were approach...
05/12/2025
Brayden Gogis doesn't remember a time when he wasn't completely fixated on games in all forms. In preschool, when they asked us to dress up as what we ...
05/12/2025
The Grinch steals the spotlight as the theme for The Late Late Toy Show 2025
Tune in tonight at 9:35pm on RT One and worldwide on RT Player
#LateLateToyShow...
05/12/2025
RT Announces New Presenters of Flagship News Programmes
New RT Six One News co-presenter Tommy Meskill
Sarah McInerney & Justin McCarthy join Morning Ir...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & ...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir AJA Ki Pro Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & just:in linux
More Details:Starting with version 5.5, both just:in mac pro and just:in linux sol...
04/12/2025
Wangu Kanuri from Kenya and Godwin Asediba from Ghana are two of this years finalists for Thomsons Young Journalist of the Year Award. The pair are runners-up i...
04/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: ProximaVision's Claudio Lisman on Why Tethered Drones Could Be...
04/12/2025
SVG Campus Shot Callers: Imry Halevi, Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Co...
04/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: LiveU Lightweight Sports Production: A Step Change in Spor...
04/12/2025
London to Riyadh: DAZN brings the boxing glamour to new production levels for Be...
04/12/2025
Analysis: Paramount bets on the battering ram' with Champions League play By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 - 10:12
Print ...
04/12/2025
Space City Home Network Launches SCHN DTC App for Astros and RocketsThe Rockets and Astros were previously the lone NBA and MLB teams without a DTC appBy Jason...
04/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Content Workflows Workshop Spotlights Evolution of Spor...
04/12/2025
New Sponsor Spotlight: Geotech's Patrick Wambold On the Unreal Engine Revolu...
04/12/2025
Curt Gowdy Jr. - Master Storyteller, Nationally and RegionallyBy Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Thursday, December 4, 2025 - 1:52 pm
Print This Sto...
04/12/2025
(L-R) Rebecca Lichtenfeld, Mohammadreza Eyni, Sara Khaki, and Judith Helfand att...
Sound Designer Gareth Owen Relies on Brand's Instrument and Headset Mics for Versatile and Reliable Live Audio
