Dedicated to the art of music engineering, Simphiwe Smooth Mhlanga spent years training and honing his skills as a freelance sound engineer for both broadcast and live music, and his hard work has paid off. With a growing reputation, Smooth has become the top choice for some of South Africa's most promising talents, including the likes of Jabulani Sjava Hadebe, a singer, rapper and actor, as well as Kiernan Forbes, the late rapper and producer known as AKA. Additionally, as Sub-Saharan African music has recently seen an impressive surge in music sales and an increase in streams on all popular music platforms, Smooth's experience is needed now more than ever.
This global recognition for the musical style has opened the door for artists, producers and engineers from the region to showcase their talents and compete on an equal footing to their colleagues in more established markets. That's why, when Smooth gets tasked with miking live shows, the engineer knows he needs a high-quality solution that highlights both his and the performers' skills. Whether performing for 2,000 people or 10,000, the artists require a mic that offers pristine sound replication and the versatility to problem-solve on the spot. Working with DPA Specialist Keith Karimi from ApexPro in South Africa, Smooth selected the DPA Microphones 2028 Vocal Microphone to benefit all of Smooth's production work.
The DPA 2028 is a handheld vocal condenser mic that can be used wired or wirelessly and is perfect for capturing the energy of high-intensity performances. It is specifically designed for the live stage, and offers exceptional sound quality, transparency and versatility, explains Karimi.
This investment in DPA was a bold step for Smooth, who recognized the benefits of the solution for artists of all genres. Many performers may not initially be aware of the difference a top-quality microphone can make, he explains. However, once they've experienced DPA mics firsthand, they come to appreciate them greatly. The tonal quality that the 2028 achieves for vocal performances and spoken word is unmatched. It also has a dynamic range that is ideal for many artistic styles. Whether a singer is whispering the quietest lyrics or performing a louder, more intense song, DPA provides a consistent and desirable tone.
The benefits of the 2028 go beyond the artist's performance on the engineering side, Smooth has found that the response and EQ issues he previously experienced were solved once introducing DPA into his workflow. With the 2028, there are so few EQ changes needed; it is outstanding, he says. This is true for any of my clients who use the 2028. The mic is sensitive enough to allow more gain before feedback, but rugged enough to hold up on the road and during live shows. The 2028 has been more than worth the investment.
Having high-quality gear like the DPA 2028 is something that Smooth prides himself on being able to offer his clients. In turn, he has gained the respect of many of Africa's upcoming artists. He made the decision early on in his career to invest in top-tier microphones to ensure that the local artists with which he works receive the same level of professionalism in their equipment.
Being a freelance sound engineer is an incredible learning experience, Smooth shares. You are only as good as your last job and there are no second chances. This has taught me the value of having professional quality, well-maintained equipment that meets the highest industry standards on every single gig. DPA Microphones has provided that for me every time.
Smooth began his sound engineering career while still in high school, when he joined the production crew at Hope Restoration Ministries in Gauteng, South Africa. This experience led him to a passion for the art and the subsequent pursuit of formal training, specializing in film, television, radio and broadcast. Now, as a freelance sound engineer, he often collaborates with other like-minded young professionals to provide live production, outside broadcast and post-production services to creative and corporate clients in the region. He also credits his homeland for helping him grow his dedication, talent and vision, and hopes to increase visibility for South African music throughout the world.
As the beats of African music continue to captivate the world, the sound engineered by Smooth with the use of DPA will transform the way everyone experiences the style, adds Karimi.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it's given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what ...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First-Look Images from Villaflor, Santiago Mitre's New Film
Entertainment
12 June 2026
GlobalArgentina
Link copied to ...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Cross the Boundaries of the Real World into the Spirit Realm i...
12/06/2026
With John Daro, DI Colourist at Warner Bros. Water Tower Color Tuesday 23 June, 10am-1pm or 3-6pm
Restar Corporation
Tokyo
Register here
John Daro is the ...
12/06/2026
Meet The Grumpy Onion Ireland's newest online sensation, all he wants is to ...
12/06/2026
RT stays Up All Night with brand new daily 2026 FIFA World Cup Vodcast
Adding to the fun around 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, RT has launched a brand new d...
12/06/2026
A fentanyl countermeasure that adapts to combat future black-market drugs Scripps Research scientists developed a vaccine that teaches the immune system to rapi...
11/06/2026
The immense size of the tourney and its Atlantic-spanning operation also disting...
11/06/2026
Nielsen has released a new soccer fandom consumer research report, The Fans Behind The Game: FIFA World Cup 2026 Edition, examining the soccer audience in the...
Dedicated to the art of music engineering, Simphiwe Smooth Mhlanga spent years training and honing his skills as a freelance sound engineer for both broadcast and live music, and his hard work has paid off. With a growing reputation, Smooth has become the top choice for some of South Africa's most promising talents, including the likes of Jabulani Sjava Hadebe, a singer, rapper and actor, as well as Kiernan Forbes, the late rapper and producer known as AKA. Additionally, as Sub-Saharan African music has recently seen an impressive surge in music sales and an increase in streams on all popular music platforms, Smooth's experience is needed now more than ever. 
