DPA Brings Out The Wood' and Air' In Dave Swift's Bass
The first time bassist Dave Swift used a DPA d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphone to amplify his double bass, he was so blown away by the sound that he decided to make the d:vote his only microphone.
The sound coming out of my bass monitor was simply incredible, he says. The d:vote captured every little nuance of my playing and I could really hear the wood and air in the notes. I was so impressed that I decided to buy one and it is now the only microphone I would consider using. What's interesting is that everyone has commented on how brilliantly it performs. Sound engineers have the biggest smile on their faces when they discover I have a DPA and they all say the same thing: well done for using the best clip-on mic on the market'. Every engineer tells me it is now the industry standard mic, particularly for amplified strings, and it makes me very happy and extremely confident to know that Im using the best product available for my needs.
Dave Swift has been the bassist for Jools Holland's Rhythm & Blues Orchestra since 1991 and during this time he has played with an enormous range of artists including Al Jarreau, George Benson, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Paul Weller, BB King and many more. Swift has also toured across the globe with Jools Holland, as well as performing on his hugely popular Later with Jools Holland' TV show, which attracts millions of viewers on BBC2. Swift is also the bassist on The Jools Holland Show on BBC Radio 2 and has recorded several multi-platinum selling albums and DVDs with Jools and his band.
When Swift is not playing with Jools Holland he works as a freelance session musician. Over the summer he is touring with comedian, game show host and singer Alexander Armstrong, but he will be back with Jools Holland by the end of the year for a tour that will feature guests such as Roland Gift and former Spice Girl Melanie C. Dave Swift believes his DPA d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphone has made an enormous difference to both his live and his recorded sessions.
He was introduced to the microphone by DPA's UK distributor Sound Network while he was recording Later .With Jools Holland'. At the time he was using Fishman pickups, but he wanted a microphone that could capture more of the acoustic quality of his double bass so he decided to try a DPA because he had heard such good things about the brand.
I'm really impressed with this microphone, especially with the way it fits so easily and simply onto the strings beyond the tailpiece, Swift says. It doesn't involve any clamping' to the actual body of the bass, so it allows the instrument to resonate to its full potential. It is also very quick and easy to remove the mic without causing any damage whatsoever to the instrument - and another feature I really like is the extension gooseneck attachment. This allows even greater placement range for the mic itself, giving many options of where to position it, which is very useful as players tend to have different ideas about where best to position a mic on a Double Bass for their particular requirements. In my case, for example, I tend to position my DPA an inch or so from the central belly' of the bass, but I've seen other players have the DPA mic above the bridge, hovering over the strings themselves. That's what is so great about this mic and its mounting system. Its just so flexible and accommodating.
Fellow musicians, including Jools Holland, have been equally impressed with Dave Swift's DPA microphone.
Jools is very particular when it comes to the sound of a double bass - he loves the true, vintage old school' sound of the instrument, which is why I use Pirastro gut and synthetic strings on my Double Bass, Swift says. However, it was only when I started using the DPA mic that Jools eyes lit up because he was finally hearing the full potential of the bass, and could really hear the gut' in those strings. He loves my DPA mic and on every gig and session he asks if I've brought it with me. I always tell him not to worry because the DPA never leaves my bass under any circumstances - I couldnt play without it now.
Swift adds that the DPA d:vote 4099 microphone has not only transformed his amplified sound, but has also significantly enhanced the whole process of performing and recording.
Any musician who needs to amplify their instrument should check out DPA microphones, he says. They really are the industry standard and I have never encountered a better product.
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DPA Brings Out The Wood' and Air' In Dave Swift's Bass
