--
Before pop music artist Halsey set out on her world tour in support of her second album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, the singer's FOH Engineer Vincent Casamatta and Monitor Engineer Scott Wasilk thought it would be the perfect time to compare vocal microphones to ensure the best sound amplification possible while on the road. With many options, the duo thought they were in for a long, drawn out process. Fortunately, the first microphone they tried, the d:facto Vocal Microphone from DPA was also their last.
Casamatta and Wasilk's decision to try the d:facto came after the microphone received high praise from their industry friends and colleagues. Upon using the d:facto, they instantly felt it was a perfect fit. We chose the d:facto because we were looking for a microphone that sounded natural and needed less treatment, says Casamatta. Beyond high pass filtering, and some artist specific cuts, we try to preserve the tone of the equipment. We didn't want a mic that always needed to be de-essed or always needed compression in the low mids.
The d:facto also checked off many other boxes for the engineers. Our list of requirements for choosing a new vocal mic were clear, adds Casamatta. We needed low-handling noise, plenty of open usable high end, tight low mids, good rejection, moderate and usable bleed, as well as consistency between wireless and wired. The d:facto hits in all these areas with a great deal of balance. Halsey noticed the difference in microphone capsules immediately the first time we used the d:facto.
The d:facto was also able to solve some unique audio challenges presented by previous microphones. Every singer and every situation is different, but like other modern pop concerts we have an artist that spends a good deal of time in front of the PA interacting with the crowd, says Wasilk. Rejection and bleed are important issues for monitors and out front. I typically shy away from hyper or supercardioid vocal mics. I have found microphones with tighter patterns that reject more, tend to have a very harsh, almost shotgun mic quality that tends to bleed through. With the d:facto, we don't have that issue. The d:facto has a tight pattern and the bleed making its way into the microphone is more natural and usable than other options we have tried.
Another issue the engineers faced in the past was the lack of usable high-frequency response at the front of house. According to Casamatta, Prior to using the d:facto, we were left to choose between a microphone with good rejection that was very dull, or a microphone with studio quality high end but with a wide pattern. Halsey spends so much time in front of the PA that we need both a great high end and great rejection. The d:facto has clean high frequency response and tight pattern control in a way we haven't experienced before. It has addressed usable high-frequency response at the front of house, which is pretty amazing.
The engineers are also very fond of the mic's design. One of the most thoughtful design features is that the capsule is modular, so you can use it on a wireless transmitter or handheld preamp, just the same, says Wasilk. This gives us consistency on the road. Whether playing arenas or sitting down at a radio station for a few songs acoustically, we can use the same capsule and it sounds identical. The d:facto is an excellent addition to our line up.
In addition to using DPA's d:facto microphone on vocals, the duo is also using four d:vote 4099 instrument microphones on drums. We utilize the 4099s on the floor toms and hi-hats, says Casamatta. They sound great and take EQ well. Also, we like the design of the 4099s because they are discreet and easy to place just about anywhere on the kit. Just like the d:facto, the bleed is natural and easy to work with. We are looking forward to bringing DPA on tour with us in the future.
Halsey's Hopeless Foundation Kingdom World Tour kicked off this fall and included dates in the United States and Canada.
# # #
ABOUT DPA MICROPHONES:
DPA Microphones is the leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high-quality condenser microphone solutions for professional applications. DPA's ultimate goal is to always provide its customers with the absolute finest possible microphone solutions for all its markets, which include live sound, installation, recording, theatre and broadcast. When it comes to the design process, DPA takes no shortcuts. Nor does the company compromise on its manufacturing process, which is done at the DPA factory in Denmark. As a result, DPA's products are globally praised for their exceptional clarity and transparency, unparalleled specifications, supreme reliability and, above all, pure, uncolored and undistorted sound.
For more information, please visit www.dpamicrophones.com
###
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...
15/06/2026
Detach from Direct-Attached: How Remote Editing with EVO Keeps Creative Teams Mo...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
14/06/2026
HBO Comedy Rooster Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton June 14, 2026
0 Comments
Large format brings viewers intimately close to characters.
Black...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
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 has given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what o...
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
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
-- 
