Danish singer Lukas Forchhammer, the frontman of the band Lukas Graham, is delighted with DPA’s new linear d:facto Vocal Microphone, which is helping the band deliver an exceptionally natural sound during its current European tour.

Lukas Graham’s production manager and Front of House sound engineer Frank Grønbæk is equally delighted, stating that the microphone has made it possible to significantly reduce the amount of processing needed.

“I’m a big fan of d:facto Vocal Microphones and I’ve had very good experiences using them with other artists,” Grønbæk says.

“When I started working with Lukas Graham in 2012, I recommended that he switched to d:facto because his voice has such a wide dynamic range and I knew this microphone would be able to capture that. Also, we have a good relationship with Wisycom and that was another deciding factor because DPA’s flexible adapter system allows us to use the microphone with our wireless system of choice.”

Grønbæk adds that DPA approached him and asked if he would like to demo its new linear capsule, which at that stage was still in development.

“We were very happy to give it a try,” he says.

“The difference was immediately apparent – the original d:facto was good, but this capsule was much better at handling high end frequencies and gives us absolutely no issues with feedback.”

Officially launched at ProLight & Sound 2016, DPA’s new capsule has an extremely linear frequency response compared to the original d:facto Vocal Microphone, which has a 3 dB soft boost at 12 kHz.

Featuring an isolation-optimized supercardioid polar pattern that is specifically designed to augment the human vocal range, the d:facto Vocal Microphone combines the best cardioid and supercardioid directional characteristics, ensuring complete focus on the sound source with minimum bleed. This allows them to deliver high separation, natural sound and SPL handling up to 160 dB.

“It has an exceptionally clean sound at all frequencies and this allows us to capture all the nuances of Lukas’ rich voice,” Grønbæk says.

“It works very well in the PA, but equally important – especially to Lukas and our monitor engineer Rasmus Valentin – is that it sounds great through his in-ear monitors. The whole experience has been very positive and we’re thrilled with the results.”

Since the launch of their self-titled debut album on Copenhagen Records in 2012, Lukas Graham has become one of the most successful acts in Denmark. Their early home success quickly translated to the rest of Europe and in 2013 they were co-signed to Warner Bros. Records. The band’s first singles, Mama Said and 7 Years, were released worldwide with the latter topping various international charts. They are now touring the world to promote their second album, Lukas Graham (Blue Album), which was released last year.

On stage, Frank Grønbæk is using DPA microphones to amplify the other members of the band – Mark Falgren on drums, Magnus Larsson on bass and Kasper Daugaard/Morten Ristorp on keyboards. There is also a horn section consisting of saxophone, trombone and trumpet.

“I’ve got d:dicate 2011C microphones on the top snare and high hat, d:dicate 4011 microphones as overheads and d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones on the bottom snare, toms and horns,” Grønbæk explains.

“This tour is the first time I’ve used d:vote Instrument Microphones and we’re having great success with them. Their strength lies in the fact that they deliver clear, detailed sound. With these mics being so tiny, you can get really close to the instrument’s sound source, which means there is very little bleed. What you have is virtually transparent audio that is much easier to control in the mix. It is certainly much better than any other microphone set up I have used in the past.”

Grønbæk adds that the small size of the d:vote Instrument Microphones has another advantage – they are much better for TV and broadcast work.

”I know this isn’t relevant to live productions, but when you are doing TV it is nice to have such a tiny microphone that doesn’t draw attention to itself through LED or sim lights,” he says.

Grønbæk has been a sound engineer since 2000 and has worked with many artists including famous Danish artists like Lis Soerensen, Hej Matematik, Anne Linnet and Sanne Salomonsen. He first came into contact with DPA microphones when he was studying at the Rythmic Conservatorium in Copenhagen and now uses the company’s products on most of his tours.

Lukas Graham is currently in Denmark preparing for various concerts over the summer. In November, the band will be heading to the USA before moving on to Australia and Japan in the New Year.

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