Studio and Live Sound Engineer Andrea Pellegrini worked with the Peter Erskine Quartet in Italy, delivering sound quality thanks to a selection of microphones from DPA Microphones for 22 live performances.
The engineer deployed a combination of DPA 4099 Instrument Mics on the piano, saxophone, double bass and snare drum, along with 4011 Cardioid Condensers as overhead mics and a 4055 for the kick drum.
“Being able to work with such a superstar quartet was an incredible opportunity,” said Pellegrini. “I brought my DPA microphones with me because I know how great they are; using those mics ensured the highest quality sound for each performance, capturing the dynamic range and tonal quality that jazz music demands. The microphones were essential in maintaining the integrity and quality of the sound, allowing for quick and efficient sound checks and set-ups.”
Pellegrini explained that with a jazz quartet, while the microphone setup might be simple, “jazz music can be very tricky to mic because it’s about dynamics, tone and quality of sound. Jazz music really caters to the audiophiles, so I needed to make sure it was perfect. The tone of DPA’s microphones is what sets them apart. You just place them, turn up the volume and they sound great.”
When it comes to placement, Pellegrini says that DPA played a crucial role in perfecting the sound. “If you pay attention to the original positioning of the microphones — which is a golden rule — you never have to fix or adjust the placement,” he explained. “For this show, we used only three stands. Since this was a jazz quartet, they want to play as close together as possible to be able to hear each other acoustically. If you use a lot of mic stands, it becomes too complicated because the instruments get in the way.”
Though each stop along the tour route took place at vastly different venues — indoor jazz clubs and outdoor park squares alike – Pellegrini says his setup at each was the same and that the microphones performed equally well in every location. “After I got my mics hooked up to the system that B&H Italy delivered, the first sound check was maybe 15 minutes at most,” he added. “I didn’t need to do anything other than put the mics in the correct positions and turn up the volume. There was no EQ or compression, except some reverb on the sax and piano. The group was pleasantly surprised at how fast set up was and how fantastic it all sounded.”
Pellegrini’s relationship with DPA dates back over 15 years, becoming a staple in Pellegrini’s work, both in the studio and on stage. For the Erskine shows, Pellegrini recorded every performance, capturing both live mixes and multitrack recordings. An album featuring the quartet’s live performances is planned for release later this year.
“The DPA microphones played the most important role for my job during the tour,” added Pellegrini. “The reliability and sound quality of those solutions made the entire experience seamless and enjoyable for everyone involved.”
