DPA Helps Ivan Rutherford Bring Broadway to Hong Kong

The actor and singer, who has performed the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables over 2,000 times on Broadway, was looking for a microphone that could deliver exceptional sound quality and clarity through a large venue sound system. He also wanted a hand held microphone so that he could move freely on stage while he sang a series of Broadway hits dating from the 1930s to the present day. DPA's d:facto Vocal Microphone fitted the bill perfectly. Rutherford used the microphone in a wireless configuration with a Sennheiser Wireless System, which made movement possible and allowed him to deliver a vocal performance that was memorable for the audience.

"I had never used a DPA microphone before and I was very pleased with the experience," Rutherford says. "I was impressed with the intensity of the sound and the mobility it allowed onstage, which gave me great freedom to make unobstructed connections with my audience. I also enjoyed the feel and weight of the microphone in my hand, and found that it helped give me the necessary confidence for a one man performance. I would very much enjoy working with a DPA mic again."

Rutherford's show, entitled A Taste of Broadway, took place at the Academic Community Hall in Hong Kong. Mr. Clarence Chang, from Jazz World Live Series that organized the concert, says: "The only instrument on stage was a grand piano, which was also miked with DPA – a matched pair of d:dicate™ 4011A Cardiod Microphones in A-B configuration to capture the main piano signal and d:vote™ 4099 Instrument Microphones in a stereo piano kit configuration to provide additional percussive effect from the hammers. This proved to be a very successful formula because the piano sounded fantastic – really crisp and lively, yet with all the body and warmth one would expect from a top of the range instrument."

Ken Kimura, DPA’s General Manager for the APAC region, and Ricky Wan, from DPA's Hong Kong distributor Digital Media Technology, were on hand to ensure the optimal microphone set up.

"The d:facto Vocal Microphone in a wireless configuration was a perfect match for Ivan Rutherford as it enabled him to move freely, while capturing every nuance of his voice," Kimura says. "When you have a two hour show that only consists of a singer and grand piano, you really need that artist to be super talented and to have a great voice. Ivan Rutherford had both of these attributes in abundance and gave a fantastic performance."

About DPA
DPA Microphones is the leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high quality condenser microphone solutions for professional applications. DPA’s ultimate goal is to provide you – whether you’re in live sound, recording, theater or broadcast – with the absolute finest possible microphone solutions for your tasks. DPA takes no shortcuts in the design processes nor makes any compromises in manufacturing, which is all 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.