For the past three and half decades, veteran FOH Engineer Doug Kimball has toured
the world with some of music’s biggest names. When Kimball heads out on the road,
his goal is simple: to deliver the best possible sound night in and night out. On
Kimball’s current tour with Tears for Fears, he relies on a range of solutions from DPA
Microphones.

Kimball was first introduced to DPA by his colleagues. “My sound engineering friends
were raving about DPA, and that peaked my interest,’ says Kimball. “After doing some
research and having additional discussions, I decided to use DPA on the Tears for
Fears 2017 Tour. In the short time that I have been using DPA, I have been very
impressed. I now understand why my peers were so high on DPA.’

For vocals on the tour, Kimball is using DPA’s d:facto™ Vocal Microphones. “The
d:facto vocal microphones are more natural sounding and have a better rejection than
anything I have used in the past. The guys in the band quickly noticed how their
vocals sounded and liked what they heard. Their voices were natural without being
coloured by the microphone.’

In addition to the d:facto mics for vocals, Kimball is also using DPA’s d:vote™ 4099D
Instrument Microphone for Drums on toms and d:dicate™ 2011C Cardioid mics on hi-
hats. “The d:vote 4099D allows for high-quality audio capture on the toms,’ adds
Kimball. “Not only are they very small and stay out of the way, but they require no EQ
and deliver an amazingly natural sound. I am blown away by the results.’

Since adding DPA microphones to his inventory, Kimball has quickly become a
believer. “DPA Microphones are a wonderful addition to my touring equipment
package. With DPA, I am confident that I am providing the best possible sound
reproduction available on the market today. All of DPA’s microphones require less
EQing and that’s a great feature. These will be my microphones of choice for ALL
future tours.’

Kimball began his career in the music engineering industry in 1980. During that time,
he has worked with an incredible list of bands and musicians including Meatloaf, Jason
Bonham, Collective Soul, Aerosmith, David Lee Roth, Idina Menzel, Whitesnake,
Heart, Rob Thomas, Melissa Etheridge, Christina Aguilera, Motorhead, Lady Gaga,
Cyndi Lauper, Goo Goo Dolls, Foreigner, Velvet Revolver, Chicago, Lifehouse, Billy Idol,
Alanis Morrisette, Pat Benatar and Doobie Brothers.