Lawson Reinvents Chopin with DPA Microphones

Chad Lawson used his Steinway piano to create a slightly muted, ethereal sound, captured entirely by DPA microphones. To translate the desired mood into his latest recording, Lawson wanted a mic solution that would illustrate the internal workings of his Steinway for his latest album, which was recorded in his home studio using the d:dicate 4011A Cardioid Stereo Kit. Introduced to him by an engineer during his previous record, Lawson now relies on the mics for projecting the most accurate natural sound of his piano.

“I have used many great microphones in major recording studios, and the pair of DPA 4011As really did the job by capturing every nuance of each note, giving me the exact sound I was looking to portray,” says Lawson. “I was trying to find a way to really highlight a certain sound, in addition to the movement of the piano action itself, and I found the 4011As simply recreated the entire life of the performance.”

Breaking away from more traditional piano miking schemes where a stereo pair would be placed over the harp and sound board, Lawson experimented with the 4011As by placing the stereo pair over the hammers, just close enough to deliver a sense of the mechanical workings of the piano, but far enough away for the listener to hear the full, albeit muted, frequency range of the instrument.

“I worked with several placements for the microphones, especially concerning the stereo field. DPA’s microphones are so accurate that I simply placed one mic over the treble strings and one over the bass section,” continues Lawson. “I give full credit to the 4011As, they’re just so unbelievable in the way they rendered the tone of what I was trying to do. Since using the 4011A microphones, I have definitely become an advocate for DPA and its products.”

The Chopin Variations is Lawson’s fourth album. Additional albums include his first solo album, Set on a Hill (2009), produced and recorded by Grammy® Award-winner and founder of the Windham Hill Label, Will Ackerman, The Piano (2011) and The Space Between (2013).
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