DPK SMK 4062 Mics

Here is a review I did for Technologies For Worship Magazine…

If it’s at all possible to fall In love with a mic (I hope my wife doesn’t take this personally) – I have to say that I love these mics.

For those of you who have never heard of DPA Microphones, they are not new to the world of microphones. With over 25 years of experience, they specialize in hi-SPL condenser mics that are ideal for close micing situations.

In their words, their philosophy is “to provide microphones without coloration.” They also claim that their microphones can be used on virtually any instrument because of their “naturalness.” Although I wasn’t able to fully test this claim, I was impressed with the instruments I did use the mic with. When I checked out their list of users I found an impressive roster that included Jay Leno, the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo, the British Company Theatre, the Sydney Opera House, Disney and the San Diego Symphony.

As a worship leader of a church, I am constantly looking for new ways to improve the quality of the sound reproduction for instruments. I’m not one who reads tech sheets. I have to experience it for myself. I don’t really care how many people are using the product. I have to convince my ears.

When dealing with varying levels of expertise, availability and consistency of sound personnel the quality of the microphones we use become vital. I may not have an engineer that knows how to fix the sound of a lesser quality mic using the elaborate EQ of each channel. The more accurate the sound reproduction from the mic, the easier it is for them to do their job.

Particularly challenging are micing live acoustic instruments, like acoustic pianos, and getting enough volume without feedback in a full band environment. I must admit that I was initially skeptical that the mics would either pick up too much and be unusable or that they would distort or clip due to high sound pressure levels. I was surprised to find that we were able to achieve both great sound quality and volume from DPA’s SMK4061 stereo mic kit with no clipping or distorting.

The SMK4061 stereo mic kit has been designed for live and recording applications, specifically for acoustic piano. Along with the two hand-selected 4061 mics come a variety of accessories for mounting, including both magnetic and adhesive mounts and a pair of boundary-layer mounts that allow for a range of nearly invisible mounting options. Lid up or closed, these mics capture the instrument with musical accuracy and detail.

For those of you who are tech heads, the 4061 are omnidirectional miniature condenser mics. When I say miniature I mean miniature, like the size of a pencil eraser. The mics have a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz with a 3 db soft boost from 8-20 kHz and wide dynamic range of 97dB. But what makes these mics ideal for live situations is the fact that the max SPL before peaking or clipping is 144 dB and the total harmonic distortion is less than 1% up to 123 dB SPL. In layman’s terms that means great sound reproduction in close micing situations with no clipping or distorting. Amazing!!!

In our particular situation, the piano we were placing the mics in was a formerly white Yamaha C-7 that was previously owned by Natalie Cole. I say formerly white because we changed the color from white to black. Needless to say, the sound of the piano alone is incredible. We placed one mic near the upper octave sound hole about a quarter of the way up the sound board from the keyboard. The other mic was placed on the opposite side of the sound board to pick up the lower two octaves, all according to DPA’s recommendations.

We experimented with lifting the lid and closing the lid. We found that when we had a choir near the piano it was best to close the lid. Otherwise, we left the piano opened on the smallest prop.

I was initially taken back by how small the mics were. However, the SMK4061’s were able to duplicate the pianos natural rich tone better than any mics we’ve tried to date. The close distance to the frame allowed us to capture a full thick bodied mid-range sound. I also noticed that the piano had a nice sharp attack or pop sound with the placement we used.

I can’t explain how emotionally satisfying it was to hear the Yamaha C-7 sound so great. We were also surprised at how much volume we got out of the mics without having to push the gain structure. This meant that we had plenty of headroom to push the mics without reaching feedback. We were extremely happy with our results.

DPA recommends that the 4061’s can be used on any string instrument such as guitar, violin, cello, bass, harp and viola. They also recommend the 4061’s for drum toms, snares, speaker cabinets and saxophones. We attempted to use the mics in other applications such as flute and nylon stringed guitar, but the mounting that was provided wasn’t practical for our particular live application. We did experience one minor problem with the mounting hardware. The mounts were great in terms of ease of placement, but we did detect a rattling noise that was from the vibration of the plastic clips against the mics. It was an easy fix and we were able to overcome it by changing the placement and reattaching the mic clips.

If you’re looking for a micing solution that gives you great sonic reproduction, strong output without distortion and clipping with minimal EQ’ing – the SMK4061’s are a solution I would highly recommend. Overall, we were so impressed by the SMK4061 that we had added them to our permanent collection of mics. If you’re looking for more information on these and other products from DPA, visit their website at www.dpamicrophones.com They also have some great resources on mic placement and usage.

To view online CLICK HERE.

A Grower Looks At Mentoring

I like this theme of agriculture as it applies to discipleship and mentoring. I was a grower for many years. One of my favorite plants to grow were poinsettias. There are so many parallel themes to mentoring.

1. Poinsettia cuttings are programmed for growth. My role as a grower was to provide the right environment for that growth to happen. This has to do with the level of humidity, a consistent diet of nutrients, the amount of heat at night, etc. God has programmed every person I mentor with the internal DNA for growth. My role as a mentor is to cultivate the best environment for growth.

2. In order to produce a high quality plant with nice thick stems that would support a large, beautiful bloom – we needed to use growth retardant. If we didn’t do this the natural growth would produce a tall, thin stalk that would break under the weight of the bloom. Often times, we need to slow down the natural ambitions of those we mentor in order for them to develop the character to sustain their giftedness. This can be the most frustrating side of mentoring.

3. A regular regime of pesticide application was needed in order to stop insects and disease before it becomes a wide spread epidemic. As mentors, our role is to ask tough questions and to develop an open atmosphere to share weakness without fear of judgement. The goal isn’t to nail someone, but to protect the person from greater harm. That means we don’t wait for a crisis before we address an issue, but we maintain and open dialogue of speaking about potential issues.

4. Different stages of growth require different types of nutrients. Depending on the growth stage of the Poinsettia, we would change the type of fertilizer that the plants would receive. The challenge for mentors is to identify these stages of growth and provide the right resources based on their life situation and character development. Sometimes these two areas are not in sync with each other. You may find someone who is in a life stage that requires a level of character development, but their emotional maturity can’t sustain it. Sometimes we find others who we pigeon hole in one stage of development and don’t allow ourselves to see their development. The key is to accurately identify and provide the right resources and opportunities for each person.

5. Finally… at least for this quick little series of thoughts… The process of blooming is really initiated by the amount of exposure to the light. In the case of poinsettias – they initiate blooming as the darkness increases and the daylight decreases. How true is it that the darkest times in our lives often become the defining moments in our lives that God later uses to produce a rich, beautiful bloom. In greenhouses we have elaborate systems that artificially control the amount of daylight the poinsettias experience. As mentors we are often called by God to be a vehicle for initiating crisis in the lives of those we disciple.

The bottom line is this…. all of us are programmed by God to grow. My prayer, as we participate with the work of the Spirit in the lives of those whom He brings into our lives, is that God would show us what He is doing and direct us on how to participate in that work to His glory.

True For Who?

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” – John 18:37

If you are looking for an interesting study, find a good Bible program and search the words, “I have come.” You will discover why Jesus came to the world from His perspective and honestly… it’s shocking. I won’t give away the blessing of discovering for yourself, but I would like to focus on one of the statements that Jesus makes….

“Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Why is truth so important in the Worship Life of the believer? If we look at John 4:24, we find that it is the basis of our worship… Spirit and Truth. In other words, there is no such thing as honest worship and dishonest worship. Now, many folks might say “I disagree.” I’ve seen a lot of people who worship God and are hiding things in their life or are two faced in their devotion. Let me submit to you, that is not worship at all. It may be an emotional catharsis, a sentimental exercise or even a respectful observance of tradition – but it’s not worship.

All worship is a response to an encounter with truth. But, what if your truth is different from my truth? That is the question of the age. That is the foundation of every false religion. That is the basis of every false system of worship. The problem with this kind of reasoning is that it supposes that truth is measured pragmatically or by popular sociological or cultural vote – i.e. the truth that works across the board in all cultures or the truth that gets the most votes for being truth wins. Then we come up with such concepts are universal truth versus situational truth versus socio-cultural truth. And of course the ultimate – your truth doesn’t work for me.

The Biblical view of truth is much different. Jesus makes truth personal. He says in John 14:6, “I am the truth.” In our text Jesus tells us that He is the one who speaks truth and in doing so authenticates truth. In other words, Jesus is the one who decides what is true and what is not true.

But that is not where the biggest problem lies for most people. The biggest problem lies in the statement that follows – “Everyone who is of truth hears My voice.” What a shocking statement!!! That very statement cuts to the core of every person alive. That very statement divides humanity between worshippers of God and worshippers of false deities. That very statement draws a line in the sand of every man’s heart.

Why is it so difficult? Because once you’ve heard the truth you are faced with a decision. Follow the truth. Don’t follow the truth. If I can deny the voice of Jesus in my life, then I never have to change the way I live. I never have to submit to the authority of truth in my life.

I recently read an article written by a Charismatic minister. He described his hunger for spiritual experience. He would spend every chance he could at the altar seeking for the ultimate spiritual high. However, he was faced with the reality that all his time at the altar had not altered his life. Why? Because he was not willing to obey the voice of Jesus. He was not willing to allow his life to be changed by the Truth. The result? Over time, the voice of Jesus became silent and his appetite for experience became

paramount. When He finally came to the place of surrender, his life changed and he became an altered man.

What about you? You may love to experience the emotional heights that come during a time of worship. You may love to bask in the glow of God’s presence. You may love to weep at the altar of invitation. But does your time at the altar leave you altered? If you are of the truth, you will hear the voice of Jesus. But the sign of one who is of the truth is one who responds to the truth through obedience. Commit yourself to looking at one area of your life where the truth needs to be applied. Allow yourself to be altered through the fire of obedience. As you do, you will discover the fuel that burns at the core of authentically and divinely inspired worship – Jesus, the One who is Truth.

Let It Rise Featured On Myrrh Worship Site

I was just notified that “Let It Rise” is being featured on the Myrrh Worship site for the second time!!! It was recently recorded by Big Daddy Weave on their latest release entitled “Every Time I Breathe.” It’s an amazing version of the song. In fact, it was # 3 in the nation on the Christian Radio Charts. On the Billboard charts it was # 6 in the nation. Pretty cool!!!!

Here’s a press release from Myrrh Worship….

“Let it Rise”, written by Holland Davis, will be featured as the “Song of the Week” on www.MyrrhWorship.com for the week of March 5th! Myrrh Worship is so excited to be able to feature this remarkable song on the site and is very encouraged by the response this song has had on reaching so many congregations across the country every week. “Let it Rise” was also recorded by Fervent Records recording artists, Big Daddy Weave, so be sure to visit Myrrh Worship March 5-11 to check out their version of the song AND to receive a FREE Lead Sheet Download of Holland’s incredible song!

Returning to the vision behind it’s name, MYRRH Records re-launched in 2005 with an emphasis on worship and a desire to resource today’s church with new artists and new songs. Through powerful new worship artists, a unique online community and innovative church resources, MYRRH aims to bring an offering of worship that expresses what God is doing within His church. Check us out at www.myrrhworship.com!

Song Discovery – “In The Cross Of Christ I Glory”

Here is something totally fun!!! Song Discovery… one of the leading sources of new grassroots worship songs… is featuring one of the recent songs I’ve written entitled “In The Cross Of Christ I Glory.”

One of the things I’ve been doing lately is reading and meditating on some of the ancient hymns of the church. I just love the rich language and lyrical way that deep theological ideas are presented. That is the inspiration behind “In The Cross Of Christ I Glory.”

I was reading an old hymn entitled “In The Cross Of Christ.” I was inspired by the line – “In the cross of Christ I glory. Tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time.” I began to think about Paul’s statement – “he that glories, let him glory in the Lord.” As I applied that to this idea of glorying in the cross of Christ, my thoughts were racing about how the cross towers over all the guilt and shame in our lives. It represents the place where God’s love shines brighter than the stain of our own sin and our blame is entirely removed. It stands as a reminder of redemption and forgiveness. It stands as a welcome sign for all sinners… extending the invitation to come and receive the love of God.

Then the words to the chorus just filled my mind….

How rich, how pure
How measureless
O love of God
How limitless
It shall endure
Forevermore
O love of God, O love of God

This song has become one of our main staples of worship at Ocean Hills Church. It serves as a constant reminder of God’s love and grace. I love using it especially for communion and Easter services.