Lord Huron takes DPA from studio to stage

Adored for their emotive lyricism and moody undertones, American rock band Lord Huron burst onto the charts with “The Night We Met,” a viral hit that caught the attention of billions. Capturing the intricate and delicate nature of their music while recording is crucial for the band, and they put just as much emphasis on recreating that listening experience for live audiences.
 
To ensure the band delivers a sound on stage that is consistent to their studio sessions, Front of House Sound Engineer Justin Chechile selected the band’s favored DPA Microphones vocal and instrument mics, including the d:facto™ 4018VL Vocal and 2011 Twin Diaphragm Microphones. For recorded and live applications, the band also deploys the DDK4000 Drum Microphone Kit, comprised of the 2012 Cardioid and 4055 Kick Drum mics, along with a stereo pair of the 2015 Wide Cardioids and three 4099 Instrument Microphones.
 
“Lord Huron first started using DPA mics for the recording side of things,” Chechile says. “The team loved the mics’ performance in those cases and thought it would be nice to bring them out on tour—and I’m so glad we switched the live setup to DPA.”
 
Chechile explains that lead singer Ben Schneider frequently moves around stage during shows, which caused a significant high-end bleed from the drum set. “The d:facto was first to come on the live side,” he says. “We were struggling to find a vocal mic that wasn’t super colored and offered a really flat sound. The d:facto fixed all these issues and provided context and clarity. I could talk about this mic all day. It’s very open sounding and the bleed is so natural. Ben will sometimes sing way off-axis, stepping away from the microphone for effect or to intentionally make himself sound distant. Even when he’s four or five feet away, the d:facto still sounds exactly like him, just further away. It’s a perfect mic.”

This consistency in performance is also found on Lord Huron’s drum set. With the DPA DDK4000 Drum Microphone Kit, Chechile has been able to achieve pristine sound pickup on every part of drummer, Mark Barry’s kit. “I was just blown away by the 4055 Kick Drum Mic,” he adds. “It has become one of my favorite mics of all time. The 4055 allows the drum to sound exactly like the instrument. As soon as you plug the mic in, it goes to work representing what’s right in front.”
 
The DDK4000 also includes a 2012 Cardioid that Chechile places on hi-hats, along with a stereo pair of 2015 Wide Cardioids, which are close miked under the cymbals, and several of the 4099s on the toms. To further enhance the mics on the drum kit, Chechile selected DPA 2011s for the snare, and to pick up sound on touring guitarist, Brandon Walter’s Magnatone amplifier. When not using the 2011 to also mic the bass amp, Chechile will select the 4055, which offers a consistent linear response.

“The number one benefit of DPA mics is the sound, of course,” shares Chechile. “The second is how little time it takes to get them into the PA. I don’t have to touch the channels anymore. We go through the lines and there’s no need to EQ or mess with the gain. Ben’s vocals are super consistent and I don’t have to re-EQ for every room we’re in. Even with the 4055 on the bass amp, which you would usually have to low pass, there is no concern. It’s refreshing to hear the bass amp exactly how it’s meant to sound as soon as you add the mic.” 
 
Having been with Lord Huron since 2018, Chechile is consistently looking to upgrade the band’s mic setup. Moving forward, he hopes to incorporate the 4099s onto bongos and the DPA 2028 Vocal Mic for touring keyboardist/vocalist, Misty Boyce. “The gain before feedback with the mic Misty is currently on can be a bit much and I think that the 2028 would be great for that,” Chechile explains. “It’s easy to get behind DPA mics because they just sound beautiful. I love knowing that I’m able to provide Lord Huron with this quality of tone and sound thanks to DPA.”

In addition to mixing for Lord Huron, Chechile has led FOH sound for artists like Run The Jewels, OK GO and Saint Motel. Prior to music touring, Chechile explored the world of film in a variety of industries, including pre- and post-production, live television, live radio and field recording for music and video productions. He calls on this diverse background experience to assist him in the fast-paced world of live audio production.