American saxophonist and music director Bobby Ricketts has adopted Copenhagen as his home town like many expatriate musicians before him. It’s little wonder then that he’s selected the DPA 4099 Saxophone mic to accompany him and his instruments on a packed international touring schedule.
The first thing Ricketts mentions about the 4099 is its sound – a logical observation given that the microphone design is based partially on acoustic test measurements of his sax playing, conducted by DPA design engineer Ole Moesmann.
“The sound is so natural,” he says. “I’ve played about 25 concerts in the past few months across the Scandinavia, the US, Japan and East Africa, and the sound techs always comment on how the sound from my horn through the 4099 requires little or no EQ, and signal output is never an issue for them.
“The same is true on-stage – I get a sound from the stage monitors – regardless of quality and brand – that is identical to the sax sound I hear in my head. In situations where I perform with amplified instruments, I’m able to get the volume I need without worrying about feedback. I play wireless and move around a lot, even out amongst the crowd, and when moving past the front of house speakers, which is a huge risk, there’s never been any problem with feedback.”
Ricketts has also been mixing a live recording from one of his concerts.
“The result sounds like I used a studio microphone on my saxes, but it’s the 4099!” he says. “Last but not least, the cable fitting is compatible with the wireless transmitter I was using for my previous mic set up, and the 4099 attaches firmly and snugly to the bell of my horns, without scratching or denting them. Since I began playing the 4099, sound has become the least of my worries while on the road touring.”
Trained at the Berklee College of Music, Ricketts moved to Copenhagen after touring in Scandinavia during vacations. Working as music director on the country’s most popular TV shows has made him a household name. He’s also racked up credits on several hundred albums, soundtracks, commercials, and live appearances with such names as Jocelyn Brown, Randy Crawford, Al Jarreau, Kele LeRoc, Suzi Quatro, Vonda Shepard, Curtis Stigers, Toots Thielemanns, Fred Wesley, Roger Whitaker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young and many others. His new solo album, Skin To Skin, is out now.
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