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NEWS
George Duke & Earthworks PM40
2010.06.07
Earthworks,
manufacturer of High Definition Microphones™, announced that
storied jazz and pop pianist George Duke is the latest artist to
sponsor its groundbreaking PianoMic™ system. Duke, a highly
accomplished session player and versatile touring musician, has
performed with a diverse range of artists including Frank Zappa,
Anita Baker, Al Jarreau, Jean-Luc Ponty, and many others.
Duke has always found accurate sonic reproduction of the piano challenging, given the instrument’s wide frequency range and complex harmonic characteristics. This has been true particularly in live settings: “I wanted a microphone that could consistently reproduce the quality of the piano, while producing an acceptable amount of gain at the same time,” says Duke. “This is important when considering the variable levels of other instruments on stage and the different acoustic characteristics of the venues we play.”
During
his search for a suitable microphone, Duke was introduced to
Earthworks’ PianoMic™ by fellow jazz great Chick Corea, who
arranged a mic audition for him during a studio session. “We A/B’d
the PianoMic™ in many situations—with a closed lid, partially
opened lid and open lid,” recalls Duke. “I found that the unit
maintained the depth of the instrument while at the same time giving
me the level that I needed to compete with the other electric
instruments around me.” Impressed with the Piano Mic’s ™
responsiveness and natural sound, he brought it out on the road and
hasn’t looked back since.
“If you are playing in a situation where you need level with quality, you’re talking about the PianoMic,” continued Duke. “No matter at what level you are playing, it still feels like you are getting the depth and full dynamic range of the instrument. It’s a relief to know that my piano is being reproduced as it should and that I can just play without worrying about it.”
Michael Hurwitz, National Sales Director of Earthworks, commented: “We are very pleased to count George Duke among our sponsored artists, especially considering the massive influence he’s had on so many musicians from multiple generations. We believe the PianoMic™ is sonically superior to competing microphones and will be a great complement to George’s many diverse international performances.”
George Duke recently finished a tour with recording artist Anita Baker in November. In January, his tour schedule continues with dates in Guadeloupe and Martinique, before he begins a European tour in April, 2010.
The PianoMic™, which was last year’s winner of the Mix Foundation's TEC Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement in the Microphone/Recording Technology category, makes it nearly effortless to achieve extremely high quality results while miking a piano--one of the more technically demanding instruments to capture given its vast frequency range and complex acoustical nature. It easily mounts inside with no stands or booms, utilizing two specially designed random incidence omni microphones which have a near perfect frequency and polar response compared to conventional microphones.