"We decided to use two DPA
d:dicate™ 4017 Shotgun microphones as our main stereo pair because they have a highly directional supercardioid pick up pattern," he says. "They were mounted on a boom alongside a pair of
d:dicate™ 4006 omnidirectional microphones, which picked up the ambient sound. Having them mounted in the same line meant there were no phase issues and we were able to zoom in and out with the d:dicate™ 4017's so that we focused on specific instruments. This gave us a perfectly balanced, natural sound without hearing the mechanics of each instrument."
Fiorini also recorded the CDs for the High Definition market using a Merging Technologies Pyramix DXD system.
"The precision, dynamics and high SPL handling of DPA microphones works perfectly for projects like this where quality is paramount," he says. "The system we used allowed me to capture the full dynamic range of the instruments and I must say, even knowing DPA microphones as well as I do, I was impressed by the naturalness and fidelity of the sound they delivered in DXD/DSD. It was like hearing them for the first time. I couldn’t have done this project without DPA." Widely viewed as the most remarkable living interpreter of J. S Bach on an international level, Bahrami's latest recordings feature the composer's Musikalisches Opfer (a collection of keyboard canons and fugues) and Das Wohltemperierte Klavier Teil II. They will be commercially available on the Decca/Universal label, with the first CD due for release this autumn and the second in 2016.
Fiorini is now planning his next major project, in conjunction with acclaimed Italian live sound engineer Luca Giannerini, which will take place at the end of September 2015. This will involve the live performance, recording and broadcast in High Definition DXD/DSD of a concert to mark the centenary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Entitled The Amen Project, the concert will take place at the main Arena in Verona and will use music, words and dance to trace the history of the Armenian people to the current day.
"We will have plenty of musicians to capture, plus a number of choirs including a children's choir," Fiorini says. "This is a massive cultural event that will be broadcast live on television so it is imperative that we get it right. Of course, DPA microphones will be deployed to ensure that the sound is perfect."