Dilley is based in Cambridge and enjoys a close affiliation with University College Chapel choirs. "The purchase of the surround system was driven by the fact that we are seeing more demand for live recordings and DVD productions where we are trying to capture the whole atmosphere of the occasion," he says. "The S5 does this in a very elegant fashion. It looks great and is easy to fly, keeping out of the way of the visuals whilst the 4006-TL capsules ensure that the multiple mics don't increase the noise floor in the way that some multi capsule surround solutions seem to."
Supplementary spots in the form of DPA 4028 wide cardioids on their stereo holders or flamingo stands complete Dilley's surround miking arsenal for certain live shows and sessions.
The first outing of the S5 was a brass ensemble and organ recording in Kings College Chapel, Cambridge conducted by Stephen Cleobury. He has since used it for a variety of classical performances including in D3 (Decca Tree) configuration at the Cadogan Hall in Chelsea, to record the London Festival Orchestra.
(Jim Evans)
