For the last 15 years, Adair has been singing backup vocals, and over the past couple of years has been experiencing pain in his hips and lower back, translating into a noticeable decline in his drumming skills. After seeing a physiotherapist, he discovered the loss in technique was just incorrect positioning of his body. The results were amazing when he focused on proper alignment, posture and core strength. After this breakthrough, the thought of going back to a world tour and twisting his back up in order to sing two hours a night was horrifying. For Adair, all roads were leading to a headset mic.
"I wasn't too thrilled at the thought of using a headset mic," says Adair. "Back when I was coming up in Vancouver and playing all the local pubs I used another manufacturer's headset mic. It was clunky, moved all over the place and caused a lot of feedback. I contacted our management and got them to ask engineers in the field what they felt the best mic was for a drummer. The answer from many was DPA's d:fine 88."
Within minutes of playing his first rehearsals with the d:fine 88, the results were nothing short of spectacular. "I was amazed, as was my drum tech and front of house engineer," adds Adair. "The quality of my vocals went from thin and transparent to robust, clear and concise. Plus, the inconsistencies caused by my head trying to reach the boom mic on time while drumming were gone.
"The d:fine 88 is so small and lightweight that you don't even know it's there. I can swing my head around and it doesn't move, doesn't change a thing. After my first experience with it, I was blown away and have been using it permanently ever since."
(Jim Evans)
