PODCASTING POWERHOUSE Rode released its first dedicated
HAND TO MOUTH The look, feel and performance of microphones has evolved as quickly as technology itself
podcasting product – aptly named the Podcaster – in 2007, just months after the term was coined. As podcasting grew exponentially across the 2010s, Rode was the go-to microphone brand, with products like the Procaster and NT-USB firmed favourites among pros and beginners alike. In a sharp left turn for the company, Rode released the world’s first dedicated podcasting console, Rodecaster Pro, in 2018. An entirely unique product that allowed anyone to record a professional-quality podcast with ease, it helped fuel yet another creative revolution and marked a new phase in the evolution of both Rode and the booming podcast industry. One of these is our next example, Rode Microphones. With a storied history dating back over 50 years, Rode is an Australian-owned and operated company that has been at the forefront of creator technology – revolutionising everything from home studio recording and audio for filmmaking to podcasting. Tom Lewis is the brand manager for Rode Microphones in the UK and is responsible for myriad elements of the company. “I’ve always been deeply involved in the music scene, playing in bands and recording music for friends,” Lewis begins. “Rode played a significant role in shaping the sound I wanted to achieve, even before I had the opportunity to work for them.” The Rode story began in 1967 when Freedman Electronics first opened its doors in Sydney, Australia. Freedman Electronics soon became a leader in the fledgling Australian audio industry,
Around the same time, Danish companies were making amazing advances in hearing aid technology, focusing on creating better sound in much smaller packages. In order to gain the competencies needed to accomplish this task, DPA collaborated with the top Danish hearing aid manufacturer Muphone. This led to DPA minimising the capsule size into a miniature package that was so clear-sounding and yet unobtrusive, it could support creative expression on the stage. Once the capsule was perfected, work began on creating headset versions of the miniature microphones. After years of shared success, DPA and Muphone merged in 2005. “DPA was formed from the idea of using condenser microphones,” Somava adds. “Those were basically the best microphones ever for the purpose they were created – they being our original 4006 microphones. “With time, the team learnt about the possibility to miniaturise the condenser microphones and created our 5mm capsule, which became extremely successful – in particular, we grew a nice market share in the
theatre and film industries. The reason being that those microphones didn’t compromise on sound.” DPA sets itself apart when it comes to its manufacturing process. Each microphone is assembled using a balance of automation and handcrafted processes. “We really strive to create microphones that pick up sound as authentically and consistently as possible,” describes Somava. “We have very tight manufacturing tolerances – that we haven’t seen from our competitors.” It takes up to 200 individual steps to assemble a DPA microphone. During the manufacturing process in Denmark, a microphone can be calibrated up to 15 times before final approval. Narrow tolerances mean that you can switch between any parallel DPA microphone and never hear a difference in sound. STRAIGHT OUTTA SYDNEY As time has gone on, there are several examples of microphone and audio vendors that have become household names within the production and broadcast spaces.
MY MIC WILL GO ON Celine Dion was performing in Copenhagen when she dropped her DPA Microphones d:facto Vocal Mic. She was shocked when she dropped it, but even more surprised when she picked it up and it continued to work without any problems.
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