Acclaimed rapper and music producer Dom McLennon, co-founder of the multi-Platinum music collective Brockhampton, returned to his Hartford, Connecticut hometown to perform a “Live From the Lab” set at the TELEFUNKEN microphones Headquarters in nearby South Windsor. The band’s performance was tracked with a full complement of the company’s microphones, and the hi-res audio and video performance can be seen here:
“When I perform and record with Telefunken microphones, it’s the closest to what I really sound like, just straight off the mic, no effects, nothing artificial,” says McLennon. During his performance, he used both the industry popular M80 hand held dynamic mic as well as the large diaphragm TF47, a modern vacuum tube design with a deep low end and a forward midrange that is ideal for capturing vocals.
Now working independently, McLennon’s singer/songwriter career has expanded to embrace his hometown musical community, leading production classes and mentoring about new ways to build a long-lasting music career.
“Finding the right microphone is essential in building a sound that can sustain an entire long-range career,” McLennon explains. “With Telefunken mics, specifically with the TF47, it feels transparent and warm. And that warmth coupled with transparency means it doesn’t have to be over compensated for in a mix, which can add extra mud into the vocal where you’re trying to take frequencies out of the beat. That’s my casual engineering perspective.”
McLennon’s fresh and unmistakable sound projects an optimistic, though sometimes ominous “anti-cynical” musical style, taking a post-modern approach to rapping, writing and producing. His music has gained popularity through a unique compilation of original sounds, combining inspiration from the styles before him with those of a current progressive generation. McLennon embodies a creative passion that creates an original sonic experience in the ever-changing hip-hop and alternative music world.
“Once again, the choice of vocal microphones is central to the work I do,” McLennon adds. “For me, personally, the TF47 captures my chest voice really, really well. A lot of other microphones go for the head voice, which I understand because that’s where the character of most people’s voice comes from. But I feel when I’m doing performance vocals, not just talking, this mic captures that warmth of the chest voice really well, while still getting the clarity of the head voice at the same time.”
Additional TELEFUNKEN microphones and direct boxes used for the performance include: M82 on kick, floor tom and bass amp, M81-SH on toms, TF11 on overheads, M60 on hi-hat and ride, TF17 on kick, TF47 on vocals and saxophone, ELA M 260 on piano, TDP-2 on keyboard and drum pad, and the TDP-1 and TDA-1 utilized on guitars.
The multitrack audio files from these sessions are available for free download at livefromthelab.net. All audio files are presented in .WAV format and were recorded at 24bit / 48KHz sample rate. They are clearly labeled in the same format with the source listed first (LEAD VOX, ACOUSTIC, PIANO), followed by the microphone used (TF47, M80, etc.) and can be downloaded and imported into your Digital Audio Workstation of choice.
