In our Accessories 2024 supplement, British multi-style cellist, composer and vocalist shares her go-to tech accessories
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On stage I play an acoustic cello called Reuben and a Yamaha SVC 110 Silent Cello (Electric) (yamaha.com) called Ruby. For Reuben, I love to use a combination of a DPA 4099 microphone (dpamicrophones.com), for a round, full-bodied sound with beautiful clarity on the top end, plus a Schertler DYN C-48 (schertler.com) contact microphone to beef up the lower frequency bass end of my playing. I also use the Schertler for monitoring as the DPA is super sensitive in the wedges.
With Ruby, I love to feed her through an EBS Stanley Clarke Acoustic Preamp (ebssweden.com), then feed that signal through my EBS OctaBass Blue Label pedal and finally, feed the bass pedal signal through an Ampeg Bass Amp (ampeg.com) for a true ‘dub reggae’ bass sound. It is epic!
In the studio for recording both cellos and my vocals, I’m in love with the UAD Apollo Twin X Quad Heritage audio interface (uaudio.com). The UAD Console program that accompanies the hardware allows me to save recording pre-sets with an infinite number of plugins available so I can tailor my desired sound for each set-up. All I have to do is plug in and start recording. It’s a game changer! I’m also thinking about using it live alongside my beautiful BOSS RC-600 loop station (boss.info) which is a true gem of a looper. The six stereo tracks available mean I can layer myself to high heaven and manipulate each one individually. It’s a dream! For percussion in my right foot while I’m playing, the Roland SPD::ONE Kick Electronic Percussion Pad (roland.com) is great fun and has a fantastic range of settings to vary articulation.
Subscribers to The Strad receive the 2024 Accessories supplement free with their copy of the June 2024 issue
Read: ‘The cello is wild and can do all these different things’ - Ayanna Witter-Johnson
Read: ‘I love that I’ve been able to explore my heritage in this way’: Cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson
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