Slovakian violinist and producer Filip Jancik is rapidly gaining an international
reputation as one of the best young classical musicians to cross over into the world
of pop and rock. Now based in Vienna where he has his own studio, he often plays
with top musicians as part of his own Rock ’n Violin project and also performs with
acclaimed artists such as Canadian rock star Avril Lavigne.

Key to the success of Jancik’s sound is DPA’s d:vote™ 4099 Instrument Microphone
for violin, which he uses for all of his live performances and also for any recording
projects he undertakes.

“As a classically trained violinist, I have very high expectations when it comes to
sound quality and therefore this was a key factor in my choice of microphone,’ he
says. “When I started playing modern music in 2011, I realized that having a great
microphone was going to be very important so I began looking around for the best
sounding option. I tested a number of pick-ups for the violin, including the d:vote™
4099, which had only just been released. I immediately knew it was the right option
for me because the sound is, quite simply, amazing. It is very natural and has such
perfect balance in its frequency spectrum that you can’t even tell when a violin has
been recorded with this microphone because you just don’t hear it. With the
d:vote™ 4099, the sound of my instrument doesn’t change – it sounds exactly as it
would if I were playing it live, which is very unusual.’

Jancik’s violin was made by Czech violin master, Tomas Plhal, in 2005 and he
describes it as “an amazing instrument with a rich, wide sound’.

Since switching to modern and contemporary music, Filip Jancik has performed in
numerous countries including Austria, Sweden, USA, Russia, Finland, Singapore and
Germany. He has also played at corporate events for companies such as Turkish
Airlines, T-Mobile, Crowne Plaza and Kempinski.

Working with Avril Lavigne was, he says, the highlight of his career to date. The
collaboration involved him arranging and recording all the violin parts for her single
Fly, a song that became the anthem of the 2015 Special Olympics. Jancik performed
at the opening ceremony, which was seen by a live audience of 90,000 people and a
global TV audience of millions more.

“Everyone who I have recommended it to has been very satisfied with it,’ he says.
“In my opinion it is the best live instrument microphone for violin and other strings
and I’m very proud to say that I was the first person in Slovakia to own one. Now
many more people I play with are using them and it is increasingly becoming an
inherent part of every professional sound engineer’s microphone kit.’

Over the summer, Filip Jancik will be performing in Bratislava and also in Geneva.
When he is not playing live he will be composing film music and working on his first
solo album, which he hopes to complete within the next year.