In her own words it’s been a hectic time of late for Hunter Valley singer/songwriter, Piper Butcher. Following a breakthrough appearance at Byron Bay Bluesfest in April, the 2023 Australian Idol Top 24 finalist has been on the road since July in support of recent singles “Turn the Key” and “Through the Night”, and will stay on tour until the end of the year.
During this busy run of shows Butcher’s had the opportunity of putting the new Shure Nexadyne 8C Dynamic Vocal Microphone to the test throughout a range of venues across the east coast.
“I was called up by Jands when I was down in Wollongong NSW and I used it that night,” Butcher says. “The next night I was opening for Nathan Cavaleri, and I used it then. Ever since then I’ve been saying to soundies, ‘please let me use this new microphone!’
“As far as gear goes, I’ve been doing this for about eight years, so I really know what I like in terms of my own sound. I’m not the geekiest person around, I am passionate about what sounds good though.”
Available in cardioid (which Butcher uses) and supercardioid polar patterns, source clarity that the Nexadyne provides allowed the sound to be enjoyed equally by the entire venue.
“I think what appealed to me the most is the control that it has,” Butcher says. “It’s really great for me to pull back and have those soft moments as well as projecting a lot.
“For my show I used to have a microphone that wasn’t as dynamically accessible as this one is. The Nexadyne has a little more range where I can pull back and hit those loud notes and it really grabs everything from the space around it. I really love how versatile it is.”
The Nexadyne also features state-of-the-art polar pattern consistency, noise reduction, and built-in acoustic signal processing.
“I’m not the person that knows the most about it but I’m definitely conscious of those features” Butcher notes. “I am conscious of all those technical requirements because they all go into making a good performance.
“Those small factors, technical shifts and changes it’s something that audiences don’t really pick up on but as a person trying to deliver the best performance possible – it’s those little things that count the most, and that’s what’s so good about this microphone.”
Butcher says she’s had excellent feedback from sound engineers since she’s swapped to the Nexadyne, the platform of which is built on Shure’s patented Revonic™ dual-engine transducer technology which reduces the amount of time and effort for sound engineers to give vocalists a great sound that will cut through the mix. As a performer who seeks to project a full range of dynamics throughout her set, she’s reveling in the Nexadyne’s capabilities.
“I open my set with a song called ‘Unconscious Minds’,” she says, “it’s a really loud, belting song and I’m standing back from the microphone a lot. Not purposefully but singing as loud as I can and trying to command straight away at the start of the solo set with just my acoustic guitar.
“I have a beautiful Maton Acoustic and it’s got beautiful cedar wood on the top which gives it a really nice and warm and ballsy sound and I really want to match that with the strength of my vocal.
“So, in that first song of the performance – whether I’m right on top of it or behind it and bringing any loudness that I can possibly expel – still catches everything. It’s great way to keep an audience engaged from that first song as I’m walking around the stage, they can pick up on any of those little things.
“Then going through into the set it’s always important to have a roller-coaster of emotion and sonics. So, I do have a few soft, tender moments, or a run, or if there’s something a little more colloquial in a song it’s just getting up and close to the microphone. I also love chatting in between, telling stories as well – the versatility really shows in a whole set.”
Butcher says the versatility showcased in her 2024 singles “Turn the Key” and “Through the Night” has helped her engage a wider audience demographic in Australia and beyond.
This led to one of the biggest highlights of her year – discovering new towns along the east coast. “It’s been really cool to visit new places where I’ve had people who I don’t even know requesting my songs,” she says.
“It’s been a really great year of development on the ground in new environments and just singing and building my live performance rapport with these audiences so I can hopefully bring a band or play in festivals over this next year or two. That’s been the biggest highlight for me, just having people recognising me for what I love doing the most which is performing.”
2025 is just around the corner, and Butcher has big things on the horizon. “I’m very excited to say the least. There are a couple of things that are yet to be announced and I’m really confident that I’m going to put my all into next year. I’m really brining it, that’s for sure.”
There’ll surely be plenty of performances next year with the Nexadyne 8C microphone, too.
“I would definitely recommend this microphone to a vocalist of any sort,” Butcher says. “I think it’s really important to know your stuff and know the gear that you’re working with, and the Nexadyne makes it really easy to be able to understand your strengths and the microphone’s strengths. Being able to find something like this product that works for everyone is so good. It’s a really great microphone and I can’t wait to test it in the field more.”
For more information about the Shure Nexadyne 8C Dynamic Vocal Microphone visit www.jands.com.au or visit your authorised local distributor.
