The patented 3D Active Ambient uses embedded microphones to capture the on-stage sound surrounding the wearer, allowing the performer to hear everything around them while their ears remain safely and securely isolated. The Queen finds that she uses a variety of ambience settings, depending on the situation.
"There are certain things I have to hear, like audience response. Other times, I like having the option of complete isolation. So I experiment with it and use different settings for different shows," she says. "Usually, I run about 25 or 30 percent ambience along with my full mix, so I'm hearing my drums straight from the 3D mics. I also use the Full Ambient mode on solos so I can hear myself, just pure and acoustic, which sounds fantastic. I love that about the 3D."
A self-proclaimed Southern girl from Houston, Queen Cora Dunham got her music industry start in Los Angeles after graduating from Howard University in Washington, DC. "I had gone to the IAJE jazz educators conference and met some A-list drummers like Ricky Lawson and Ndugu Chancler," she recalls. "They talked me into staying for the NAMM show, which made me appreciate L.A. even more. After not getting into Julliard's Jazz Studies program, I just decided to go for it and worked on establishing myself in L.A. until it didn't matter where we lived anymore. Now Josh (Prince bassist Josh Dunham) and I are back in Houston."
(Jim Evans)
