Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Coldplay Employing Sensaphonics Custom Earphones On Current Concert Tour
All four band members upgraded from the classic ProPhonic 2X-S to the Sensaphonics 2MAX
The ongoing Coldplay Viva La Vida concert tour has all band members utilizing Sensaphonics custom earphones and Sennheiser wireless systems. Further, all four band members upgraded from the classic ProPhonic 2X-S to the Sensaphonics 2MAX.
“Most of the backline crew also have Sensaphonics IEMs,” says Monitor Engineer Chris Wood. “We have found the drivers to be very reliable. I can’t recall having a problem in the eight years we have used them.” A few wedges can still be seen on stage, but are used mainly for backup.
Another change this year is that lead vocalist Chris Martin now keeps both of his earpieces inserted throughout the show.
“Previously, Chris wore one earpiece and one ER15 (custom earplug), as he liked to hear the band acoustically,” notes Wood. “But with the increasing size of the venues – and the level of the stage and P.A. – he prefers to make the most of the noise rejection the 2MAX gives him.
“He keeps both earpieces in place all the time now. And of course, it’s also better for his hearing.”
To help keep the band connected to the audience, Wood adds some ambience to his monitor mix. “I use a pair of Sennheiser shotguns at the downstage left and right corners, pointing toward the center of the audience about 40 feet back from the stage,” Wood explains. “With a heavy low frequency rolloff, I can leave them on at low level throughout the show.”
On a more personal level, Chris Wood relies on his Sensaphonics earphones both during and between shows. “I use them constantly, as the sound quality is excellent and are very comfortable. I always use them to mix shows with, and also when traveling, especially when flying.”
Coldplay recently completed its North American tour in mid-August and have now embarked on a two-month run through Europe.
Sensaphonics Website
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Real World Gear: The Latest In Large-Format Line Arrays
The science remains the same, but line arrays take on many forms in terms of design, performance and accessories
This time in Real World Gear we look at the big guns - large format line arrays, those with 12-inch and larger woofers.
Line arrays are modular, multi-way enclosures arrayed in vertical columns, with their cabinet’s geometry optimized to provide full-frequency transducer coupling from one enclosure to the next along the height of the array.
This is achieved at lower frequencies with cone transducers forming a column from one cabinet to the next, at frequencies where the distance between their acoustic centers is less than half the wavelength they’re reproducing.
At higher frequencies coupling is accomplished with tall, thin ribbon drivers mounted end-to-end in a column, or with compression drivers on manifold horns that provide equal path lengths to tall, thin openings, often doubling up drivers to provide greater power.
There are several possible enclosure designs. Some employ dual woofers with a center high-frequency section to provide horizontal symmetry. The simplest two-way systems may just have a single cone driver and high-frequency driver.
Quasi-three-way solutions use dual woofers, but low-pass one woofer at a lower frequency than the other, eliminating cancellations at higher frequencies where their acoustic centers are farther apart than the wavelengths being reproduced.
True three-way designs operate separate low-, mid- and high-frequency drivers, each in their own band. There are several approaches to horn-loading, which can provide higher sensitivity for additional power.
Most systems have companion subwoofers to provide improved low-frequency coverage, pattern control and extension and for musical applications. Though often larger in size, many can integrate into arrays to become the top-most element in vertical columns.
Some manufacturers also have complementary array elements with larger angles of coverage that perform better as the lowest near-throw enclosure in a vertical array, improving coverage where wider horizontal angles and sharper vertical transition are needed for the closest listening areas.
Some also have long-throw versions with reduced horizontal coverage for higher positions in arrays where narrower dispersion is desirable due to the increased distance to the farthest listening areas.
Take our Photo Gallery Tour of the latest developments and models in large-format line arrays.
Mark Frink is Associate Editor of Live Sound International magazine.
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Green Day Utilizing Telefunken Elektroakustic Microphones For Both Touring & Recording
M80s on stage and U-47/ELA M 251 in the studio
The current tour by Green Day sees the band utilizing Telefunken Elektroakustic M80 dynamic microphones for all vocals and various instruments, while at Ocean Way Recording to record the album “21st Century Breakdown,” all of Billie Joe Armstrong’s vocals were recorded with his new Telefunken U-47 and all of Mike Dirnt’s vocals used the new company’s new ELA M 251.
Both large diaphragm tube microphones are manufactured in the meticulous reproduction of masterpiece microphones of the past.
“The M80s are awesome,” comments Green Day engineer Chris Dugan, who works with the band on the road and in the studio.“We put the M80 on a snare drum and that is where I fell in love with it. It was exactly what we wanted on Tre’s snare.
“When it came time to tour, I suggested it to Kevin Lemoine, our FOH mixer, and when we tried it on vocals is when I saw the light. We’ve been mixing some live shows from Japan before we got the M80s and compared with later shows with the Telefunkens, it is like night and day.”
Green Day was formed in 1987 by Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar) Mike Dirnt (bass, vocals), and Tre Cool (drums, percussion). The band has sold over 22 millions records in the U.S. along and won three Grammy Awards.
“Without any EQ added,” Dugan continues, “the M80 has a crisp top end, there’s more rejection of unwanted stage sounds, and it has a nice tight pattern, which is very important for us. It almost sounds like it has been EQ’d, with a ton of clarity, a lot of top end without being sizzly, and a nice warm body to it. Before the M80s, we had a lot of guitar and cymbal bleed in Billie’s mic, but not any more.”
For the recording of “21st Century Breakdown” at Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood, producer Butch Vig and Dugan had an extensive microphone shoot-out to find the right mic for Armstrong’s vocals.
“We had Butch’s vintage 250, and bunch more from Ocean Way’s world famous collection, but when we put up the new Telefunken U-47, we all leaned toward picking that one. When Billie heard his playback he fell in love with that mic, and we didn’t even tell him what kind it was. All of his vocals for the album used that mic,” Dugan says. “We had another shootout for Mike Dirnt’s vocals and the new Telefunken 251 came out on top.”
Green Day is currently touring the U.S. and will begin the European leg of the tour in Lisbon, Portugal, in late September. The band will also perform live at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 13.
Telefunken Elektroakustik Website
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CAD Professional Microphones & Astatic Commercial Re-Brand As CAD Audio
Under the new CAD Audio brand, there will be four series of products: recording, live performance, Astatic commercial and personal audio
CAD Professional Microphones and Astatic Commercial Audio Products are re-branding as CAD Audio to expand the company’s product offerings across several markets, optimize the efficiencies of its sales and distribution channels, and streamline its marketing, PR and promotional efforts.
The company’s original roots can be traced back to the Astatic Corporation, established in 1931 in Conneaut, Ohio by two radio engineers dedicated to the development of a static-free or “Astatic” microphone.
The company evolved into Astatic Commercial Audio products, which offers a wide variety of microphones for industrial, commercial and installed sound applications. Recent innovations include Astatic’s variable pattern microphones, culminating in the 1600/1700VP remote control variable pattern mic.
In 1988, CAD Professional Microphones was formed as a division of Astatic to design and build microphones for the recording and live sound markets, among them the cost-effective, high-performance Equitek Series microphones popular in the project studio revolution in the late eighties and nineties.
The company was reorganized as Omnitronics, LLC in 2000, and now, CAD, Astatic and Omnitronics will be known as CAD Audio as of September 1, 2009.
Under the new CAD Audio brand, there will be four series of products: recording, live performance, astatic commercial and personal audio. These new organizational changes will be reflected on the company’s new website, cadaudio.com, and in all product, sales and promotional materials in the future.
Vice President, Sales and Marketing Tony O’Keefe said, “The CAD Audio brand simplifies and maximizes the effectiveness of our sales, distribution and marketing. It also emphasizes the wide range of microphones and related equipment we have to offer while freeing us up to develop a broader array of audio products in the years to come. We’re very excited about the unlimited potential of this new company.”
CAD Audio Website
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