For the 13th year in a row, Audio-Technica supplied over 250 microphones for the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The event included an array of hard-wired mics and the manufacturer’s Artist Elite 5000 Series of wireless systems. Two other interesting selections were A-T’s AT4050ST stereo condenser mic and AT4081 bi-directional ribbon mic.
The sound system was provided by ATK AudioTek with Front of House Engineers Ron Reaves and Mikael Stewart, with the house audio supervised by Leslie Ann Jones, a prominent member of the Producers & Engineers Wing of The Recording Academy.
New Jersey/California-based remote facilities company Music Mix Mobile were onsite with their M3 trucks to create the music mix, facilitated by Broadcast Music Mixers John Harris and Eric Schilling, while Tom Holmes was responsible for the overall broadcast mix.
The broadcast audio was supervised by Phil Ramone and Hank Neuberger, also leading members of the P&E Wing. Michael Abbott returned as Audio Coordinator, and Music Mix Mobile’s Joel Singer served as Engineer-in-Charge.
Artists who performed throughout the evening using Audio-Technica’s Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF wireless system included Jamie Foxx, T-Pain and Doug E. Fresh, performing Foxx’s “Blame It”; Album-of-the-Year winner Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks, on a medley of recent Swift hits and the Nicks-penned Fleetwood Mac classic “Rhiannon”; double award recipient Maxwell; and Lil Wayne and Drake, who performed with Eminem.
All of these performers used A-T’s AEW-T5400 handheld microphone/transmitter, except Swift, who used A-T’s AEW-T4100 handheld microphone/transmitter. Additionally, Elton John, who performed with Lady Gaga, used a hardwired AE6100 hypercardioid dynamic handheld microphone.
The backline mic complement of A-T wired microphones included AE5400 cardioid condenser handheld mic for backing vocals and horns; ATM350 cardioid condenser clip-on microphone for strings; AT4050 multi-pattern condenser microphone for guitar and bass cabinets; the new AT4050ST stereo condenser microphone for overheads; and the new AT4081 bi-directional ribbon microphone on percussion and guitar cabinets, as well as for Jeff Beck’s guitar amp during a tribute to late guitar legend Les Paul. Audio-Technica’s 5000 Series wireless was also used on background vocals.
John Harris, Co-Music Mixer, states, “For high-profile broadcast events like the Grammy Awards, we always turn to Audio-Technica because there can’t be any room for error. A-T gives us an unwavering level of confidence, as I know the mics will work perfectly regardless of the situation. Also, I have been moving away from traditional overhead microphone techniques for cymbals, and instead using a single stereo mic for the whole kit. The AT4050ST has been spectacular in this application.”
Joel Singer, Music Mix Mobile Engineer-in-Charge, states, “Audio-Technica products always perform flawlessly from a technical standpoint, and they continue to be our company’s go-to mic because of fidelity, clarity, overall reliability and consistency from microphone to microphone. And of course the quality of audio that comes through with A-T’s RF is not at all sacrificed because it’s a wireless – it’s transparent.”
