Carlos Elizalde is generally busy singing, playing percussion and dancing with with Rú;ckatan, the Latin, reggae and world music band he founded, as well as Caravanserai, a Santana tribute band that performs recreated hits.
Elizalde relies on a AKG WMS4500 reference wireless system with a D7 reference dynamic vocal microphone, plus the AKG IVM4500 in-ear monitor system, D7 dynamic mic and C214 condenser mic for percussion.
“When you’re up on stage, the last thing you want to be thinking about is your gear,” Elizalde said.
“I know that the AKG WMS4500 with its wireless Auto-Setup and the D7 will deliver every time, even when I go a little crazy with jumping around and singing with everything I’ve got. OK – maybe more than a little crazy.
“I just plug everything in and it works. The stage is no place to be fussing with wireless frequencies or worrying about dropouts – we’re here to entertain people and get them caught up in the music and the songs they love.”
Combining the clarity and detail more typical of a condenser microphone with the presence of a dynamic mic, Elizalde prizes the AKG D7 for its warm, rich, punchy sound that enables the audience to clearly hear his vocals in the midst of thundering, multi-layered polyrhythmic percussion assaults. Key to the D7’s superior performance is its dual-thickness Varimotion diaphragm, which provides accurate, open sound in all frequency ranges.
To capture all the dynamics, overtones and nuance of his hand percussion, Elizalde uses a second D7 and an AKG C214 large-diaphragm condenser mic, a cost-effective offering with a heritage drawn from the AKG C414.
“We use a wealth of percussion instruments in Rú;ckatan and Caravanserai, and the D7 and C214 are really outstanding at capturing the percussive attack and individual ‘personality’ of each instrument.” Through it all, the AKG IVM4500 in-ear monitor system ensures that Elizalde hears everything onstage with clarity and consistent sound.
As if playing in two bands wasn’t enough, Elizalde is also working on a new record at Secret Studios in Alameda, California, where the band is tracking with AKG mics and a Harman Soundcraft Si3 console. “Music is our life, and I and the musicians I work with want to share it with as many people as possible,” Elizalde said. “Thankfully we have these wonderful tools to help make that happen.”