Everyone onstage is on in-ear monitors. For Iglesias, Caipo chose a Sennheiser 2050-XP transmitter and Ultimate Ears UE7s, while the rest of the band uses Shure PSM 1000 systems.
All of this gear routinely finds itself in a world where the lead vocalist is known to run all over the place (yes, even in front of the PA of course), and performances occur on one of three stages spread across great distances in cavernous arenas built in densely-populated urban areas that are already RF hell.
Given this climate, it should come as no surprise that Caipo and his monitor tech Chris “Sharpie” Sharpe occasionally encounter a challenge or two.
“We’re running nearly 50 channels of RF between microphones, IEMs, and the backline” Caipo acknowledges. “Sharpie is instrumental in keeping all that under control, as are Shure’s Wireless Workbench and our GX-8 Distribution Systems from Professional Wireless. Sometimes we may have to work at it a little, but we can always rely on having a good, solid show.”
True Reflection
For Iglesias, Caipo is currently using a Sennheiser 5200-II BK-L transmitter with a Neumann 105 S capsule. “I like the top-end on this mic,” he notes. “It captures his voice extremely well without sacrificing the warmth at the bottom-end. It also enhances the breathiness of his ballads.”
The input list in general is vast, eclectic, and diverse. No one’s AR guy walked in and took down a blanket order covering everything. Starting at the bottom on drums, a Shure BETA 91A can be found at kick. Telefunken M80-SH mics are spread across snare top, while an Audio-Technica AT4051 covers snare bottom.
A Neumann KM 184 stands-in on high-hat, beyerdynamic Opus 88s are on toms, and AT4050s are the choice for drums and percussion overheads. “Big Drum” is what its name implies, and gets a Sennheiser e 604. BETA 98H/C mics from Shure round out the percussion portion of the stand on bongos and cajon.
Direct inputs are also widely employed. There are two guitar players, each of which play three guitars.
“All the guitars are run direct via a Line 6 HD500X,” Caipo says. “We used to use DIs and each would be mono, and to be honest, they didn’t sound too good that way. But all that improved dramatically when we made the switch, and now each guitarist can process all three of his guitars with the same pedal. Using different patches, they’re all sent via a single stereo output to the console. The guitarists can program their own sound as they see fit in terms of reverb, amp emulation, and so forth. As a result, what they hear in their IEMs provides a true reflection of what their guitars actually sound like.”
Supporting Iglesias’ 10th studio album, Sex and Love, the tour wound its way through the American Southwest this winter prior to landing for two dates in Rosemont, IL and Minneapolis, and then moving on to San Juan, Puerto Rico. If Divens, Caipo, and crew, plus the arenas full of screaming fans know a thing or two, fun will indeed continue to be in endless supply at each stop.
Gregory A. DeTogne is a writer and editor who has served the pro audio industry for the past 30 years.