Taking advantage of new opportunities in the music industry, alternative rock band Squint recently transitioned from touring to recording an album funded through Kickstarter. Despite the shift in priorities, the band continues to utilize Harman’s AKG microphones and headphones to produce the sound they’re aiming for.
Squint used to perform over 200 nights per year, building a considerable following in the process. Hoping to keep up with its audience in the digital era, the band turned to studio recording projects to put out more quality content.
“Over the last couple years, people’s attention spans have become shorter, moving to the next thing quicker,” says Dane Adrian, lead vocalist for Squint. “We lost touring, our mainstream income, but thanks to our fans on Kickstarter, and AKG microphones and headphones, we were able to bounce back and make better music in the studio.”
Adrian uses an AKG WMS4000 wireless system with a D5 microphone on the road, while the rest of the band used the C414 and the D40 microphones for guitars, the C451E microphone for the overhead drums and the D12 microphone for the bass drum in the studio and during live performances.
“As for the headphones, I love the AKG K171 MK2s, because its sound is so true,” Adrian adds. “It sounds clean and clear, and that is why I consider them my reference sound for both the studio and home.”
Transitional phases for well-established artists are intimidating to say the least, and when asked how Squint managed to adopt new practices without losing its fan base, the one-word response is loyalty.
“Ten years ago, I didn’t consider myself a rock star, but when I reached out to AKG, they listened. No matter how far I was from home, I’ve been well taken care of,” Adrian concludes. “It was clear that AKG was a brand that I would like to be loyal to, in the same way our fans have been loyal to us throughout the entire process. Just like our fans, AKG cares about the connection with artists, and the music they want to make.”