Post Malone and Alicia Keys both delivered performances at the recent Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where Malone opened with a country-inspired rendition of “America the Beautiful” using a Sennheiser SKM 6000 handheld transmitter with an MM 435 cardioid dynamic capsule followed by Keys during the halftime show with a newly released Neumann KK 105 U microphone capsule.
Malone has been using Sennheiser microphones for many years, reports his monitor engineer, Travon Snipes, so his live production team saw no reason to change. “We wanted to stay consistent,” Snipes says, “so I requested the SKM 6000 with the MM 435 capsule, which has always been incredible for us. The reliability has always been rock solid and they sound incredible.”
The novel arrangement of “America the Beautiful,” by Malone and his longtime studio collaborator, Louis Bell, called for the singer to start the song off quietly. “He’s great with the microphone, understanding the dynamics,” Snipes says. “I think it was very intentional for him to be that close to the mic and have that whisper effect. He knows what that does and he knows that, if he backs up, how that affects the capsule and how that’s going to sound. So my job is to get it in the ballpark and then allow him to add his creative aspect.
“We were using the 9235 but we moved up to the newest 435. It has been incredible and does wonders on his voice,” he continues. When evaluating the MM 435, he noticed the character that it brought out in Malone’s vocal, he says. “It’s the body that it gives his voice, the midrange that it brings out. But it also gives you enough top end that it’s clear, but it’s not piercing. It really embodies how his voice naturally sounds. We were looking for a capsule that would capture that, and that would also give us a little sparkle.”
Keys joined Usher onstage to sing “If I Ain’t Got You” and “My Boo” using a wireless handheld microphone topped with a Neumann KK 105 U supercardioid condenser capsule. The new capsule was released in January 2024.
“The thing I love about the KK 105 U capsule is that the sound of the mic is flat,” states Ann Mincieli, engineer for AKeys. “It’s not hyped, and the frequency curve is very natural, giving us a great, balanced starting point! Another thing is that there is no bleed in the capsule, as the polar pattern is designed so well. There were 80,000 fans in the stadium, and additional fans all around the stage — we had minimal bleed. The KK 105 U is our capsule of choice!”
Malone and the team went into the venue to rehearse for the Super Bowl broadcast a couple of days before the event, Snipes reports. “They had the capsule and the microphone ready for us. And as soon as he got on it, he loved it.” He also points to the support he received from Sennheiser, by way of Jessica Dabbs, Sennheiser relations manager. “She makes sure I’m taken care of, regardless of the artist that I’m with. I’ve always had great support.”
