A range of Sennheiser microphones and wireless system were utilized at the recent 2015 Juno Awards, supporting Canadian recognition for technical and artistic achievement in music.
The event was broadcast on CTV Television Network and hosted by Jacob Hoggard, lead singer of pop-rock group Hedley, regular users of Sennheiser products and honored with three nominations, including “Album of the Year” for Wild Life.
The broadcast reached 1.6 million viewers in Canada and presented an array of talent, featuring live performances and awards in a broad range of genres. Sennheiser was well represented, with Hoggard relying on a Sennheiser SKM 2000 handheld transmitter and MMD 935 capsule for the duration of the ceremony – including his live vocal performances with Hedley.
Other Sennheiser users that were recognized during the evening included The Weeknd, which picked up”‘Artist of the Year” and “R&B/Soul Recording of the Year.” Singer Abel Tesfaye treated the live and broadcast audiences with a rendition of hit Earned It from the movie Fifty Shades of Grey, captured through his customized, grey camouflage Sennheiser SKM 5200, which was coupled with an MD 5235 capsule.
Arkells gave a performance of Come to Light off the High Noon album, complete with a 16-piece orchestra and all vocals running through Sennheiser MD 431-II dynamic microphones. During the evening, they also picked up JUNOs including “Rock Album of the Year” for High Noon and “Group of the Year” – their second such award in four years.
Arkells’ front of house engineer and tour manager, Dave Gardner, utilizes the Sennheiser MD 431-II both on tour and in live award broadcasts. “As soon as I tried the MD 431-II I fell in love with it,” he says. “The feedback rejection is exceptional. I can get Max’s [Kerman, lead vocalist] microphone louder than I’ve gotten any other microphone, then I can swing the microphone around and point it directly at the monitor and it doesn’t even make a chirp.”
In addition to relying on Sennheiser MD 431-IIs, Gardner also used a Sennheiser 300 IEM G3 system for wireless monitoring and an assortment of Sennheiser and Neumann microphones for drums and backline – including Sennheiser MK 4 large-diaphragm microphones. “I find these work very nicely as drum overheads,” he explains. “They don’t add anything I don’t want, and they don’t take anything away. Some of the other large condenser microphones tend to add coloration that is not necessarily desirable – the MK 4 is very balanced.”
Sarah McLachlan came through this year for Canadian fans with Shine On, her new album that was recognized with “Adult Contemporary Album of the Year.” McLachlan, a longtime Sennheiser user, is currently on tour with her Neumann KMS 105 and Sennheiser e 935 dynamic microphones.
“Using Sennheiser has proven to be an integral part of Sarah’s show,” says Alex Fedrizzi, systems tech, Sarah McLachlan, Solotech, who works alongside monitor engineer David Retson. “We work towards being as consistent as possible in order to produce the best possible show every night. The reliability and sonic quality of Sennheiser is a big part of achieving that goal. We are currently carrying a combination of Sennheiser wired microphones, RF handheld systems and wireless in-ear monitor systems, specifically the 2050 transmitters with A 5000-CP antennas, and we have been extremely pleased with the results.”
From Mark Vreeken’s perch as main mix engineer of the Juno Awards of 2015, the key to delivering a great show is ensuring audio quality and dependability. “There are many variables in a live TV show, and Sennheiser microphones and wireless systems help bring predictability,” he says. “For example, a lot of bands like to change their approach to these kinds of award shows by adding different elements such as orchestras or choirs which makes it interesting.”
“Arkells added a 16-piece orchestra that sounded huge, and Hedley added 12 drummers to their lineup,” he continues. “Whatever the artists want to achieve creatively on shows such as this, we need to ensure the best possible audio results. The biggest reward is having a fantastic sounding show in the arena and on-air. To that end, the Sennheiser microphones and wireless systems are extremely dependable and sound great.”