Audio-Technica presented the European debut of its new 3000 and 5000 Series frequency-agile true diversity UHF wireless systems at the ISE Show.
The new 3000 Series systems, with their 60 MHz tuning range, are available in four frequency bands – DE2 (470–530 MHz), EE1 (530–590 MHz), EF1 (590–650 MHz) and FG1 (650–700 MHz). The systems, which are available spring/summer 2018, let users set a backup frequency that can be quickly swapped by pressing the transmitter’s multifunction button in the event of unexpected interference.
The third generation of the company’s 5000 Series wireless systems are designed for use on professional tours, in stadiums, concert halls, festivals, houses of worship and other demanding audio environments. The receiver has been updated with a tuning bandwidth of 230 MHz: 470–700 MHz and users now have the option of selecting a standard receiver with two balanced XLR outputs (ATW-R5220) or a receiver that also includes a Dante output (ATW-R5220DAN).
Other new features include an antenna cascade output that connects up to eight receivers so a single pair of antennas can feed up to 16 channels of wireless, and a backup frequency that can be quickly swapped by pressing the transmitter’s multifunction button in the event of unexpected interference. The updated 5000 Series systems will be available mid-2018.
The 3000 Series Frequency-Agile True Diversity UHF Wireless System from Audio-Technica was one of the winning products in Newbay’s Best Of Show Awards at ISE 2018.
Audio-Technica’s new 3000 Series wireless system is the next generation of the company’s frequency-agile true diversity UHF offering, designed for live sound in theatres, installed sound and music applications.
Elton John performed live at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday, 28 January, 2018, broadcast live on the CBS Television Network.
The legendary British recording artist employed the Audio-Technica AE6100 hypercardioid dynamic handheld microphone for his lead vocal.
According to Audio-Technica, the Artist Elite AE6100 hypercardioid dynamic vocal microphone delivers clean articulation, fast transients and high-output, assertive sound for vocalists. With a polar pattern tailored for impressive on-axis response, the microphone offers maximum feedback rejection and anti-shock engineering for low handling noise.
For protection against vocal plosives, the mic’s steel outer grille is lined with steel mesh and a layer of open-cell foam. A foam disk positioned on top of the element assembly provides the final layer of “pop” protection.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy.
A recent collaboration between London-based venue Spiritland and Audio-Technica UK has seen a variety of the company’s products installed in the venue to help deliver a diverse offering of interviews, Q&A sessions, DJ sets, album playbacks and radio output.
Created as a space to “celebrate artistry and indulge the senses”, Spiritland combines café, bar and radio station with an in-depth musical programme seven days a week (already featuring the likes of guest DJs Jarvis Cocker, Andrew Weatherall and La Roux).
Spiritland’s sound system features a unique pair of Living Voice loudspeakers, valve amplification from Italian manufacturer Atelier du Triode and a towering Kuzma turntable. At the very beginning of the audio chain is Audio-Technica’s ART1000 direct power moving coil cartridge which is employed to provide perfect audio reproduction from the turntable onwards. Additional cartridges selected from Audio-Technica’s new VM moving magnet range are used for vinyl playback from the separate twin decks at the DJ booth.
Five pairs of Audio-Technica’s flagship M-Series headphone, the ATH-M70x, and five BP40 large-diaphragm dynamic microphones are the foundation of the radio studio set-up (with limited edition matte grey ATH-M50xMG headphones available for visiting artists at the DJ booth); while U853R condenser hanging microphones are also installed from the ceiling for ambient sound pickup of the audience in the main seating area. The company’s ATM610a hypercardioid dynamic and BP892 subminiature condenser headworn microphones also feature for live panel and interview sessions.
Audio-Technica UK were also able to provide a solution for the spoken word and background audio with six Apart Audio Mask 6T two-way speakers mounted above the café/bar area, powered by Apart’s four-channel REVAMP4120T bridgeable power amplifier. The Mask 6T’s sleek, curved cabinet design fits well with Spiritland’s considered design aesthetic, while an additional REVAMP4120T powers different pairs of vintage bookshelf speakers which are located in each of the venue’s four restrooms.
Overall the Audio-Technica microphones, headphones and cartridges employed in Spiritland’s signal chain help complete a mix of original analogue equipment, while also playing a part towards the output generated from the venue’s editing and streaming facilities.
“Spiritland is a huge operation in a small space with elements including hospitality, nightly DJ sets, radio broadcasts, live talks, a retail offering and more – and Audio-Technica are involved in every aspect,” said Spiritland’s artistic director Paul Noble. “They have been a fantastically supportive partner in this project.”
Audio-Technica, a leading innovator in transducer technology for over 50 years, is proud to be the manufacturer of choice for noted live and studio engineer David Reitzas, as he continues his longtime association with legendary artist Barbra Streisand. Reitzas (whose other credits include such acts as The Weeknd, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Seal, Stevie Wonder, Guns N’ Roses and many more) has been Streisand’s go-to engineer since 1993, for both studio and live album projects. In the early 90’s, Reitzas was working with producer and songwriter David Foster, when Foster was hired to produce Streisand’s Back to Broadway album, the follow-up to her smash hit The Broadway Album. Since then, Reitzas has been behind the glass for nearly every one of her studio projects and every single live album. Unsurprisingly for an artist of Streisand’s stature, Reitzas is tasked with capturing detailed multi-track recordings of nearly every single performance, and his arsenal of Audio-Technica mics has proven to be a good fit for the enterprise.
“For the first several years I was recording Barbra’s live concerts, I noticed that certain mics they were using on stage were not ideal for the recording mix after the fact. We did what we could, but in my opinion there wasn’t enough rejection between the channels, considering the ensemble of 70-plus musicians and the carefully assembled array of stage monitor wedges. Everything was bleeding through to everything else, and it sounded great in the hall, but the recordings needed a more nuanced approach. Sometime around the mid-2000s we tried out the Audio-Technica AE5400 Cardioid Condenser Handheld Microphone on her lead vocal, and it was a revelation, both in terms of the live sound and the recording. It was great on her voice, and the channel isolation was a mixer’s dream. That mic, or the wireless iteration AEW-T5400a paired with A-T’s 5000 Series wireless, has been the rig of choice ever since, including for the recent tour, The Music, The Mem’ries, The Magic.”
Streisand’s flawless mic technique helps make Reitzas’s job easier. He notes, “She is such a pro at naturally using a microphone. She knows when she belts out to hold the microphone out a bit in the right position, and when she’s singing more intimately she brings it up closer to her mouth. With the AE5400, the proximity effect is just perfect. Her range is incredible, so you need a microphone that can pick up the subtleties of when she’s like singing in a lyrical, personal style, and then her signature high, long notes where she’s belting it out needs to also be able to be handled properly. Studio work and live performance are obviously very different, but one of the goals is to bring the fidelity and warmth of the studio experience to a live concert hall, and that involves using microphones that capture the nuances of her voice. I couldn’t be happier with the AE5400 for the whole range – it’s just perfect for her.”
An important element for Reitzas is one that is overlooked by some live recording engineers: the sound of the audience. “Barbra and her audiences have a deep mutual respect, so she interacts with them quite a bit. And they love her, so they freak out! It’s been an ongoing goal of mine to capture those audience reactions as precisely as possible. On this recent tour, I used an A-T mic that I hadn’t used before: the BP4025 X/Y Stereo Field Recording Microphone. It was exactly what I had been looking for – a nice wide, open sound, and enough rejection to where it was pretty directional but also wide so that I could capture a lot of people. And I also liked that it’s a nice small stereo mic that didn’t get in the way of the audience when I put it up on a stand, blocking the line of sight. So we ended up using a total of six stereo BP4025’s throughout the perimeter of the floor, and it was perfect.”
Beyond this, the rest of the mic setup is very heavy on A-T products. Reitzas remarks, “We’ve used the AT4060a Cardioid Condenser Tube Microphone on the overheads of the drums, for the bass cabinet we’ve used an AT4050 Multi-pattern Condenser Microphone, and for percussion we’ve used the AT4081 Phantom-powered Bidirectional Ribbon Mic, with additional AT4050’s on things like tympani and horns. We also use AT4041 Cardioid Condenser Microphones to capture the overall sound of the stage. So many of these mics end up back with us in the studio too, when we’re working on the studio productions. And I love my ATH-M50x and ATH-M70x Professional Monitor Headphones. I use the M50’s all the time, and so does Barbra.”
Reitzas adds, “It’s such a comforting feeling to have an intimate relationship with the products and people of Audio-Technica. They’ve been in the microphone business for over 50 years now, so the trust I have in their products is strong, and the personal care and attention they give to their artists and engineers is second to none. It gives me great confidence to know that when I choose an A-T mic for capturing a specific character of sound, it will always deliver the perfect result!”
Audio-Technica has announced a new addition to its flagship 50 Series studio microphone range – the AT5047 cardioid condenser model – at Prolight + Sound 2017.
Following the original AT5040 vocal microphone and AT5045 condenser instrument microphone, Audio-Technica’s new AT5047 broadens the scope of the line-up with its improved dynamic performance.
Based on the distinctive, four-rectangular-diaphragm design of the AT5040, the AT5047 is a cardioid condenser with a transformer-coupled output that delivers a noticeably smooth sonic character and ensures high SPL handling without the risk of overloading mic preamps or console inputs. With its ability to cope with wide variances in dynamic range, the new model is designed for outstanding performance on everything from brushed snare drums to powerful vocals, guitar amps to brass instruments.
In common with the rest of the 50 Series, the AT5047 is hand-assembled and crafted from aluminium and brass, with an internal shock mount that decouples the capsule from the microphone body. The elegant, custom-designed AT8480 mount, included with the AT5047, also ensures isolation from knocks and transmitted vibrations in the studio.
Supplied in a hard-shell carry case with die-cut foam compartments, the AT5047 has a recommended retail price of £3499 / €3999 inc VAT and will be available in Europe from summer 2017.
On the 21st of February Audio-Technica South Africa, distributed by ApexPro, officially launched the ATUC-50, an innovative new offering from Audio-Technica in the conferencing space. Audio-Technica’s Conference Business Development Manager EMEA, Sandra Kellerman, came all the way from Denmark to officially launch the exciting new ATUC-50 Digital Discussion System and offer in-depth training on its use and features. The event was held at the picturesque Blandford Manor conferencing venue in northern Johannesburg.
This new entry-level system has raised the bar for sound quality and speech intelligibility with its 24-bit/48kHz uncompressed digital audio and is extremely easy to use along with plug and play functionality. With a 5 year warranty the ATUC-50 offers reliable, clear and intelligible communication to significantly increase meeting efficiency and effectiveness.
Aadil Matwadia, National Sales Manager for ApexPro had this to say; “I really found the training to be very informative. It was very useful to see what we are up against in the market place with this system. The ATUC-50’s ease of set up and sound quality were the highlights for me”.
After two very successful training sessions in Johannesburg, Sandra went on to Cape Town where customers were again very enthusiastic about the system. We predict that the ATUC-50 will find many fans in South Africa as an easy to use, highly adaptable and great sounding system in the entry-level tier of conferencing.
Overall the Audio-Technica microphones, headphones and cartridges employed in Spiritland’s signal chain help complete a mix of original analogue equipment, while also playing a part towards the output generated from the venue’s editing and streaming facilities.
