FOH Engineer Kenny Kaiser and Monitor Engineer Marty Beath rely on DPA’s Live Sound Solutions
Always on the lookout for the newest audio solutions for the rock band, The Killers, FOH Engineer Kenny Kaiser and Monitor Engineer Marty Beath were immediately intrigued by DPA’s new 4055 Kick Drum Mic. Among the first to get their hands on the mic, the duo put it to the test at production rehearsals before heading out on the band’s “The Killing the Mirage” tour. After receiving universally positive feedback, the decision was made: DPA’s 4055 Kick Drum Mic was joining The Killers’ touring gear line-up alongside the group’s existing DPA solutions, such as the 4099 CORE Instrument Mics, 4011 Cardioid Condenser Mics and d:facto™ 4018 Vocal Microphone.
Before solidifying their kick drum mic of choice, Kaiser and Beath tested out three variations of a mic setup. “We had a plate mic, a ribbon mic and then the new DPA,” explains Beath, “and we were swapping between them, listening to what we could get out of each combination. Because the DPA is linear, you have to shape it, but that’s great because that’s what you want—to have control and not be dictated by the voicing of the mic. So, I think it’s fantastic for this drum, but it will also translate across multiple drum kits.”
Beath continues, saying, “It can handle the SPL, no problem whatsoever, and we’ve pretty much maintained our normal placement. We’ll probably experiment as we go along and get more comfortable with it, but so far, it’s mind-blowing.” Kaiser also notes that the mic’s voicing is one of the key standouts for the pair. “The overall design of this [mic] answers that famous line of optimize or compromise,” Kaiser explains. “The compromise for us is we have a very loud stage, so being able to design everything around that is huge.”
On the rest of the drum set, the pair utilizes DPA’s 4099 CORE Instrument Mics for tom toms and under the cymbals, along with 4011 Cardioid Condenser Mics on snare top and bottom, as well as on the hi-hat. “I’ve used the DPA CORE technology on lots of other acts and thought that it would be the greatest solution for [’The Killers’] kit because it is so small,” explains Beath. “We try to under-mic the cymbals because of the spill from the wedges, so we get a lot more isolation…and can control the stereo image more.”
The duo also notes that the 4011s provide the transient attack that people love without having to manage it too hard. “The previous mics we had, you had to do more finessing to get the tonality we wanted and lost a lot of that [transient sound],” explains Kaiser. The pair also loves the simplicity and subtlety of the DPA solutions, which allow for less mic stands and a neater stage presence without compromising on sound quality.
Also on stage are the d:facto 4018 Vocal Microphones, which Kaiser and Beath rely on for backing vocals. Working front of house, Kaiser’s main concern was loudness and trying to manage that volume. “I’m typically about 75 feet off from front of house,” he explains, “and I’m at 96 dB(A) with the PA off with just the wedges―it’s loud.” The d:facto makes this task a breeze, with Beath adding, “it’s simple to prove the rejection from a d:facto. You turn it 90 degrees, 180 degrees, and there’s nothing. You scream into the back and there’s nothing. It’s tightened everything up, and there’s no bleed―it’s amazing.”
The Killers closed out the U.S. leg of their tour on October 12. The band is now making stops throughout South America, New Zealand, and Australia to wrap up 2022.
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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!”
The company’s complete ATUC-50 digital discussion system was also on display for the first time – with a variety of seminars on the ATUC-50 and general microphone specification and deployment occurring during the show.
The ATND931 Dante six-inch gooseneck microphone and ATND933 Dante hanging microphone are both available in a number of configurations, including black and white colour options and a selection of three polar patterns (cardioid, hypercardioid and MicroLine). All configurations come standard with the new ATND8734 ceiling-mount power module with Dante network output, offering a solution for integrating these new microphones with a Dante network without the need for a separate, standalone audio interface.
The ATND8734 comes equipped with an 80 Hz low-cut UniSteep filter, selectable for a flat response or low-frequency roll-off, as well as a three-position input gain level selector (+30 dB, +40 dB, and +50 dB) and green/red LEDs. All features may be configured and controlled remotely via third-party software.
ISE 2017 also represented the first showing of Audio-Technica’s complete ATUC-50 digital discussion system with the recently introduced ATUC-50INT interpretation unit. The ATUC-50INT received its first showing at ISE at the Audio-Technica booth.
Audio-Technica also hosted a seminar focused on the ATUC-50 on Friday 10 February. The seminar provided an introduction and guide to easy set-up, programming and system integration for integrators, end-users and distributors.
In addition, Audio-Technica technical director Zsolt Zold hosted two seminars as part of the InfoComm FlashTrack programme on Wednesday 8 February. The seminars dealt with microphone choice, performance and positioning for conference environments.
Prosound will be hosting a free Audio-Technica ATUC-50 Conference System Launch and Training Event
If you are a system integrator, audio-visual consultant, rental company or an existing or prospective conferencing system user, get your RSVP in for the launch of the exciting new Audio-Technica ATUC-50 Digital Discussion System. 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. The ATUC-50 offers reliable, clear and intelligible communication to significantly increase meeting efficiency and effectiveness.
As well as an overview of the system’s features, this event will also feature more in depth training on its use. Please RSVP to vunene@prosound.co.za with your name, company name and the link to your website as well as the session time that you’d like to attend. Space is of course limited. We hope to see you there!
NAMM2017 took place from January 19th to January 22nd and over 100,000 attendees from across the globe descended upon Anaheim, California for the biggest week in professional audio.
ATM350a Instrument Microphone Systems
Audio-Technica’s full line of ATM350a Instrument Microphone Systems were on display, allowing visitors to get a first-hand look at how these mounting systems operate. Built for life on the road, the ATM350a is available in six distinct systems providing mounting solutions for a host of instruments including: pianos, drums, woodwinds, percussion and more.
Studio Headphone Packs
Audio-Technica’s new studio headphone packs allow everyone in the studio unmatched audio quality only M-Series headphones can deliver. The ATH-PACK4 includes one ATH-M40x and three pairs of the ATH-M20x, whereas the ATH-PACK5 includes one ATH-M50x and four pairs of the ATH-M20x. The ATH-M40x and ATH-M50x are ideal for the engineer behind the mixing board, while the ATH-M20x headphones are perfect for the musicians in the recording booth. Studio Headphone Packs will be available in February 2017.
Victor Vermaak, Prosound’s church audio specialist, worked closely with First Love Generation in Ruimsig to design an audio system that would fulfill their requirements for their overflow/lecture room. In the end, he met and exceeded their expectations with an Electro-Voice solution incorporating Zxa1 powered speakers.
The system will serve to provide sound for video playback as well as audio from the main church. They went with the EV Zxa1’s to keep the same sonic character of the EV EKX used in their main church.
Other Prosound supplied equipment includes a Midas M32 console, Audio-Technica 3000 series wireless belt pack systems with DPA D-fine headset mics as well as Audio-Technica 3000 series handhelds.
The company’s complete ATUC-50 digital discussion system was also on display for the first time – with a variety of seminars on the ATUC-50 and general microphone specification and deployment occurring during the show.
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Victor Vermaak, Prosound’s church audio specialist, worked closely with First Love Generation in Ruimsig to design an audio system that would fulfill their requirements for their overflow/lecture room. In the end, he met and exceeded their expectations with an Electro-Voice solution incorporating Zxa1 powered speakers.