A -T'S EVERWHERE
Audio-Technica endorsing pop divas Sugababes celebrated the release of their single, 'Caught In A Moment', with a series of festival dates around Europe and the UK, exclusively using A-T microphones.
The band's decision to place 100% reliance on Audio-Technica microphones and wireless technology was informed by Production Manager Adrian Barnard, who said: "It was a quality and control decision to carry our own mics for vocals and backline. I've been a fan of Audio-Technica for a long time but we wanted to be sure we were using the right mics. A-T kindly arranged for their entire range to be made available and we did a lot of comparative testing.
"We proved that Audio-Technica AEW-T6100 hypercardioid dynamic transmitter mics and AEW-R4100 True Diversity receiver gave us the warmth and quality of sound that we wanted for lead vocals and chose other A-T mics across the board after careful listening. The back-up service has also been fantastic."
Sugababes Heidi, Mutya and Keisha (pictured L-R) each have their own designated A-T AEW-T6100 transmitter mic, while all the guitar cabs and drums overheads are covered by AT4050 condensers. The powerful and popular AE2500 Dual Element, dynamic/condenser is used on kick drum, ATM35 high-intensity, clip-on, cardioid, condenser instrument mics are employed on toms and an AE5100 cardioid large-diaphragm condenser on hi-hat.
Another high profile A-T user currently touring is Bryan Ferry, who is using the AE5400 large-diaphragm, cardioid condenser - his long-standing choice of stage mic. Ferry has used an AT4054 capacitor microphone exclusively for his vocals for several years but has recently taken up with the A-T Artist Elite AE5400 (the successor to the AT4054) which has a significantly richer LF response and a switchable HP filter.
These mics allow Ferry to switch from voice to harmonica, cupping the capsule without fear of feedback or any 'muting' of the harmonica's tone. The live mic list also includes A-T models for drums, percussion, violin, sax, harp, piano and guitar cabinets.