Elton John performed using an Audio-Technica hard-wired AE6100 Hypercardioid Dynamic Handheld Microphone. Photo by Kevin Winter/WireImage.
STOW, OHIO—
Audio-Technica supplied over 250 microphones, including an array of hard-wired mics and Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF Wireless Systems for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Feb. 10. The event was the company’s 16th Grammy Awards.
The ceremony itself is an Emmy-winning production and was the first major awards show to venture into HDTV and 5.1 surround sound. Outfitted with tools to ensure the highest fidelity for the evening’s performances, including select Audio-Technica microphones.
The sound system was provided by ATK AudioTek with front-of-house engineers Ron Reaves and Mikael Stewart, and the house audio supervised by Leslie Ann Jones, a member of the Producers & Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy.
New Jersey/California-based remote facilities company Music Mix Mobile was onsite with its Eclipse and Horizon trucks to create the mix, facilitated by broadcast music mixers John Harris and Eric Schilling, while Tom Holmes was responsible for the overall broadcast mix.
The broadcast audio was supervised by Hank Neuberger, also a member of the Recording Academy Producers and Engineers Wing. Michael Abbott returned as audio coordinator, and M3’s Joel Singer served as engineer-in-charge for the Eclipse broadcast mix truck, while M3’s Mark Linett served as engineer-in-charge in the offline Horizon remix truck.
CBS delivered HDTV, with 1,080 lines of picture resolution and 5.1-channel surround sound, for the home audience.
Artists performed using Audio-Technica’s Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF Wireless System and AEW-T6100 Hypercardioid Dynamic Handheld Transmitter, including Wiz Khalifa and Miguel, as well as T-Bone Burnett. Elton John used a hard-wired AE6100 Hypercardioid Dynamic Handheld Microphone for his vocals. Jack White and his duet partner Ruby Amanfu used an AT4050 Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone, as did jazz performers Chick Corea, Kenny Garrett and Stanley Clarke.
The backline mic complement of A-T wired microphones included additional AT4050’s for timpani, overheads, guitar cabinets and horns; ATM250 Hypercardioid Dynamic Instrument Microphone for bass amp; ATM25/LE Hypdercardioid Dynamic Instrument Microphone for toms; AE5100 Cardioid Condenser Instrument Microphone for hi-hat, ride and overheads; AT4050ST Stereo Condenser Microphone for overheads; AT4047/SV Cardioid Condenser Microphone for guitar cabinets; ATM350 Cardioid Condenser Clip-On Microphone for horns, timbale and strings; ATM450 Cardioid Condenser Instrument Microphone for snare bottom and tambourine; and AE5400 Cardioid Condenser Handheld Microphone for kick drum.
