LOS ANGELES —Audio mixer Larry Reed used an array of Sennheiser and Neumann microphones for the variety of competitors appearing on the fourth season of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, and for the guest artists and panel judges as well. Reed noted that the Sennheiser and Neumann wired microphones were used mainly on guest bands. In addition, a couple of the show’s guest vocalists made use of wireless handheld microphones. “We brought in Sennheiser SKM 5200s for Susan Boyle – who used a Neumann KK-105 head – and for Leona Lewis,” Reed said.
America’s Got Talent, the U.S. version of a talent competition show developed in the U.K. by Simon Cowell’s Syco production company, featured a panel of judges that included Sharon Osborne, David Hasselhoff and Piers Morgan, who also judges Britain’s Got Talent, alongside Cowell. “The judges all had Sennheiser MKE 2 lavs, and a really cool, small SK 5212 RF package,” said Reed.
As for the mic inventory available for the guest bands, he continued, “I had an e 901 for the kick, 604s on all the toms, and, my absolute favorite mic in all the world, the KM 84, on hi-hat and overheads,” he said. “The new drum mics are fabulous, low profile, great diaphragm, and dynamic, so I don’t have to worry about phantom power.”
Guitars were miked with e 906 supercardioid dynamic models. “Plus,” said Reed, “we had the standard MKH 416 looking onto the stage for any kind of effects, tap dancers, or anybody yelling or screaming. That’s the standard for me.”
One group, Recycled Percussion, put the Sennheiser mics to the test, according to Reed. “I almost exclusively used e 604s on the tubs that they were playing, which worked out really well for us. They take a folding chair and turn it upside down, and throw the tub on top of it. It was hard to find a way to mic it, but we mounted the 604s to a support bar on the folding chair, and that worked very well for us.”
For one of Recycled Percussion’s performances that involved water pouring onto the tubs, he added, “I specified MKE 2 Platinum lavs, because a water molecule is bigger than the sound ports of the mic, thus making it waterproof. In any case,” he said, “the fortunate part was that the tub worked in our favor to waterproof the mic, since it was sitting on top of it.”
Recycled Percussion is a national touring act playing over 250 shows a year. “Now our lives are even more crazy with the America's Got Talent live show at Planet Hollywood in Vegas and our ongoing touring schedule. I need gear the won't break down and help me deliver the best performance I can, night after night. Sennheiser allows me to do that and is simply the best.
“I use a 300 series [personal] monitering system and a 609 guitar mic. On the TV show we used alot of the 900 series mics — 906 for guitar, drums were 901, 902, 904, 905. We also had [PMs] that I believe were the 3000 series.”
“I just started working with Sennheiser and Tim Moore has been great,” Reed added. “We are building our own show in Vegas for 2010 that will rock your socks off — I need the best audio possible and want Sennheiser with me every step of the way.”
For more information, please visit www.sennheiserusa.com
