TAMPA, FL — For Coldplay’s Viva La Vida arena/shed tour, the large stage setup made personal monitoring an important part of the band’s ability to perform at their best. As they have for the past several years, the band members were all on Sensaphonics custom earphones via Sennheiser wireless systems.
Monitor engineer Chris Wood lists sound quality, comfort and reliability of the Sensaphonics 2MAX earphones as keys to success.
There were a few key changes for this year’s tour. All four band members have upgraded from the classic ProPhonic 2X-S to the Sensaphonics 2MAX. “Most of the backline crew also have Sensaphonics IEMs,” said Wood. “We have found the drivers to be very reliable. I can’t recall having a problem in the eight years we have used them.” A few wedges can still be seen on stage, but are used mainly for backup.
Another change this year is that lead vocalist Chris Martin now keeps both of his earpieces inserted throughout the show. “Previously, Chris wore one earpiece and one ER15 (custom earplug), as he liked to hear the band acoustically,” said Wood. “But with the increasing size of the venues — and the level of the stage and P.A. — he prefers to make the most of the noise rejection the 2MAX gives him. He keeps both earpieces in place all the time now. And of course, it’s also better for his hearing.”
To help keep the band connected to the audience, Wood adds some ambience to his monitor mix. “I use a pair of Sennheiser shotguns at the downstage left and right corners, pointing toward the center of the audience about 40 feet back from the stage,” Wood said. “With a heavy low frequency rolloff, I can leave them on at low level throughout the show.”
On a more personal level, Chris Wood relies on his Sensaphonics earphones both during and between shows. “I use them constantly, as the sound quality is excellent and are very comfortable. I always use them to mix shows with, and also when traveling, especially when flying.”
Coldplay recently completed its North American tour in mid-August and have now embarked on a two-month run through Europe. The band is offering a live album recorded on the Viva La Vida tour, LeftRightLeftRightLeftRight, as a free download on its Web site.
For more information please visit www.sensaphonics.com.
