When I arrived, Buddy’s crew had just finished setting the stage for his soundcheck.  I had brought along one of our yet to be released GLXD guitar pedal wireless system to show to crew and hopefully have someone demo. Everyone who has tried this system so far has been very impressed with it’s sound and features.

After Buddy’s soundcheck, Jonny’s band showed up and began to set his stage.  After a 30-40 minute check, I went up on stage to say “Hi” to Jonny and show him the system.  As usual, he was impressed with the features and said “Let’s give it a try.”  After a 15-20 minute trial, he was definitely interested and wants to try it again once it’s available.  He mentioned that he hasn’t used wireless in quite a while and he would love not to be dealing with a trailing cable again.

Jonny took the stage first and immediately the room started heating up.  Jonny has been singing on the KSM9 for quite a while now and he’s got a KSM313 Ribbon on one amp and the KSM32 on another. He’s been performing for so long and it’s incredible to see how much emotion pours out of him in performance.  He’s such an approachable person and music just flows out of him.

Buddy Guy is legendary!  You are hooked right when he walks on stage.  He has been through so much and never seems to stop performing, even in between recordings, he’s still out there.  Buddy Guy has been a Shure Artist for well over 20 years.  He commands the stage through is KSM9HS yet can be as subtle as a kitten on guitar.  Your attention is quickly drawn in when he starts out a song with a guitar lick at almost at an imperceivable level.  Every show I’ve seen with both of these artists is a treat and I will always make it out to their shows when I can.

Who are some artists that you will not miss when they come to your town?

Ryan

Buddy's KSM9HS

Buddy Guy's amps - KSM313's

Jonny's KSM9

Jonny tries GLXD

Jonny Lang

Buddy Guy On Stage

I like to research what other interviewers have recently asked an artist and then avoid those questions entirely…or at least rephrase them differently, but mostly avoid.  So I got my questions together, packed up my gear and headed down to the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

Once inside the venue, I meet with Jason’s FOH Engineer Ettore “ET” DeDevitiis who had been with Jason for several years now.  ET brought me over to “Guitar World” where my interview with Jason would take place right before their soundcheck. I met several crew members, began setting up my gear and got some quick B-roll video of the mics onstage.  Jason has been loving what the SM86 gives back to him.  He’s very comfortable with its flat front so he can get right on the capsule.  On stage right, there were a cluster of mics set up where later in the show the band members would, one by one, join Jason around a Shure Super 55 and sing acoustic style.

My interview with Jason was great.  We’d met before at a NAMM show where he signed autographs at our booth for an hour.  The line was so long for him we had to turn people away. Look for this interview on our site soon.

After the interview, I went back to FOH to listen to Ettore’s mix.  Of course the arena was all but empty save a few people who were brought in for a special soundcheck party, but ET’s mix was great.  Being a drummer, I honed in on the kick sound and asked if he was using both a Beta 52A and  the new Beta 91A.  He confirmed.  He also mentioned it was a brand new Yamaha kit.  There were Beta 56A’s on the toms, about 4 inches above the heads.  Sounded amazing.

After Jason’s check, I watched a bit of Christina’s soundcheck.  Her voice sounded angelic through her UR2/KSM9 wireless.  I also met her drummer Elmo who had just toured with Skrillex.

Right before showtime, I met my wife and 2 boys out front and we grabbed our seats about 3 songs into Christina’s set. She puts on an energetic show and is so happy to be opening for Jason.  One of her dreams come true!

The arena was about 3/4th’s full and I was happy to see so many people out supporting live music.  Money can be tight for some and the fact that it was that well attended is promising.

Jason puts on a great show and his vocal range is pretty amazing.  He really does invite the audience into his party and they all sing along.  The band is super tight and ET has everything sitting right where it should be in the mix.  At one point in the show, he and percussionist Mona Tavakoli were on stage and performed his new song “You F___in’ Did It.”  When Mona kicked in on her Cajon, the whole crowd went wild. Pretty cool.

This is the kind show I could watch night after night and be content.  It’s great when an engineer finds that gig that they are totally into and they love doing their job every night.  With a great singer and a tight band, how could you not?

I can’t wait for the next time Jason comes back to Nashville.  I may not even wait till then…..ROAD TRIP!!

Ryan

Rhonda Vincent stepped out of her bus on Thursday, July 12 and was escorted by her husband Herb to a red 2012 Chrysler 200S, Special Edition hard top convertible.  Herb had to hide this vehicle from her for the last 6+ months. Rhonda was very surprised and even asked me if I knew about it.

Later, the Bluegrass Queen and her group The Rage would perform to an almost packed house at The Ryman Auditorium.  She has been a KSM44A ambassador  for many years. Performing well over 200 dates a year, it seems like her tour never ends.  She takes a short time to record and then it’s back out on the circuit. I receive regular emails from her with a photo of her singing on the KSM44A at various shows.  (Thanks Rhonda, keep em coming!)

Her band just keeps getting better and now they travel with a dobro player for the first time in the groups’ history. The group has been using the PSM900 for monitors and the SE535 for earphones.  I was able to grab a few photos here and there throughout the evening.  Once in a while, I get an artistic photo and I was lucky to catch a moment when there was no one in front of Rhonda’s mic and the house was empty with the lights on.  Pretty cool shots.

It’s great to be able to work with an artist for a long time and watch them evolve.  Rhonda is a tireless performer and always puts on a great show.   She has just released a live CD entitled Sunday Mornin’ Singin Live, which has Shure mics in use.  You can visit her site and order a copy or 5 for yourself and your family.  www.rhondavincent.com

Ryan

Meshuggah at the House of Blues on May 15, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)

I very much revere Meshuggah.  I’m not alone in that opinion.  If you are a fan of metal you will know that, love them or not, they are the best at what they do, period.  Virtuosic performance dresses a primal foundation.  Fans are just as likely to count out polyrhythmic elements as they are to headbang when listening to their music.

I had the opportunity to see them one other time to date.  It was in 2002 and the band was opening for Tool.  The arena in Madison, WI sat about 8,000.  It was big enough to ruin the performance with ambiance.  When you play as fast and as tight as they, reverb and reflection are not your friends.  I was thrilled then, to know that I was going to see them in Chicago’s House of Blues.

I sat down for an interview with guitarist Mårten Hagström and vocalist Jens Kidman prior to the show.  It was interesting to learn that, for as loud as they are in concert, there is almost no stage volume.  The guitars and bass are all handled by Fractal Audio boxes, leaving the drums and Jens’s vocals the only real volume on stage.  You would only know this from standing on the side of the stage though.  From out front, you needed earplugs…as much as I didn’t want them.  Shure’s part in the story?  Drums.  Vocals.  In-ears.  Mårten and Jens both professed to be fans of the SM7B.  Mårten used his in pre-production and demoing.  Jens hand-held his mic as he laid down vocal tracks for the record.  Playing live, his weapon of choice is the Beta 58A on a UHF-R wireless.  The band use PSM®900 with SE425-CL earphones, excepting drummer Tomas Haake, who uses the PSM 600 hardwired body pack.

Meshuggah at the House of Blues on May 15, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)

For showtime I was set up with a P9R body pack receiver in CueMode with every mix programmed in to it.  I mostly watched at the side of the stage where I was able to select each band member’s personal mix at a whim.  Just for fun (and to take the opportunity to go listen from the house) I went strolling out to the main room with my earphones in and the pack on.  I stopped behind the FOH board for a quick listen without the earphones, then continued on through the venue.  I had a few RF dropouts in the very back of the venue and in some of the concrete stairwells backstage – six in total.  It was amazing considering the band was using a directional paddle antenna which only had the stage in its line of sight.  Those few hits aside, I could hear their mixes everywhere in the venue through the pack.

The only place I didn’t dare go to test was in the middle of the floor.  Our gear can take some abuse, but the energy coming from the stage was driving the most prime real estate of the room in to a frenzied pit.  Cathartic it may have been, but I value my earphones enough to not have them ripped from my head and stomped to pieces.

Jens, Fredrik Thordendal, Mårten, and bassist Dick Lövgren delivered their punishing set from the very front of the stage, as if to drive home the listening experience through their physical presence.  From the back Tomas played faster and with more precision than one would suspect is humanly possible. The set started with “Demiurge” from their new album, Koloss.  Throughout the set were more from the album, along with fan-favorites like “Future Breed Machine” and “Combustion”.  As they launched in to one of their most ambitious and well-known tracks, “Bleed” (obZen, 2008), I dialed in Tomas’s mix.  If you’re a drummer, you might know what that means.

If you are a fan of metal, put this band on your bucket list.

Richard

Walking into the Metro is always a nostalgic treat, so many great rock shows took place there and it is the epitomy of the term “rock club.” I made my way up the stairs and caught the band setting up and preparing for a sound check. Jeff Neuberger, the band’s monitor engineer greeted me and walked me around the stage, pointing out all of the Shure gear responsible for Cults’ sound. On vocals, KSM9 was the favorite. Guitar cabinets were captured with SM57s. The drum kit featured Beta 52A and Beta 91A on kick and SM57 and Beta 181/C on snare. A Beta 52A was also the complement to the bass cabinet. Finally, the band took a mix from Jeff in monitor world through the PSM 900 personal monitor systems.

As the band ran through a few tunes and the lighting tech set the mood, I ran down to the legendary green room to set up for my interview with the band. In about an hour or so, the venue went quiet, letting me know that it would soon be time to sit down with Brian and Madeline and learn a little more about Cults. Looking back on it now, it was a pretty good conversation. We’ll be posting this soon, so stay tuned.

Leaving the band to their own devices, I met up with legendary photographer Paul Natkin for some dinner at Uncommon Ground, one of the sites for our National Open Mic Night. This place is always packed, but Paul knows everyone, so the 10 -15 minute wait turned into, “Please follow this gentlemen to your table.” This is a great place if you ever make it to Chicago, very organic and green-minded. The acoustic music that takes place there is pretty incredible, too. I have to make a note to show up in mid-November for the Jeff Buckley Tribute Show. I’m a big fan, but never got around to going. After listening to Paul talk about it, I’m making my plans already.

After milking our dinner time for every minute we could, we made our way back to the venue… two hours to show time and nothing to do but check out the opener and people watch.

Finally, 11 PM rolled around and Cults took the stage to a screaming crowd. It’s always interesting to see how a band is going to pull off certain elements of songs from their album, and I have to say, they pulled it off effortlessly. The sound on stage was a little more aggressive than the album, making it a little more lively for an onlooking crowd. All in all, a great show and a great band. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Cults. This evening also ended with a stop at White Castle.

-Cory

On a rainy early evening at Metro Chicago, I caught the guys from Dawes during load-in and soundcheck. Needless to say, they were pretty happy with their new-found microphone situation on stage. Later on that evening, I would bear witness to the sound they are so grateful for night after night. I first ran into Taylor Goldsmith (lead vocals/guitar) who shared his love of the SM7B on his guitar amp. He also made mention that Dawes used the SM7B to record the vocals on their debut album North Hills. With Taylor back on stage, I was greeted by his brother Griffin Goldsmith (drums/backing vocals), in the middle of some much-needed drum head replacement. He walked me through the rest of the mics on stage and their respective applications, including the Beta 91A, the ONLY mic he uses on his open front kick drum. We were soon joined by Wylie Gelber (bass/gear geek of the band) who rounded out the conversation regarding the rest of gear situation on stage. Keyboard player and backing vocalist Tay Strathairn would later share his love for the Shure PSM 900 personal monitor system, stating that they made such a difference in his performance. Another life changed by the power of the PSM 900.

Of course traveling with a veteran front of house engineer like Wes Delk, formerly of Wide Spread Panic and Waylon Jennings, certainly contributes to how good those mics are going to sound on any stage every night Dawes plays. Wes is also the real deal, this guy knows his stuff and knows how and when to use it. Most importantly, he knows this band. He alluded to the fact that he kind of came out of retirement to work with these guys.

Apparently, Wes was asked to sit in for a friend one evening and serve as engineer at a local listening room in Athens, Georgia. Dawes hit the stage, and about three songs into their set, Wes Delk decided he really liked what he was hearing. The dynamics and space and harmonies were almost sweet nostalgia to his ears. At the end of the evening he went and met the guys at the merchandise table and jokingly offered to get on the bus with them one day and hit the road together. No less than a month later he got a call from Griffin Goldsmith, explaining that Dawes was to hit the road with Alison Krauss & Union Station and they needed to have their own engineer. Knowing he had an old-time friend in Alison Krauss & Union Station’s engineer, Cliff Miller, Wes jumped at the chance and took that seat he had joked about upon first meeting the band. Dawes is more than aware of what Wes Delk brings to their sound on stage every night.

Showtime had finally come. This was a late one for a school night, with the first band, The Belle Brigade from LA, hitting the stage at 9:00 pm. By the way, this brother and sister act definitely had everyone’s attention, check them out, next time you go downloading. Dawes finally took the stage at 9:45 pm and the place erupted. I’m certain that I was not alone while marveling at the dynamics Dawes had on stage. Some personal favorites from the evening’s set list were “If I Wanted Someone,” “When My Time Comes,” “Time Spent In Los Angeles,” and “A Little Bit Of Everything,” which, for a moment felt like a church hymn ringing through the rafters.

After witnessing Dawes, the live version, something tells me that we’ll be hearing more from this band in the years to come, one can only hope. Dawes is a much-needed breath of fresh air in the music industry.

Cory

On a rainy early evening at Metro Chicago, I caught the guys from Dawes during load-in and soundcheck. Needless to say, they were pretty happy with their new-found microphone situation on stage. Later on that evening, I would bear witness to the sound they are so grateful for night after night. I first ran into Taylor Goldsmith (lead vocals/guitar) who shared his love of the SM7B on his guitar amp. He also made mention that Dawes used the SM7B to record the vocals on their debut album North Hills. With Taylor back on stage, I was greeted by his brother Griffin Goldsmith (drums/backing vocals), in the middle of some much-needed drum head replacement. He walked me through the rest of the mics on stage and their respective applications, including the Beta 91A, the ONLY mic he uses on his open front kick drum. We were soon joined by Wylie Gelber (bass/gear geek of the band) who rounded out the conversation regarding the rest of gear situation on stage. Keyboard player and backing vocalist Tay Strathairn would later share his love for the Shure PSM 900 personal monitor system, stating that they made such a difference in his performance. Another life changed by the power of the PSM 900.

Of course traveling with a veteran front of house engineer like Wes Delk, formerly of Wide Spread Panic and Waylon Jennings, certainly contributes to how good those mics are going to sound on any stage every night Dawes plays. Wes is also the real deal, this guy knows his stuff and knows how and when to use it. Most importantly, he knows this band. He alluded to the fact that he kind of came out of retirement to work with these guys.

Apparently, Wes was asked to sit in for a friend one evening and serve as engineer at a local listening room in Athens, Georgia. Dawes hit the stage, and about three songs into their set, Wes Delk decided he really liked what he was hearing. The dynamics and space and harmonies were almost sweet nostalgia to his ears. At the end of the evening he went and met the guys at the merchandise table and jokingly offered to get on the bus with them one day and hit the road together. No less than a month later he got a call from Griffin Goldsmith, explaining that Dawes was to hit the road with Alison Krauss & Union Station and they needed to have their own engineer. Knowing he had an old-time friend in Alison Krauss & Union Station’s engineer, Cliff Miller, Wes jumped at the chance and took that seat he had joked about upon first meeting the band. Dawes is more than aware of what Wes Delk brings to their sound on stage every night.

Showtime had finally come. This was a late one for a school night, with the first band, The Belle Brigade from LA, hitting the stage at 9:00 pm. By the way, this brother and sister act definitely had everyone’s attention, check them out, next time you go downloading. Dawes finally took the stage at 9:45 pm and the place erupted. I’m certain that I was not alone while marveling at the dynamics Dawes had on stage. Some personal favorites from the evening’s set list were “If I Wanted Someone,” “When My Time Comes,” “Time Spent In Los Angeles,” and “A Little Bit Of Everything,” which, for a moment felt like a church hymn ringing through the rafters.

After witnessing Dawes, the live version, something tells me that we’ll be hearing more from this band in the years to come, one can only hope. Dawes is a much-needed breath of fresh air in the music industry.

Cory

The Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN

OK, I know they just played here in July but I can’t get enough of this group.  It is so cool to watch and hear their vibe coming off the stage.  If you aren’t moving and grooving to this band, they will CALL YOU OUT! That doesn’t happen too often though because the crowd is there and they are into it.

Since exploding onto the scene, Fitz & The Tantrums has been touring like crazy, implanting their Motown infused pop into current and new fans.  They have 3 sold out shows in Chicago coming up on this run.  If you have not seen them live, this is the ONLY way to experience them and be reminded of just how much FUN music can be.  Crowd participation is not an option with this band, it’s required.  During the encore, which was the unforgettable “Moneygrabber”, they make the entire crowd – sound man included, get down low to the floor and then build it back up to a hopping fest as they bring us to the end.

Noelle Scaggs and her tambourine are one throughout the entire show.  I do not see many tambourine players on the road, especially ones that play the way she does – old school!  It awesome to watch!  Her voice works so well with Fitz’s.  Both of them are on Shure UHF-R wireless – Noelle on the Beta 58A and Fitz on the SM58.

Multi-instrumentalist James King is using the PGXD14/98H for his tenor sax and all are loving the freedom of wireless.  Noelle has just stared using the PSM900 ear system and enjoying the control it gives her over her volume leves.  Drummer John Wicks is enjoying some new mics as well: Beta 98AMP on his toms, KSM137 on overheads, and the Beta 52A on his kick.

After soundcheck, I got a great video interview with Fitz and Noelle. Fitz discussed his minimalist approach to recording Pickin’ Up The Pieces in his living room.  No label pressure, no deadlines, just a few mics and experimenting with mic placement.

Keep up with this group and where they are going.  Their show is well worth your money!

The Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN

OK, I know they just played here in July but I can’t get enough of this group.  It is so cool to watch and hear their vibe coming off the stage.  If you aren’t moving and grooving to this band, they will CALL YOU OUT! That doesn’t happen too often though because the crowd is there and they are into it.

Since exploding onto the scene, Fitz & The Tantrums has been touring like crazy, implanting their Motown infused pop into current and new fans.  They have 3 sold out shows in Chicago coming up on this run.  If you have not seen them live, this is the ONLY way to experience them and be reminded of just how much FUN music can be.  Crowd participation is not an option with this band, it’s required.  During the encore, which was the unforgettable “Moneygrabber”, they make the entire crowd – sound man included, get down low to the floor and then build it back up to a hopping fest as they bring us to the end.

Noelle Scaggs and her tambourine are one throughout the entire show.  I do not see many tambourine players on the road, especially ones that play the way she does – old school!  It awesome to watch!  Her voice works so well with Fitz’s.  Both of them are on Shure UHF-R wireless – Noelle on the Beta 58A and Fitz on the SM58.

Multi-instrumentalist James King is using the PGXD14/98H for his tenor sax and all are loving the freedom of wireless.  Noelle has just stared using the PSM900 ear system and enjoying the control it gives her over her volume leves.  Drummer John Wicks is enjoying some new mics as well: Beta 98AMP on his toms, KSM137 on overheads, and the Beta 52A on his kick.

After soundcheck, I got a great video interview with Fitz and Noelle. Fitz discussed his minimalist approach to recording Pickin’ Up The Pieces in his living room.  No label pressure, no deadlines, just a few mics and experimenting with mic placement.

Keep up with this group and where they are going.  Their show is well worth your money!

October 14, 2011

Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL

We recently welcomed Neon Indian to our Artist Endorser Family and although I have been a fan of Alan Palomo since his solo project known as Vega, and even more so after listening to Neon Indian’s Psychic Chasms released in 2009, I never had the pleasure of checking out his futuristic show live. As a child of the eighties and a fan of electro synth pop, I was excited to finally get a chance to check it out as well as hear songs off their recently released album Era Extraña, which was recorded in Helsinki, Finland. What?

I drove up to Lincoln Hall early to meet with Dana Wachs, Neon Indian’s sound engineer, and deliver some gear during their sound check. She was super busy getting ready to record a video for blog site For No One which records bands playing an intimate show without a crowd. It’s a pretty neat concept and the band really rocked out as if it was a packed room.  Can’t wait to see the finished result…

After they were finished, I was invited backstage to meet everyone in the band. As expected, they were super cool and down to earth. Then Dana and I had a great conversation about music and audio while the band got their ear impressions made for custom molds for their SE425 earphones that they use with their PSM 900′s. While backstage I was also introduced to opening acts Com Truise and Purity Ring, which went on to have really great sets later in the night. Keep them on your radar if they aren’t already.

It was about midnight when Neon Indian finally hit the stage and their contagious energy spread amongst the sardinesque crowd very quickly. “Polish Girl” set the crowd off and drove the band to pulsate on stage as if the synth driven melodies vibrated through their bodies. Palomo’s airy vocals came through a Beta 57A and flew through the hall like a cool fall wind. The crowd danced and sang all morning until the music stopped and Palomo thanked them and stated how much they “really love Chicago”.

For more info on Neon Indian including videos, photos and tour dates visit http://neonindian.com/

Nelson

There was a time when understanding pro audio and having a good pair of ears was enough to handle most church audio challenges. Then, wireless systems came into their own and changed the landscape. Touring acts may have the luxury of a dedicated RF coordinator, but few, if any, churches do. We asked Shure’s Monitor Man Michael Johns for his advice on the essentials, and here’s what he had to say.

Usually the person responsible for getting the microphones or the in-ear personal monitoring systems on air isn’t an RF coordinator. Churches might have a monitor engineer, musical director, or technical director of some sort who is responsible for the audio, but that person might also be a video or lighting person who is responsible for the whole production. More often than not, he or she is a volunteer.

Understanding the basics of RF coordination is a really simple way to become much more comfortable as a user. If you know how the products operate and how they’re supposed to work, then it’s a lot easier to get them to work right. Teams know how to operate mixing boards, they know how to operate most of the audio equipment that they’re using, but wireless systems can mystify even the most experienced audio engineers. They understand the audio side of it, but don’t always know a lot about radio frequencies (RF).

Here are four steps that will help most church audio techs get the most from their wireless mic and personal monitor systems:

1) Understand the Basics

Make sure that you learn how wireless systems work.

First of all, the components:

Earphones – compact, high-fidelity sound-isolating stereo in-ear monitors
Bodypack Receivers – sleek, wearable units that receive sound and give you the ability to adjust your volume and move freely on the stage
Transmitters – usually (but not always) a rack-mounted device which sends audio wirelessly to the receiver

Then, the nature of radio waves:

• Most wireless audio equipment accomplishes its task by converting the audio signal into a radio wave, then back to an audio signal.
• Radio waves travel at the speed of light and are able to travel a significant distance from the source. These characteristics make radio the ideal form of transmission for audio applications, from broadcast radio and television to cordless phones.
• Like sound, a radio wave can be described by its frequency and its amplitude. Frequency is measured in hertz (cycles per second). Frequencies in the radio spectrum range from a few hertz to beyond the gigahertz (GHz) range.
• Most professional wireless audio systems operate in the megahertz (MHz) range.
• Since June 2010, the FCC has ruled that only the 470 MHz to 698 MHz spectrum, shared with television broadcast stations, is available for wireless audio users in the U.S.

2) Select the Right Wireless Products and Accessories

Determine your system needs based on your unique situation. It will inform your purchasing decisions.

• Are your performers stationary or mobile? (Do you need a wired or wireless system?)
• Can monitor mixes be shared? (Will you need a personal mixer, and does your system offer multi-channel capabilities?)
• Do you require a stereo mix, or is mono acceptable? (Mono-only systems are less expensive.)
• What’s your budget? (The less you require, the less you’ll pay.)

More advanced wireless personal monitoring systems offer the ability to combine multiple transmitter antennas (for example, connecting up to four wireless transmitters to one antenna). In these systems, reducing the number of transmitter antennas in close proximity reduces the chance of sound dropouts and is crucial to obtaining the best possible performance. A variety of accessories are available, including different antennas and combiners. Directional antennas can also be used to increase range and reduce the chances of dropouts due to multi-path interference.

3) Properly Select and Coordinate Frequencies

When using Shure PSM® systems, there are three methods for choosing and coordinating frequencies. Which method is best for you will depend on the system features, the number of wireless systems in use, and your access to a computer. No method is foolproof.

Method 1: Use the Frequency Finder on shure.com
If you have internet access, go to the Frequency Finder on the Support page of the Shure website. Enter your city or ZIP code, select the PSM system you are using, and the finder will give you the best options for frequency selection. This is useful if you are using only one wireless model in one frequency band. It cannot accommodate for other wireless microphone or guitar systems in use.

Method 2: Use the Scan function of the PSM receiver (PSM®900 and PSM®1000)
Utilize the scan functions of the receiver to scan for an available frequency or group of frequencies. This gives you a real-time analysis of your operating environment. This method cannot account for all of the potential interactions between your wireless monitor systems in different frequency bands and your wireless microphone or guitar systems.

Method 3: Use a frequency coordination program such as Shure’s Wireless Workbench® Software
This is by far the best method, especially when using multiple wireless systems. Software such as Wireless Workbench will give you the most reliable frequency coordination when using multiple wireless systems regardless of the model, frequency range, or even manufacturer. Wireless Workbench is a free download from shure.com.

Advanced: Use software such as Shure’s recently updated Wireless Workbench 5.0, which you can download for free. This is recommended when a user has a number of wireless systems to get on air, has the means to scan for RF either as a product feature (for example, PSM 1000 or UHF-R®) or through an RF scanner, and needs to coordinate multiple systems.

4) Lastly, There’s No Such Thing As “Set and Forget”

Remember, even if your audio system doesn’t move from place to place, the environment changes constantly. It’s largely true that television stations remain constant, but if there are other wireless systems in the frequency band — whether it’s multiple systems in your own location or interference from the coffeehouse down the street — your wireless frequencies may need to be adjusted. What worked last Sunday (or even last night) may not be failsafe when the service begins. And that’s why frequency coordination is so important.

MICHAEL JOHNS is an associate product manager working in the monitoring category in the Shure Global Marketing and Sales (GMS) Division. Michael worked as the main marketing representative on the development team for PSM 900 and PSM 1000 in-ear monitor systems. His duties also include working on and managing the development of Shure’s pro headphone line. Michael holds a BA in Sound Engineering from Columbia College Chicago and is also a sound engineer and DJ.

Learn More

Here are two downloadable publications with more comprehensive information on personal monitor systems. Both are FREE.

Basic:
Introduction to Personal Monitor Systems (PDF)

Advanced:
Selection and Operation Personal Monitor Systems, Third Edition (PDF)

Also, make sure to check the FAQ section on the Shure site, where you can find 416 questions and answers on the subject just by searching “Personal Monitors.”

Nashville, TN

Soundland Nashville has taken over the town with great new upcoming bands.  I hope you got a chance to go out and hear some new music.

I started out my day on Thursday by visiting a panel discussion at the Belcourt Theatre on the success of the band The Civil Wars.  If you are not familiar with the group yet, please click on the link.  They are on tour in Europe with Adele, who was quoted saying this is her favorite group live. The speakers included people from their record label, distribution, marketing, and their producer.  It was very interesting to listen to the details of how this group came together, by chance, at a writing seminar and immediately hit it off.  So many great opportunities have come their way and their team has done a great job of handling them.  Their success at iTunes was amazing and now they are opening for one of the best selling artists. Go pick up their record, Barton Hallow, …. immediately after you finish reading this blog of course.

Following this panel was another regarding Grooveshark, the music streaming service. So many people are starting to enjoy having access to thousands of songs at their fingertips.

After that, I went over to Soundland’s temporary headquarters to catch an interview and performance with new Endorser Justin Townes Earle.  American Songwriter did the interview and Shure captured it all.  We supplied a couple of KSM42′s, a KSM353 ribbon mic, some Beta 27′s, and a few SM57′s to capture these moments, which will later be put up online.  The engineer’s were enjoying it all through a couple sets of SRH940 headphones.  The mixes sounded great!  (see pics below).  There will be many other artists interview up as well so visit Soundland’s website often to see them up there soon.

I then walked over to the 12th avenue concert are and waited for the evening’s show to begin.  Tonight featured a group that’s starting to take off – Cults.  Closing the show were endorsers Foster The People.  I watched Cults perform for a little bit and noticed that they were using a non-Shure vocal mic up front.  However, halfway through the set, I saw the monitor engineer change out to an SM58. Sounded like it may have helped a bit.  Festival situations are always difficult to walk in to as you may not get the soundcheck you are used to.

Foster took the stage and proceeded to rock the crowd. An energetic set and a great light show was just what the crowd needed.  While I was hanging out watching their set, I was back by one of the food trucks.  This was a BBQ food truck !  The owner called me over to take a look at what he had on the smoker.  Upon opening the lid, he revealed about 10 pulled pork roasts, completely caramelized over and smelling way too good.  He asks one of his assistants for a serving dish and proceeds to pull apart the meat to give me a sample.  Heavenly….is the word that comes to mind.  Then, if it couldn’t get any better, he offers me some of that caramelized bark!  DONE!  I’m falling deeper and deeper into BBQ bliss…”and I can’t get up.”

After a great set by Foster The People, I met with their sound engineer who proceeded to tell about how much they love the UR wireless mics and the PSM900′s.  Then I’m escorted to the buses where I’m introduced to both Mark Foster and Mark Pontius who thanked Shure for our support.  Foster is loving the freedom of his wireless UR2/KSM9 vocal mic, saying “it’s made me a new frontman.”

The next day (Friday, Sept 23), I went over to the Cannery Ballroom to grab a video interview with Justin Townes Earle. Justin has a rich, deep knowledge and appreciation of traditional country artists.  He loves to talk about them.  They have influenced the way he chooses to perform and connect with his audience.  Justin also loves his new Beta 57A vocal mic as well as his PSM900 ear system. I don’t want to spoil the surprise when you see the interview on our website so I will stop at saying that this was a great interview to be a part of and I have meet another wonderful, approachable artist in this exciting world that is our music industry.

Please take a gander at some of the photos and if you attended Soundland, please (pretty please) write back and let us know of your experiences.  We’d love to hear from you!

A special THANKS to the folks at American Songwriter magazine for inviting Shure to be a part of this event.

Ryan