…That’s what you hear as the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards go live to air in the packed to capacity Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. However, before all of the applause and packed seats of onlookers, the GRAMMYs go through a rigorous schedule of rehearsal and timed perfection. What you at home see on TV is the result of A LOT of hard work. The madness that is GRAMMY week is bigger than any single concert you’ve been to, and it is where we spent most of last week as things began to take shape for music’s biggest night.

Prior to entering the bowels of the Staples Center, Shure once again sponsored the Producers & Engineers Wing GRAMMY Week Celebration honoring Quincy Jones & Al Schmitt. Hang on… prior to that, we made a stop to In-N-Out Burger in honor of Mr. Mike Lohman, who could not be with us on this trip. It was worth the wait. It was delicious. Why don’t we have this in Chicago? Back to the GRAMMY stuff…

Making our temporary home in Studio B of The Village Recording Complex, Shure served up some fresh seafood and the latest in wired mics and headphones. It was amazing to hear so many stories about Shure mics being used on classic recordings from the engineers and producers in attendance. The Super 55 tree, as we have dubbed it, was a bit of a challenge to construct, but I’m happy to say that it made through the entire evening without incident! Aside from being in such esteemed company, the highlight of the night for me was watching a few very critical ears try on the Shure SRH940 and SRH1840 headphones and be completely blown away! That and the countless offers that were made to purchase the SM7B on site or the questions about it being included in some sort of raffle. Most visitors to Studio B had something positive to say about the sleeper hit that is the SM7B.

Okay, so breakfast at the hotel was not that good and VERY expensive, not doing that again. Never mind that, we were making our way to the tunnel into the madness I referenced (there it is on the left) to join in the fun of rehearsals, day one. By the way, the “we” in question is Ryan Smith, Artist Relations Nashville and Jenn Liang-Chaboud, Market Development Senior Specialist. There is so much that goes into this show and everything is in the same place every year… good thing, as I’m just starting to get this whole thing down. As we arrived to the backstage area, we were called into a meeting with production who were concerned about how much “fun” the band fun. was going to be having on GRAMMY night. The “fun” in question was the rain curtain you all undoubtedly witnessed, where the band, all of their instruments and microphones were all drenched in a rain storm. Of course there was concern that the mics may fail if exposed to that level of water, but we were never all that concerned… that’s how we test this stuff! Aware of production’s concern, we immediately put a few phone calls in to the home office in Chicago to have back up transmitters and capsules sent out the next day (thanks to all of the Shure people who came through in the clutch)! Needless to say, we never needed back ups. Those mics you saw on Sunday night were the same mics from rehearsal and dress rehearsal… that’s multiple rain storms!

Making our way around the arena, we found some familiar faces in Mike Parker and Tom Pisa working stage left and stage right respectively. We were also happy to see some familiar product in place as the exclusive in ear monitor system for all artists performing at the GRAMMYs. Twenty-four channels of Shure’s PSM 1000 was once again the preferred choice by production and most of the artists that performed this year. Rehearsals did not begin until about 1:30 pm on day one, so it gave us some time to catch up with everyone and provide them a little Shure swag in the meantime. It actually got cold there in California… nothing like what Chicago was going through, but even a hooded sweatshirt (this year’s swag item) struggled to keep me warm. I did refuse to opt for the winter coat stashed back at the hotel… I’m from the midwest and way too many people would be a little upset and quite possibly revoke my man card if I was discovered wearing a winter coat in California.

So anyway, as the rehearsals moved into full swing, lots of Shure mics were in some pretty important positions on stage. It was nice to see the KSM313 on the guitar amps of the Lumineers and Jack White, that’s quickly becoming everyone’s favorite mic for guitar amp… it looks pretty sweet, too! On vocals you saw Taylor Swift on an Axient Wireless System with a Beta 58, fun. on UHF-R Wireless with Beta 58s, Mumford & Sons on Beta 58As, Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z on UHF-R Wireless with SM58s… a last minute vocal mic change put Justin on a Shure mic for the evening and I thought he sounded pretty damn good on it too! Adam Levine from Maroon 5 was on a UHF-R with a Beta 58 when he joined Alicia Keys onstage, The Black Keys rocked on their SM58s. Kelly Clarkson brought the house down on an SM58! The Lumineers had everyone singing along on SM58s. Jack White tore up the stage while on an SM58. The Levon Helm tribute featured amongst others, Mavis Staples on a UHF-R SM58, Brittany Howard on a UHF-R SM58 and Mumford & Sons on UHF-R SM58s. Juanes sounded amazing on a UHF-R KSM9 and Frank Ocean debuted a new track on a UHF-R SM58. The night ended with two hip-hop icons blazing up the stage as LL Cool J and Chuck D performed on UHF-R SM58s.

All in all, a pretty good selection of Shure mics helped to provide the audio on music’s biggest night!  I would also like to mention the big win by Shure endorsers Mumford & Sons for Album of the Year, fun. for Best New Artist and Song of the Year, and The Black Keys for Best Rock Song, Best Rock Album and Best Rock Performance.

So, things are kind of normal around here now, but I would be lying to you if I said I haven’t started thinking about next year!

Rock Out!
Cory

Contributors: John Born and Yuri Shulman

Shure’s SM7 vocal mic for recording applications, introduced in 1976, is a mic (available today as SM7B) with an amazing history that’s generated a tremendous amount of buzz in the last year or two.

We wondered why. So to find out, we talked to John Born, Product Manager at Shure who answered the question, but advised us that any even lighthearted discussion of the SM7B had to include the SM5 and SM57 microphones.  These two mics were, at different times, the standard by which the SM7 was measured.

Borne of the SM5

The SM7’s story really begins with the SM5 broadcast microphone – a dynamic boom microphone that found a home in many radio and film studios following its introduction in 1966.

Page from the Shure Professional Products Catalog, 1974

While widely accepted in the broadcast and motion picture industries, Shure set out to develop a new microphone offering a smaller footprint (the SM5 was huge – measuring about 10” long) and some of the same sonic characteristics of its newly introduced SM57 in a mic designed to reach beyond the broadcast industry.

According to John, the development of the SM7 went something like this: “A group of Shure acoustical engineers were given the SM57 cartridge element (Unidyne III) and asked, without restrictions on size or cost, to make it better. And they went nuts.”  This may be one reason why John likes to refer to the SM7B as “an SM57 on steroids”.

Variations of the Shure Unidyne III cartridge are used in many of Shure’s dynamic microphones. The SM57, SM58 and SM7B all share a similar acoustic network based on the Unidyne III element, but there are a few differences between the SM7B cartridge and the SM57/SM58 cartridge design:

• The SM7B diaphragm is slightly different and optimized for increased low end response
• The larger housing of the SM7B allows for a larger rear volume behind the cartridge which extends its low end response
• The internal shockmount of the SM7B is optimized to reduce stand vibrations, while the shockmount in the SM57/SM58 is optimized to reduce noise in handheld applications

More from John: “The SM7 was designed as an extended, full range microphone and intended to be universal in its applications. It has a flatter and wider response than its SM57 and SM58 siblings but its frequency shaping switches in the back (selectable low cut and presence peak filtering) allow it to more than adequately fulfill (and enhance) applications where the SM57 or SM58 excel.”

The SM7 debuted in 1976 and eventually replaced the SM5B, which was discontinued in 1986.

Here is KPCC’s Doug Johnson with the station’s SM5B microphone. Big, isn’t it?  

(Photo courtesy: www.courant.org)

What are the differences between the SM7B and SM5B?

• Both are cardioid dynamic microphones intended for broadcast voice applications.
• Both are transformerless.
• The SM7B and SM5B moving-coil cartridges were similar, but not identical.
• The SM7B incorporates a humbucking coil.
• The SM7B incorporates the internal volume of the microphone body as part of the acoustic design of the cartridge; the SM5B did not.

The Thriller Effect

Over the course of past 30 years, the SM7 found its way into the recording studio. Case in Point: Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking album Thriller.  Quincy Jones and recording engineer Bruce Swedien used an SM7 for most of Michael’s vocals and, according to legend, all of Vincent Price’s.

It was a brave choice.  First of all, Michael Jackson’s previous album, Off The Wall, had already become the first solo record to produce four Top 10 singles and a GRAMMY Award for the single “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”.  That set the bar pretty high.  But Jackson was determined to do even better and the same production team was put in place to make it happen.  The resulting 1982 Thriller album (remember – this is vinyl) went on to become the best–selling album of all time at an unheard-of 110 million copies sold.

With all the ultra-high-end recording microphones available to the producers, why the unassuming SM7, then a standard for radio and voiceover applications? Here’s what Bruce had to say about it in his track-by-track memoir, In the Studio with Michael Jackson:  “One of my absolute favorite microphones is the Shure SM7.  I recorded most of the big hit records of Michael’s career with him in front of one of my SM7s. I’ve been pretty vocal about how much I love that microphone, it’s a great mic.”

“I was allowed the freedom to make microphone choices, and nobody ever said a word. I just did it. For example, I used a Shure SM7 on most of Michael’s lead vocals — ‘Billie Jean’, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ — and boy, did that raise some eyebrows! But I love that mic, and I have six of them. The first one that I bought was in 1977 … one of the first SM7s to be used on a major music project. It’s dynamic of course and it worked just flawlessly with Michael – if you notice you can hear all the lyrics very clearly.”

What are the differences between the SM7, SM7A, and SM7B?

• The original SM7 was introduced in 1976.
• The SM7A revision improved the humbucking coil and the design of the yoke mount. This revision was introduced in 1999.
• The SM7B incorporated a larger windscreen. It was introduced in 2001.

Acoustically, the microphone versions performed identically.

Fast Forward: Most Hyped Mic?

While there are legions of true believers still hoping for Shure to bring back the SM5B, the SM7B has achieved a level of popularity and buzz that give it (audio) urban legend status. Used as an instrument mic and a vocal mic in live sound, broadcast and recording, in the minds of many, it is the do-everything microphone that outperforms the industry workhorse SM57.

Posted on www.gearslutz.com

You can hardly visit a mic review site without reading pages of animated and sometimes heated commentary on the SM7B.  There’s even a Shure SM7 joke thread on gearslutz.com with posts like these:

“You know that voice in your head that tells you right from wrong? Well, it was recorded with an SM7B.”

“My SM7B automatically doubled and then quadrupled my vocal takes, translating them into Spanish and Mandarin versions, enabling me to deliver international releases.”

“They say with careful positioning, you can use an SM7B to record the future.”

And that’s not all.   Since the SM7B requires a mic preamp with at least 60dB of gain, there’s almost as much chatter about which preamp or audio interface to use for recording.   Recording Hacks’ Jason Miller covered this extensively in a recent post. His recommendations, including audio tracks using 8 different interfaces, are available here.

We asked John to explain why, 36 years after its introduction; this mic is creating so much noise.  Here’s what he said:

“A combination of things have probably accounted for this consistent spike in popularity. Maybe it just takes this long for a mic to gain acceptance.  Some of it has to do with emergence of podcasting – there’s an appetite for a high quality voiceover mic.  And some of it has to do with Michael’s Jackson’s death – everyone was talking about his recordings and how they were made. Then there’s the fact that this is a $350 microphone that has beaten studio microphones costing ten times as much in microphone shoot-outs.  It’s finally getting the recognition it deserves.”

Shure Artist Relations Associate Ryan Smith agrees: “It continues to be used on major recordings, both as the lead vocal mic and on other applications — guitar amp, bass amp, kick drum, hi-hat, snare drum, horns and many more.”   Death Cab for Cutie, John Mayer, Chevelle, James Hetfield of Metallica, Keith Urban, Jeff Tweedy, My Chemical Romance, Meshuggah, Don Was, Billy Idol and even the Boss have reportedly used the SM7B in either live sound or recording applications.  Rumor has it that Bob Dylan is a fan, too.

You Decide

Clearly, the SM7B has more than lived up to the goals set by the engineers who designed it back in the 70s.  And while it does a good job of masking a poor recording environment, handling a screaming vocal and performing double-duty as a drum or guitar amp mic, only you can decide where it belongs in your rig or mic locker.

You can listen and compare the SM7B to other Shure microphones in the Mic Listening Lab.   Better still, borrow one from a friend and put it to the test.  Remember that good sound is subjective – it’s what sounds good to you.

Helpful Information:

In the Studio with Michael Jackson, Bruce Swedien, Hal Leonard Books, 2009

Best Budget Audio Interfaces for SM7B, Jason Miller, Recording Hacks, June 18, 2012

Reviews:

Shure SM7B vs. Neumann u87Ai, Audio Superfreak, www.soundcloud.com, 2011

Shure SM7 – The Tape Op Review, Drew Townson, July 2003

The line for the show had already formed outside the doors when I met Casey Crescenzo in the restaurant portion of the venue mid-afternoon.  He was about as nice a person as you could meet.  I did gush a little bit about his music upon meeting him, for which he offered humble thanks.  If you’re not familiar with the band, the first thing to know is that Casey is the band.  The Dear Hunter is his project.  His productions are sonically sublime and refreshingly big at times.  It can be punk-ish here, vaudevillian there, and all bits of the spectrum in between.  The instrumentation is diverse and dynamic.  Surrounding him are a large cast of players and collaborators, many of whom are themselves extremely talented multi-instrumentalists.  How, I wondered, does one bring a show that could easily be spread across fifteen or twenty players on the road?

I picked his brain during our interview on such things.  “When I’m in the studio I don’t think too much about how it needs to be performed, because [the studio is] my favorite thing – songwriting, production, and engineering.  I love playing live but that really is sort of the effect of writing the music.  I don’t sit and envision the live show first.  At the end of a record when it comes time to play it live it really takes re-working it completely – knowing that you can’t have a horn section, a string quartet, a group of background singers, a harpsichord, a mellotron – all of those things.  Luckily I have been able to surround myself with musicians who are really comfortable switching between different instruments.  Also from time-to-time with the range of music, with the styles we play, we can kind of decide to be whatever band we want for whatever tour we’re doing.  So on a tour like this we decided to be a little bit more of a rock band, a little less of the experimental and orchestral side of what we do, whereas on another tour we might want to be more of a folk band or whatever really makes sense to do.

“Definitely there are times when I will be playing a song and in my head I can hear what’s not there and I am longing for that.  But I figure at some point, somewhere down the line, hopefully I’ll be able to do that.  We did one show recently that was our whole Color Spectrum release from start to finish.  We had a string quartet and there were about ten total people on the stage and that felt like a giant step towards realizing what the band should eventually be.”

We went on to talk mics.  He expressed a particular fondness of the SM7B – a model we seem to be hearing a lot of from our friends and customers as of late.  We’ll have the interview on our YouTube channel soon.

Now having seen the show I can report that, while the performance may not have had chimes or harpsichord or an eight person choir, it was very, very impressive.  I look forward to seeing what the next time brings.  And the time after that.  And the time after that…

Richard

Thank the humble tape recorder. And give some credit, too, to the 1960s when rock and roll ruled the AM airwaves and teenagers were learning to play guitar by listening to Beatles records over and over again. Professional recording studios were the domain of major acts, but even then, two-track reel-to-reel machines were recording bands in basements, bedrooms and garages.  According to some, that set the ground for the home studio revolution.

By the 1970s, the first home studios were making their appearance, thanks to Teac’s 4-track reel-to-reel machines and mixers.  The addition of amps and speakers completed the system, but the $10,000 price tag was too steep for the average musician or would-be engineer. Tascam (formerly Teac) further revolutionized recording with its 8-track machines and mixers. The 1980s saw the introduction of MIDI, digital synths, drum machines and some of the first affordable cassette 4-track recorders and mixers designed for quality recording in home studios. When the millennium arrived, all the pieces were in place – powerful desktop computers, soundcards and audio interfaces, recording software, synths and digital samplers – each more powerful and less expensive than before.  The computer became the locus of audio production.

Today, according to one expert, “The home studio has progressed from having perhaps a 16-channel mixer and a few rack effects to having a virtual console of unlimited channels with unlimited inserts, sends, busses going to a full library of effects processors not even Abbey Road could afford.”

In this two-part series, we’ll look at seven project studio fundamentals – from considering all-important acoustics to choosing gear that will see you through your sophomore effort and beyond:

1. The right space…
   And the essential gear:
2.  Computer
3. Audio Interface
4. DAW (Digital Audio Workstation
5. MIDI Keyboard
6. Microphones
7. Headphones/Studio Monitors

Let’s start with the section we know best – Microphones.  (Part II will include all the other essential gear.)

Microphones

If you’re going to be recording a vocalist, instruments or sampling your own sounds, you’re going to need a good quality microphone. Your options are determined by what you’re recording and how much you have to spend.

High-end condenser mics, typically used in recording applications, can cost thousands of dollars, but good quality dynamic microphones, like Shure’s SM58 (vocal) and SM57 (instrument), can perform a multitude of tasks in your studio. Condenser mics are popular in studio applications – and they don’t have to be budget-busting.

Since this article is about building a small budget project studio, we decided to sidestep the big studio honchos we know, and direct our questions to a pair of Shure Associates, Chris Lyons and Michael Johns for their suggestions on mic choices for project studios.   We wanted to know what mic or mics to consider first … and what to add later.

Here’s what we learned from Michael and Chris.

First of all, you cannot go wrong starting with an SM57.  It has the reputation as the “do everything workhorse” and it really does work well with almost any voice or instrument, plus it’s super-affordable.  If you can only afford one microphone, make it an SM57. The great thing is that no matter how many microphones you eventually own, you’ll need at least one and possibly several SM57s in your locker. You might as well buy the first one right now and get started.

Next, let’s say you have a little more money to throw into the kitty.  There are two possible directions you can take:

If you want to go with a condenser mic, which gives you that added crispness on vocals and especially string instruments, go with an SM27.  It’s a great sounding mic, real versatile.  Colbie Caillat recorded the vocals on her latest album with an SM27.  That’s a really good choice.  The retail price is $299 and it includes a shock mount, which is great.

If you prefer a dynamic microphone sound, which some people do, go with the SM7B.  It’s about the same price as the SM27 – but is has a different sound signature than a condenser and depending on the type of music and what you’re recording, it might be a great choice.  Some of the most popular recordings have been made with anSM7B– including Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.

It’s a great mic for people who are doing rap and heavy metal screaming- type vocals that would tend to overload a condenser.

The third mic we’d add later on to give yourself more versatility is a small diaphragm condenser like the SM137. A pencil style, probe-style condenser, this a mic you’d use primarily for instruments but it makes a great drum overhead mic and works especially well in a stereo pair. If you’re stereo-miking a piano, for example, a couple of SM137s with a stereo mount make a really nice stereo set-up. The mic retails for about $180 so it’s really affordable.

The thing to avoid is you don’t want to pick a microphone that has a really pronounced sonic character.  Some people are really big fans of mics that have that, but generally those mics tend to be less versatile.  It may sound magical on acoustic guitar or voice, but it doesn’t work well on other instruments.  You don’t want to over-emphasize any one thing – you’re looking for balance and consistency because that’s what makes a mic flexible in lots of different roles.

If you stay with that strategy going in, you’ll be able to handle almost any miking tasks, vocal or instrument and later on, you can certainly add those more unique application-specific mics.  You’ll have built that foundation of ‘do everything workhorses’ that can handles lots of different roles.

Tips:

Record each voice and instrument (or sound source) separately.

Maintain a consistent sound level. Make sure your sound sources do not move in and out of the pickup areas of the microphone. Movement (i.e. varying distance from the microphone) will change recording levels, which are hard to fix later.

Keep the microphone away from reflective surfaces. Reflections caused by hard surfaces, including even tabletops and music stands, can affect the sound quality captured by the microphone. This is also called reverberation and if you want this effect, add it later.

Place the microphones far from unwanted sound sources. Be sure to also point the microphones away from any unwanted noise. Make a few sample recordings of the chosen recording area, with the microphone facing different directions, to find the quietest possible placement.

Place the microphone only as close as necessary. Too close a placement can color the sound source’s tone quality (timbre), by picking up only one part of the instrument. But too far away means you will pick up more ambient sound.

Less is more. Fewer microphones mean fewer technical issues and, for the purposes of capturing clean sound, less pickup of background noise.

Keep the 3-to-1 rule in mind. When multiple microphones are used, the distance between microphones should be at least three times the distance from each microphone to its intended sound source. For example, if two microphones are each placed one-foot from their sound sources, the distance between the microphones should be at least three feet. If each microphone is just two inches from an instrument, they only need to be six inches apart.

Resources

There’s a mountain of ever-changing information on the Internet that can give you details on the latest hardware and software, along with pricing and good/better/best recommendations.  We’ve included one of the sources used for this post, but there are dozens, if not hundreds, more.

Guide to the Home and Project Studio, TweakHeadz Lab

FREE downloads from Shure:

• Home Recording and Podcasting
• Introduction to Recording and Sound Reinforcement
• Microphone Techniques for Recording

Read More

Building a Project Studio for $1000 or Less, Part II 
In the second of our two-part series, we’ll look at the remaining six project studio fundamentals – from considering all-important acoustics to choosing gear that will see you through your sophomore effort and beyond.

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

I got a chance to speak to Marc, Jerry, Richard, and Chris individually for a bit.  They were each using a few fun toys in their respective studios.  Marc is a big fan of the SM7B.  Jerry spoke highly of our KSM313 and KSM353 ribbon mics.

The Shure contingency had a great time seeing the band.  Much thanks to the guys in the band and the crew for showing off the new stuff!

Benj Gershman used the new ULX-D system

Jerry DePizzo using a wireless Beta 98H/C

Marc Roberge (left) and Richard On

Chris Culos

Los Angeles, CA

There’s nothing quite like trying to make something cool happen – especially at the last minute.  Longtime Shure user and recording engineer Cliff Goldmacher called me to see if it was at all possible to get hold of an SM7B he wanted to use the next day to track vocals with Antonia Bennett, daughter of the famous Tony Bennett.  He was heading down to Southern California and could pick it up in the LA area if one was available.  Antonia tours with her father quite frequently and Cliff wanted to catch her before she hit the road again.

I quickly placed a call to our local Rep firm, Audio Geer and it just so happened they had one in house. (Thanks guys!!)

I exchanged information on the result is what you see below.  Antonia cut a track co-written by Cliff while listening through a set of Shure SRH840 headphones.

For those of you who are not familiar with the SM7B as a studio vocal mic, it is worth looking into as several Award winning artists and engineers use this as their “go to” vocal mic for recording.

Ryan

Upon arriving to the Congress Theatre on a cold Saturday in late January for the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival, I encountered the Drive-By Truckers and their faithful crew, all set-up and ready to try out a few “special” KSM9 microphones I brought specifically for their live stage. Once I opened the case of mics I brought along, it was like that scene in Pulp Fiction, when Vincent and Jules open Mr. Wallace’s briefcase and the characters are captivated by what’s inside and giving off a soft, angelic, golden glow. Soon Colin (monitor engineer) and Matt (front-of-house engineer), were asking what I had for guitar cabinets, pedal steel, cymbals, overheads… Shure mics were soon everywhere on stage and ready for critique by the band and the engineers. KSM9s were on the vocals, KSM313, KSM32, SM7B and SM57s were on guitar cabinets, Beta 181C on pedal steel, KSM141 on cymbals, Beta 98AMP/C on toms, and VP88 on overheads.

I proceeded to the front of the stage and listened as the band ran through a few tunes. I could tell the focus was very heavily focused on guitars and vocals as Matt and Colin made their adjustments. Once everything seemed finely blended and at an ample decibel level, I made my way back to the stage to get some initial feedback on the recent microphone placements. Colin was completely floored by the “special” KSM9s I brought along, pointing out the frequency response and rejection. Matt kept it simple and said, “I like it.” When asked which one, he replied, “All of it!” This could have gone a completely different way, it’s not often that a band will change that many mics in one soundcheck and use those same mics for a show later that evening. There was certainly an element of trust; in me and moreover in Shure’s product line.

Once the Truckers made their way back to tour bus world, Dawes showed up for load-in, traveling light as this was a fly date for the quartet from LA. Yours truly was on microphone duty for this visit as well, but Wes Delk (front of house engineer) and I sorted through the mics and where they would end up on stage weeks prior to this show. I handed out a few mics to Wes and soon enough the guys were ready for soundcheck as well. Watching the guys run through a few tunes, some gawkers on the side of the stage started to marvel a bit and made a note to check out the Dawes set later that evening.

So with everything in its right place, there wasn’t much left to do besides have dinner and maybe catch a few bands on the extensive bill. There was certainly a lot of down time and this is where life on the road gets a little mundane. Somehow, we found ways to make the time pass and soon enough Dawes was making their way to the stage.

This whole “festival” started at around 4 pm that day. There were bands in the lobby of the venue, in the balcony of the venue and bands sharing the main stage as well. At around 10 pm, Dawes launched into their first tune. Again, as I mentioned in my earlier post about Dawes, this is a band you have to check out and get to a live show the next time they’re in own. There’s something there that a lot of us feel will be there for quite some time.

With Dawes off the stage and their dressing room filling with fans new and old, the stage is readied for the Drive-By Truckers set. It was now about 11 pm and the Congress Theatre was still filled with eager fans. Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and company proceeded to play for the next two and a half hours. They certainly have the musical catalog to support more than that, but a strict curfew made them complete their set by 1:30 am… making it officially Sunday morning. They sounded fantastic that night, maybe it was that microphone selection from earlier that day? Of course, Shure can’t take all the credit, the Truckers are a great live band; masters of life on the road.

As I packed up my last mic, letting Colin keep the vocal mics for their next gig (he wasn’t gonna let me leave with them anyway), I made my way back to the southside. Of course, no late night venture for a southsider is complete without a trip to White Castle, and at around 2:30 am, that’s where I officially ended my evening. Love this life.

 -Cory

Interview with Mark Jensen.

You’re an IT guy and a voice-over talent, in addition to being the force behind NewMediaGear.com and Studio1A Productions. Can you explain how these inter-relate?

I am fascinated with technology. This drive rages stronger now than ever before. From on-air radio guy to Senior Global IT Engineer and finally media entrepreneur, being at the forefront of technology has relentlessly guided my careers.

Analog, digital (HD), satellite and even streaming radio all have common bonds. Computer technology slowly, then rather quickly, swept its way into audio. Information Technology is embedded in almost every facet of our lives, technically and artistically – from electronic books, smartphones to broadcast and recording – technology rules.

In this issue, we’re talking about audio for online video, thinking specifically, about creating better web/YouTube videos than the kind that might be created using a mobile phone, webcam or camcorder’s built-in microphone. So, let’s start with – what’s wrong with using one of those built-in mics?

In the short term, these low-quality, integrated microphones seem fine. But, when we think long term, cutting corners with technology deals us a terrible blow. Think about being able to go back in time and actually hear the voices of people and experiences that can never be re-created– decades or even centuries old. Wouldn’t we want to capture those moments with as much sonic clarity as technology allows? True, it’s not practical to carry around a sound studio.

However, with kits like the Shure SM57/X2u and the USB port on your laptop, it’s becoming much more practical to capture professional audio on the go.

There are as many mic options, probably, as there are broad categories of online videos. What mic recommendations and tips do you have for specific applications?

First, remember that the most expensive microphone is rarely the best choice. In a world of picky sound engineers and thousands of choices, few would disagree that the affordable SM58® is the most popular, versatile microphone in the world.

Let’s say we want to capture the voice of a strong vocalist, singing lead. Right away, I think of condenser microphones. Most large diaphragm condenser mics are very sensitive, able to capture subtle nuances and wide dynamics. With that heightened audio acuity, and without a sound studio, you run the risk of recording your neighbor’s dog barking or the subtle sound of a door closing on the other side of the house.

How about recording narration for a video? Here, a good dynamic microphone works great because it’s a passive device and won’t generally be as sensitive to ambient sounds. Yet, a good dynamic microphone will brilliantly capture the mood of speech.

Social journalism intrigues me. Here, a reporter style, tough as nails (an SM57 with wind screen comes to mind) dynamic works great. They may have better lighting and cameras, but with some experience, an individual can match the audio quality of your local television station.

I grew up around radio broadcast microphones. If you have a dedicated room, and want that radio look to your video, try an SM7B on a boom. If you want a retro look, blow them away with the timeless Super 55.

If you’re recording several people, using a single microphone, I would huddle them around an SM58. This mic is known for being able to take on a completely different character by close or medium talking the mic. Have you ever watched a comedian on stage wrap their hands around the microphone head, achieving a bassy, or even muffled sound for dramatic effect? This is proximity effect and the SM58 made this stage technique famous.

What are the most common mistakes beginners make producing their first short videos?

Always watch the audio levels. When it’s live, and there is only one take, set your audio record levels low on the camera. Audio levels can be boosted later, but over-driven, distorted audio can make a great shoot unusable.

If levels vary wildly, check your video camera for an audio compressor or limiter. If you’re confident the levels won’t distort (record at or above 100% or 0db), then run without the compressor. Record a few dry runs to get an idea of just how much room there is from silence to the loudest sound or voice you are recording with your camera in the scene/environment.

Don’t use video camera (or webcam) built-in audio. Take the time to assess your project. Storyboard it and plan the flow, even if you scribble something at the last minute. Effective video requires planning and coordination.

A visible microphone in your video can actually lend credibility. Microphones are frequently used on television talk shows as props. If you can dedicate room to a studio and large table, go for the classic Shure SM7B on a boom. Save finicky lavaliers for shots when a visible microphone just won’t work.

As mentioned above, don’t rely on your video camera microphones. If you are constantly on the move with your camera, consider mounting a shotgun type microphone on it. This will give you maximum clarity right where you want it.

What limitations does the Internet (or YouTube-type platforms) have on audio production?

I am blown away with the inexpensive tools and the creativity found in today’s “Tube” type videos. Professional audio/video hardware and software has never been more affordable.

While the file size, and stream time, of Internet video has made incredible progress, there are still limitations. Too many times, I see Internet video shot in 1080p and high bit depths, just because it can be done. In reality, most Internet video will be transcoded (converted) to a much lower quality that still looks incredible. For me, 720p, at a reasonable bit depth is the sweet spot.

There are other video issues beyond the scope of this article, such as rolling shutters and resolution vs. bit depth and optics. Experiment and try to get the best quality shots without maxing your cameras video settings.

In audio, bigger and pricier will not always give you better results. Some of my most inexpensive microphones get the most use. The important part is that they are all professional. To me, a professional microphone means it has a balanced (XLR connector instead of the small consumer 3.5mm unbalanced). With a product like the Shure X2u, you can instantly plug in a pro microphone while the other end goes to your computers USB connector. That type of flexibility simply wasn’t available 10 years ago.

You’re also a podcast producer. What are the similarities (or the differences) between recording for podcasts and recording for video?

I like to punch the final audio levels a little harder when creating audio-only. Ideally, I would compress my audio more because people may be listening in noisy areas or in the car with the windows down.

Video can be a little more gentle and refined because the visual helps articulate your message. Also, your viewers are typically consuming your media in a quieter environment.

Try this experiment. Listen to a few minutes of random television shows. Listen only to the audio. Then, turn on a few random radio stations. Notice the difference in overall sound? Much of that difference is due to video stage production and the stations final processor. Sometimes television sound is captured live, but high budget film and television use a technique called automated dialogue replacement (or ADR). After a video shoot, the actors will lip sync their lines in a sound studio, achieving the highest quality audio experience and advanced mixdowns. I’m getting off track here, but the underlying concepts and foundations of audio are universal.

Don’t let all of this impede your message. In the end, that famous saying is still paramount: content is king. Use the best tools available, but never lose sight of your message and your audience.

Got a favorite Shure mic? What do you like about it?

I do! It’s a PG27. There is just something about the way that microphone articulates my voice. It’s ultra crisp and clean. It always gets the job done. Being a studio condenser, it is larger than most hand held microphones, but the sound is amazing for speech.

ABOUT MARK JENSEN

Mark lives and works in Orlando, Florida with his awesome wife Laura. He is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, FCC licensed radio operator, national media producer and agency voiceover talent, while running his flagship syndication NewMediaGear.com.

You can reach Mark at: mark@newmediagear.com

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

Bridgestone Arena- Nashville, TN

I’ve seen them before, and I will see them again – every chance I get!  Maroon 5 is such a great band to see/hear live.  They are tight, energetic, and well “schooled” in playing so many styles of music. After all, that’s what they are all about and it shows in their music. So many different influences come together in music that makes you move.  Everyone in the band has their part in each song, well orchestrated to let each part shine equally.

I was seated with my 15 year old son side stage, which forced us to watch the musicians more than the video screens, which were hard to see from our angle.  While I can appreciate great graphics and visuals that always add to the performance, I really enjoyed this angle.  As some of you may have gathered, I’m a drummer. So naturally, I tend to be drawn in to that person in a band quickly.  I must, therefore,  start out by citing that M5 drummer Matt Flynn is a MONSTER player.  Everyone has their place in a group but the drums provide the foundation.  Matt provides that so well in this group as this music demands it.  He was “on” all night and Adam Levine was right “on” with him.  I love watching a drummer who commands his drum kit.  Watching Matt land hits crashes so tightly and with such cool force all set long was inspirational.

Back to the rest of the band.  Adam Levine had a great time last night.  “You’re wearing me out, Nashville” he yelled out after one song.  He is a great front man and wonderful vocalist.  He and James Valentine’s guitar playing compliment each other so well.  Michael Madden on bass locks in on Matt’s solid foundation and Jesse Carmichal’s keys provide a harmonious counterpoint for each song.

Changing directions is in this bands nature but it always sounds like Maroon 5.  That’s their magic.  It’s no wonder why they took an immediate liking to fellow new endorsers Fitz & The Tantrums early on.  Both band provide a fresh approach to honoring those who came before them but in their own unique ways.

Adam sounds awesome on his UR2/KSM9 champagne colored wireless mic.  FOH engineer Jim Ebdon loves this mic on Adam’s voice and had the band dialed in nicely!  I also was introduced to one of the groups recording engineers for the past 2 records, Noah Passovoy, who stated that the SM7 has been the mic of choice for Adam’s vocals, beating out much more expensive and typical competitors for that spot.

I look forward to every new project from this group and wish them nothing but the best on their road to continued success.  Speaking of the road, here’s a link to catch them while they are out on tour:  http://bit.ly/oRtiOv

When you go to their show, feel free to write back and tell us about your evening.

Also, check our MySpace page and our Artist site regularly as we will be editing the video interview I got with Adam and James backstage.  I included a few photos from last night including a shot of the groups “recycling center” in each of the dressing rooms.

Enjoy!

Ryan