Grammy Awards Show Relies on Audio-Technica Microphones For 12th Straight Year

For the
12th year in a row, Audio-Technica maintained its status as the hallmark of
superior sound at the Grammy Awards Show. At the 51st-annual Grammys, on
Feb. 8 at the Staples Center in Los
Angeles, particular emphasis was on live
performances, with 25% more featured nominees and performers than in the
past. For the live show and broadcast, Audio-Technica supplied more than 250 microphones,
including an array of hard-wired mics and Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF Wireless
Systems.

The awards
ceremony itself has garnered widespread notice throughout the years as it
continually raises the standard for broadcast entertainment. The Emmy-winning
production was the first major awards show to venture into HDTV and 5.1
surround sound, and it was outfitted with the most advanced tools to ensure the
highest fidelity for the evening’s performances. Audio professionals
continually select Audio-Technica microphones to achieve exceptional quality
amidst the ever increasing sonic demands of the show’s musical portions.

The team
working on this year’s Grammys featured many top-tier contributors who returned
to ensure the success of this landmark event. The sound system was provided by
ATK AudioTek with FOH (front-of-house) Engineers Ron Reaves and Mikael Stewart,
while the broadcast audio was supervised by Phil Ramone and Hank Neuberger,
leading members of the Producers & Engineers Wing of The Recording Academy.
New York-based XM Productions/Effanel Music were onsite with their L7 remote
truck to create the music mix, facilitated by Music Mixers John Harris and Eric
Schilling.

For the
home audience, CBS once again delivered the most advanced form of HDTV, with 1080
lines of picture resolution and 5.1-channel surround sound. To meet the sonic
demands of this format, the audio engineers and music mixers used a wide
range of Audio-Technica microphones for the Grammy Awards.

Artists who
performed using Audio-Technica’s Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF Wireless System,
with the AEW-T5400 handheld microphone/transmitter and AEW-R5200 true-diversity
frequency-agile dual receiver, included Jay-Z; Taylor Swift; Estelle; T.I.; Lil
Wayne; Stevie Wonder; Boyz II Men; Al Green; and Jamie Foxx, Duke Fakir, and
Ne-Yo in a tribute to the Four Tops. Audio-Technica endorser Kenny Chesney used
a wired A-T AE3300 Cardioid Condenser Handheld Microphone, and Thom Yorke of
Radiohead used the AE5400 Cardioid Condenser Microphone. Justin Timberlake
performed using A-T’s wireless AEW-T4100 Cardioid Dynamic
Microphone/Transmitter.

The
backline mic complement of A-T wired microphones included AE5400 Cardioid
Condenser Handheld Microphone for backing vocals; AT4050 Multipattern Condenser
Microphone for guitar cabinet and overheads; AT4040 Cardioid Condenser
Microphone for overheads; AE5100 Cardioid Condenser Instrument Microphone for
ride cymbal, hi-hat, and percussion; ATM250 Hypercardioid Dynamic Instrument
Microphone for Leslie cabinet and guitar cabinet; BP4025 X/Y Stereo Field
Recording Microphone for percussion; AE2500 Dual-Element Cardioid Instrument
Microphone for kick drum; AT4047/SV Cardioid Condenser Microphone for guitar
cabinet; ATM450 Cardioid Condenser Instrument Microphone for ride cymbal; and
ATM350 Cardioid Condenser Clip-On Microphone for horns, congas, and strings.

Michael Abbott, audio coordinator for the 51st-annual Grammys, has come to rely on the unsurpassed quality and consistency of Audio-Technica mics. “Live broadcasts of this magnitude are immensely challenging, and we have been lucky to have Audio-Technica as a continuing partner in helping make the Grammys happen, he says, adding, “Our engineers need a wide range of consistent and dependable microphones that enable them to capture each artist’s individual character, and A-T delivers exactly what we need.”

For more information, please visit www.audio-technica.com.