Addison, who has mixed for the James Last Orchestra for over a decade, explains: "James Last has 40 musicians on stage and, of course, every note they play needs to be heard with fidelity and clarity (otherwise the very demanding audience certainly lets me know)! Since we started using Audio-Technica mics, I have found it much easier to achieve this result. There is a suitable Audio-Technica microphone for every situation. I particularly like the open and natural feel of the AT4050. I use it on overheads and percussion and I find it reproduces the ‘whole tone’ of the instrument."
He continued: "Of course, with so many musicians on stage there are times when you need more separation - often in the set I need to raise a quiet instrument well above a loud musical passage. An example is the flute, on which I use an ATM23HE with excellent results. The Pro35x's are used to great effect on brass. As well as coping with the rigorous audio demands of world-class trumpet players in full flight, they handle the equally hard physical side as well. At times, the whole brass section is leaping around the stage, and even into the audience, and they haven't managed to damage the microphones yet! Pro35x's are also used on Toms and Conga's, again with consistent and reliable results."
Addison was not the only one to be impressed by the performance of the A-T mics. "The combination of a warm, pleasant sound and rugged construction makes them first class for touring," commented production manager Frank Schmidt, who took the unusual step of contacting Audio-Technica to explain both the impact the mics were making on the live circuit, and how much he is looking forward to working with A-T in the future.
(Lee Baldock)
