For the duration of the tour, Beyoncé and Jay Z have relied on Sennheiser's Digital 9000 wireless microphone system, which was purchased specifically for the tour by Eighth Day Sound Systems, Inc. at the recommendation of front-of-house engineer Stephen Curtin and monitor engineer James Berry - both veterans of the tour.
The tour amalgamates band members from both the Beyoncé and Jay Z touring camps and features two stages, a massive video wall and an elaborate lighting design - making it a sufficiently challenging environment from an RF perspective. Sonically, Beyoncé's sheer vocal prowess combined with Jay Z's rapping tones creates an equally daunting set of challenges for the audio staff.
Following extensive testing and evaluation by both Curtin, Berry and Eighth Day Sound, the Sennheiser Digital 9000 was chosen and has since delivered uncompromising reliability and performance.
"We are on tour with two of the biggest artists in the world," Berry observes. "They bring it all night after night and are constantly setting the creative bar for other artists. This can be challenging for us as engineers, so we have to remain at the edge of technology to stay ahead. The Sennheiser Digital 9000 system was a perfect solution from both a sonic and reliability standpoint."
(Jim Evans)
