New York - August 24, 2010: Over the last couple of years, Ingrid Michaelson's infectiously melodic and intelligent brand of performance and songwriting has caught the attention of millions of music fans all over the world, leading to sold-out concerts in large halls, international festivals and everything in between. Many fans initially became acquainted with Michaelson when her songs were featured on Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs and many other hit television programs.
For Michaelson, winning the loyal adoration of fans all over the world has involved not only making great records such as her latest release, Everybody, but it has also entailed keeping a relentless touring schedule. She relies on Sennheiser to ensure the sonic quality and reliability is where it needs to be for both herself and her fans.
Sennheiser MD 431 II Microphone
Recently, Ingrid switched to Sennheiser's classic MD 431 II wired dynamic microphone, which boasts a custom tailored frequency response in a super-cardioid design. David Mann, Ingrid's Front of House engineer, immediately noticed an affinity between artist and microphone: "A lot of times you'll try a new microphone on an artist and they don't really notice the difference. In this case, Ingrid really noticed. She's very happy and the MD 431 II is allowing her to sing to her full potential."
For Mann, the MD 431 II delivers an outstanding degree of gain before feedback while rejecting unwanted noise, helping him keep control of dynamics. "With the MD 431 IIs, we are getting better isolation on stage. Ingrid has a very wide dynamic range for her vocals; she can go from very, very quiet to quite loud. The microphone is sensitive to these dynamics and always very smooth sounding no matter what she's doing. It has been a very nice piece of equipment to work with."
As any live sound engineer knows, it is often difficult to match the right transducer to the right voice. However, the MD 431 II delivers flattering results on just about any kind of voice, says Mann: "There is one song where all the singers get together on stage and sing into the same microphone. Of course they all have very different timbres and decibel levels when they sing, but the MD 431 II responds very nicely for all their voices. This is great for me, because if the mic isn't cooperating sonically, you can go crazy trying to adjust volume and EQ."
The MD 431 II is also rugged and road-tested. Mann describes the importance of having equipment that is dependable: "You really need equipment that's going to keep working. We know the MD 431 II will perform in the rain or in long days with 90-degree heat. The stuff just works and it works well."
Sennheiser ew 300 IEM G3 Monitoring System
For David Mann, everything starts with clear monitoring and intelligibility among performers and engineers. For this, he looks to Sennheiser's ew 300 IEM G3 system. "We've got six of these sets out there, and I tell you, we couldn't do a show without them," he says. "Firstly, in terms of finding wireless frequencies, the ew 300 IEM G3 can't be beat. In a festival environment for example, there can be multiple stages with multiple acts--there really has to be good wireless frequency isolation among the different systems and this is never an issue with Sennheiser."
Mann also appreciates the overall flexibility of the ew 300 IEM G3: "Sennheiser's belt packs have broad parameters that can be customized to suit whatever individual taste, which is a wonderful thing; also, you can lock it so you don't have to worry about someone coming along and changing all your settings."
As for Michaelson, she doesn't hold back in describing her raw adoration for Sennheiser: "I don't know what I would do without my Sennheiser MD 431 II mic and my G3 wireless personal monitors. Before I had them, it was like swimming in a sea of sharks! And now, it's still like swimming in a sea of sharks, but I hear everything perfectly! I love it! I love it!"
