Shure Dominates the 2010 CMA Music Festival and CMA Awards
(AlexV | Posted 2010-07-02)
Every good fan, musician, and cowboy knows that the CMA Music Festival and CMA Awards is the place to see country’s biggest stars. This year, and many before, Shure Microphones were in the hands of the hottest names in the industry.
On Wednesday, June 9, country music fans poured into the Bridgestone Arena to watch the CMT Video Music Awards, which featured an opening performance by the event’s host, Kid Rock, using a chrome UR2/SM58 wireless microphone. Joining him for the opening performance were Martina McBride and Hank Williams Jr., who also used UR2/SM58 microphones, as well as Trace Adkins, Kellie Pickler, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, and Zac Brown—all using wireless SM58® microphones.
With a star-studded line up like that, it’s hard to deny that Shure has become the industry standard in stage microphones. From the SM57 to the UHF-R wireless system, Shure products do their jobs and last a lifetime.
According to Tom Davis, who served as the audio producer for the show, “We received many positive comments this year, saying that this was one of the best sounding CMT Awards in years, both in the house and the live broadcast,” added Davis. “Putting a live broadcast on the air with 11 live acts and multiple presenters and hosts is always a challenge. Knowing that we can always rely on Shure systems working first time every time is a great comfort.”
Although I have personally found the CMA’s to have problems with sound for the past few years, I can hardly blame it on the performance of Shure’s microphones and wireless systems. As Davis said, Shure systems always seem to work flawlessly and consistently deliver results.
Shure endorser Brad Paisley sang “American Saturday Night” through UR2/SM58 wireless while another Shure endorser, LeAnn Rimes, chose a pair of Super 55 wired microphones for an up tempo version of John Anderson’s “Swingin.”
“For her performance, LeAnn requested the two Super 55s…one on a stand and one to be flown in from the ceiling,” said Shamus Bacon, front of house engineer for Rimes. “The ’ceiling’ in the Bridgestone Arena, being about 120 feet, presented a small hurdle for the crew. It wound up requiring one 150-foot section of cable, three 100-feet sections of cable, and then another 125-foot snake to the truck…a total of a 575-foot cable run on a Super 55. The end result was the ‘Sky Mic’ versus the ‘Stand Mic.’ The Sky Mic lost about three db of level and maybe a bit of low-mid, which the guys in the truck added back in and…Eureka! The Super 55s sounded great.”
Several other artists who performed used Shure wireless systems with a variety of different microphones in addition to the SM58®, including KSM9 and Beta 58® handheld transmitters. The house band for the show performed using wired SM58s on all vocals except for newcomer Easton Corbin, who opted for his own wired KSM9.
Rounding out the full complement of Shure gear, a standard assortment of Shure drum microphones were employed for most of the drum kits, including the Beta 52 on many of the kick drums and the Beta 98s on almost all of the toms.
About Shure Incorporated
Founded in 1925, Shure Incorporated (www.shure.com) is widely acknowledged as the world's leading manufacturer of microphones and audio electronics. Over the years, the Company has designed and produced many high-quality professional and consumer audio products that have become legendary for performance, reliability, and value. Shure’s diverse product line includes world-class wired microphones, wireless microphones and in-ear personal monitor systems, headphones for performers, presenters and recordists, award-winning earphones and headsets for use with MP3 players and smart phones, and top-rated phonograph cartridges for professional DJs. Today, Shure products are the first choice whenever audio performance is a top priority.
Shure Incorporated corporate headquarters is located in Niles, Illinois, in the United States. The Company has additional manufacturing facilities and regional sales offices in China, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, The United Kingdom, and the United States.
From a press release
