Ingrid Michaelson chooses Sennheiser
(Dave Molter | Posted 2010-08-24)
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
Greys 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.
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!"
From a press release.
