Sennheiser and Neumann microphones shine at the 61st Grammy Awards

Sennheiser and Neumann played a key role in the technical success of the event, delivering ultra-reliable wireless transmission and pure sound during every performance.

Broadcast live on February 10, the 61st edition of the Grammy Awards lived up to its reputation as the world's biggest music awards show, featuring first-ever performances from some of the most creative and influential artists on the music scene today, including Travis Scott, Brandi Carlile and Shawn Mendes.

Sennheiser y Neumann they played a fundamental role in the technical success of the event, as they offered ultra-reliable wireless transmission and pure sound during every performance.

Travis Scott, who the previous week had a brilliant performance at the Super Bowl halftime with Maroon 5 and Big Boi, performed a mix of songs from his album at this Grammy gala Astroworld Grammy nominee, using a combination of Sennheiser Digital 6000 / MD 9235 microphone capsules. His performance of Stop Trying to be God y No Bystanders It was both a sound and a visual spectacle, as he climbed a 4-meter-high steel cage above the stage and then launched himself into the audience, moshing, all while rapping holding onto his trusty microphone with dynamic capsule MD 9235.

The second performance of the night was given by Shawn Mendes, who interpreted his success In My Blood Grammy nominee beginning with a piano solo and then, guitar in hand, brings the audience to its feet in an exciting duet with Miley Cyrus. Mendes' voice stood out perfectly in both the house sound mix and the broadcast mix as he sang with a Sennheiser SKM 2000 with MMD 945 supercardioid dynamic capsule.

Halfway through the awards ceremony, Brandi Carlile gave the performance of his life, singing a passionate rendition of his moving song The Joke, Grammy winner. Carlile's magnificent performance captivated viewers around the world as she sang with her Neumann KMS 105 custom condenser microphone. Carlile, winner of three Grammy Awards, sang accompanied by her long-time collaborators, Phil and Tim Hanseroth, who performed the choruses with microphones Sennheiser's Evolution and 935.

Reliability is the only thing that really matters

Travis Scott started using the system Sennheiser Digital 6000 wireless microphone during his Astroworld tour and also used it in his Grammy performance.

The monitor engineer Justin Hoffmann recognizes that the Digital 6000 offers a clear advantage in an era of wireless uncertainty: “when it comes to wireless transmission, the spectrum is increasingly saturated, so today digital technology is almost mandatory,” he explains. "For me, reliability is the only thing that really matters, because if the transmission fails, there is no show. The Digital 6000 system has made things a lot easier for us."

Although Shawn Mendes he used in his performance a t2000 series handheld transmitter and an EM-3732-II receiver, both from Sennheiser, the artist has decided to switch to the Digital 6000 system. “The main catalyst for this change to the Digital 6000 is related to the transformation of the wireless market,” he acknowledges Tom Wood, FOH engineer for Shawn Mendes. “The Digital 6000 system offers intermodulation-free transmission, as well as greater flexibility.” Mike Flaherty, monitor engineer at Mendes, agrees: "Basically, the increased bandwidth of the Digital 6000 is a game-changer, but above all it gives us an expanded audio range. The support from Sennheiser has been great and we were able to test the equipment wherever we were on tour in the world. Right now, we're just waiting for the opportunity to make the switch."

Record the moment

Every year, the Grammy performances offer us a wide range of vocal styles and this year was no exception. In his first performance at a Grammy gala, Travis Scott trusted Sennheiser and it was a success: “The MD 9235 is the quintessential rap microphone capsule, because it barely changes the tone when the artist holds the microphone by the capsule and it also works really well in front of PA monitors,” says Hoffmann. “If an artist likes to hold the microphone like this, this is the definitive capsule, there is no other.” Hoffmann tells us that for the past five or six years he has been exclusively using Sennheiser products for all the artists he works with, and that Scott was impressed the first time he heard the Digital 6000 microphone system. “The first time I gave Travis this microphone, he said, 'But it sounds like it's in the studio!'”

For his part, the FOH engineer Tom Wood He adds that Sennheiser's MMD 945 capsule complements Shawn Mendes' vocal style: "Shawn has a powerful, nuanced voice and we all agree that the MMD 945 is ideal for this type of voice. He has always liked the response of this mic and its excellent rejection, even if he is playing the guitar while moving around the stage. In terms of tonality, it really complements the dynamics of his voice, no matter what character he gives it."

Stellar vocal performances

In what was one of the most moving performances that are remembered in recent galas, the imposing voice of Brandi Carlile interpreting The Joke was captured by his stunning gold-colored Neumann KMS 105 custom microphone. “She is recognized by that microphone and in every performance you can see her singing with a Neumann KMS 105 microphone,” he comments. Sean Quackenbush, Brandi Carlile's FOH Engineer. "It works really well with his voice and every time we try another mic, we always come back to this one. I love it and can't do without it."

For the Grammy performances, Quackenbush set out to reproduce every possible coloration and texture on the recording, so he brought in one of his early Sennheiser MD 409 dynamic microphones to mic the lead guitar. “I rarely use these microphones, but I thought it would be nice to bring them to this gala.”

Para Travis Scott, el sistema Digital 6000 de Sennheiser aporta estabilidad y la confianza de que la tecnología funcionará en todo momento de la manera esperada: “En un gran espectáculo como este, utilizamos nuestro montaje de siempre ya que buscamos ante todo regularidad”, reconoce Justin Hoffmann. “Queremos utilizar el mismo encaminamiento, el mismo micro, la misma petaca, lo mismo para todo. Lo mejor es comprobarlo todo dos veces y cuidar hasta el mínimo detalle para estar seguros de que todo esté a punto para el jefe”.

En todo lo que hacemos, siempre tratamos de conseguir el mismo resultado, lo que se reduce a dar lo mejor de nosotros mismos”, concluye Tom Wood. “La gala de los Grammy es uno de esos lugares en los que se respira la magia en el ambiente y sin duda se trata del mayor espectáculo musical del mundo”.