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Editors Travel Europe¹s Stadiums with REM and Sennheiser

Editors, the Brit Award-nominated band that will be supporting REM across Europe and the UK later this August, will be taking to stadium stages armed with an array of microphones and monitor systems from Sennheiser.

Lead vocalist Tom Smith will be singing into a Sennheiser e 840 for the entire tour.

"The range of Tom's vocal is very large and rich throughout," explains front of house engineer Nick Ingram. "I needed a microphone that could capture this whilst at the same time as rejecting as much spill from the noisy stage as possible. The Sennheiser Evolution vocal mics have a fantastically smooth frequency response and the e 840 in particular has a roll-off in the high frequencies which suits Tom as it counteracts the highly pronounced sibilance in his voice."

For the band's backline, Ingram has found that Sennheiser mics more than meet his requirements.

"I can always rely on Sennheiser drum mics to deliver the sound I want," he enthuses. "The e 902 and e 901 kick drum microphones work really well together, providing a very tight punchy front end and a warm, full low end which really lays the foundations for that big rock band sound. e 904s are perfect on toms, and rarely require any EQ at all. The e 614 condensers work perfectly for sweet, sizzling sounding cymbals.

"After much experimentation, I now use an e 905 on the bass guitar amp. As Russell [Leetch] usually plays with fingers, this microphone gives me the presence and definition I need to mix with the subby, round DI'd sound.

"I use e 906 mics for the guitar amps. They are really versatile, which helps when mixing a band with so many differing guitar sounds. The switchable low and high mid boost effectively means there are three settings - flat, smooth and bright. The supercardioid pattern provides a very direct, energetic sound and these mics add warmth to Chris Urbanowicz's bright screaming guitar lines, which need to be really prominent in my mix."

If Ingram sounds like a fan, the band themselves have been equally impressed by the ew 300 IEM G2 monitor system they've taken on tour.

"The thing we all want from an IEM system is reliability and consistency," continues Ingram. "The extended RF range means we only need one system wherever we are in the world. The auto-scan function makes frequency selection very simple and speedy and every aspect of the system is adjustable to our needs.

"Sennheiser equipment is great to work with. There is always consistency and reliability alongside the delivery of stunning results, whether it's a vocal or backline microphone, a wireless system or a pair of headphones. I often use the phrase 'plug and play' when referring to Sennheiser products, because they do so much of the hard work and the results are instant."

Aside from the quality of Sennheiser equipment, Ingram has nothing but praise for the support that comes with it.

"We have been working with Phil Cummings for just over a year now. He's been great for us, and a fantastic ambassador for Sennheiser. Phil really understands the workings of a touring sound engineer. In this job there are always emergencies and sudden requests that he is only too pleased to help with. If we need something, wherever we are in the world he's been able to help us out very quickly and calmly. Sennheiser has really become a part of the Editors team now, playing a major role in the constant progress of the touring outfit. I look forward to trying out new products and carrying on the great relationship we have."

In picture: lead vocalist Tom Smith

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Editors Travel Europe¹s Stadiums with REM and Sennheiser

30th July 2008

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