Hitting the road with a new set list and a Q&A session where she talks about her experiences overcoming cancer, Anastacia’s Resurrection Tour is stopping everywhere from Paris to Belarus to Brisbane.
Anastacia is using a Sennheiser SKM 5200-II with MD 5235 capsule, running in combination with an EM 3732-II receiver. ‘The microphone works well with her voice, which can be difficult to manage,’ says FOH mix engineer, Gerard Albo, who has been working with Anastacia for more than four years. ‘She has a lot of power, especially between 2kHz and 4kHz; we find that the 5235 capsule is very smooth all the way through.
‘The theme relates to Anastacia’s battle with cancer,’ he explains. ‘She is back stronger than ever. Her voice never stops to amaze me – in my opinion, she clearly has one of the strongest in the business.’
While the tour has a similar musician line-up to previous years, it delivers a ‘very powerful and big’ sound according to Albo. It also uses reworked visuals, including advanced choreography and lighting – which Albo says resembles more a theatrical performance than a traditional rock concert.
Anastacia began using the SKM 5200 -/MD 5235 combination at the suggestion of Sennheiser’s Manager for Music Collaborations, Pierre Morant: ‘I had been using many Sennheiser microphones, and then Pierre suggested the wireless systems,’ Albo explains. ‘Since then, we have been using the Sennheiser SKM 5200 with the MD 5235. In my opinion, this is the best dynamic capsule Sennheiser has made so far. It has the transparency and detail of a condenser capsule, but since it is dynamic, it is easier to control in a live environment and less prone to feedback.’
The production is also using an e 902 and an e 901 on kick drums, e 904s and an e 905 on snare. ‘The 905 on a snare sounds very snappy, with plenty of attack,’ Albo reports. The remainder of the drum kit is miked with MKH 8040s on the high-hat, ride cymbal and overheads. An e 906 is hung over the electric guitar cabinets, and an e 945 is used for the guitarist’s vocals. Additionally, an MKH 416 is set up to mike the audience, while SKM 5200-II with MD 5235 capsules serve backing vocalists.
Support is another consideration ‘Knowing that I can get help when I need it is a huge bonus,’ Albo says. ‘For example, I was mixing a musical performance in Batumi, Georgia a few years ago to celebrate an opening of their newly built opera house. The opera had no wireless equipment, and time was running out. I immediately contacted Pierre Morant and explained the situation. A technician from Sennheiser Russia flew in from Moscow to set up this complicated wireless system and also taught the local technician how to use the equipment. Frankly, I could not have done that musical without Sennheiser’s help, and I am not sure that any other manufacturer could have helped the way that Sennheiser did.’
More: www.sennheiser.com
