Following the release of his third solo album Grey Tickles, Black Pressure in 2015, genre-defying singer/songwriter John Grant took to the road for a short tour of the UK and Ireland into early 2016. With Ber Quinn at FOH, Grant used Shure KSM8 and KSM9HS vocal microphones, in addition to Shure PSM900 in-ear monitors.
‘A voice as rich and detailed as John’s is deserving of the finest microphone; to be able to hear every subtle aspect of his performance is a joy,’ Quinn says. ‘The difference once he started using the KSM9HS was startling.’
Now armed with a KSM9HS in hypercardioid mode, Grant himself regards his in-ear mixes as revolutionised. ‘Rejection of ambient noise is extremely important for us, as John uses a vocal processor onstage,’ Quinn explains. ‘The KSM9HS has been excellent in that regard, extremely focused, neutral and detailed. I’ve never once had to worry about feedback, even when using heavy vocal distortion.’
‘It’s been nothing short of a revelation on John’s voice,’ adds Matt Pengelly, the tour’s monitor engineer. ‘It is tight and controlled with almost zero handling noise, but still with all of the detail and space that you would expect from a quality condenser.
Shure’s recently launched KSM8 microphones are used on backing vocals for the tour, and have also proven popular with Pengelly: ‘The KSM8 is far and away the most neutral-sounding handheld dynamic mic I’ve heard. Spill that was once “fizzy” in mics we’d tried previously became more like added ambience in the IEMs,’ he reports.
The PSM900 in-ears and Shure’s Wireless Workbench software, which manages all of the wireless tech in use on the tour, have provided Pengelly with peace of mind. ‘Being able to turn off the RF on PSM900 is a godsend, especially for festival changeovers,’ he says. ‘I also love CueMode on the packs, allowing me to walk the whole stage, listen to the RF in situ and check everyone’s mixes. Wireless Workbench is another great tool, and saves additional stress on the night since I can do my co-ordination in advance and get an idea of the RF landscape, in addition to checking scans of other users.’
Grant is now back on the road taking in several outdoor festivals over the summer of 2016.
