Take That have long been Sennheiser users and this tour was no different. The four members of the band all used SKM 5200 mics with MD 5235 heads while they and their backing band were all fitted out with ew 300 G2 IEMs. In addition, ew 500 series radio guitar systems were used for all the member of the backing band with moving instruments

"On the two previous Take That Tours we've used the SKM 5200 with Neumann KK 104 cardioid heads," explains front of house engineer Gary Bradshaw. "We've had great results with that set up. But this tour posed some different problems, as we wouldn't have a roof everywhere we played, so weatherproofing everything was be a major consideration. With this in mind we decided to try the 5235 heads. The results have been excellent. We've had great vocal clarity and feedback rejection and the mics are able to withstand the rigours of a British summer. Which is a polite way of saying plenty of rain.

"The ew 300 G2 IEMs are indispensable for a tour like this. Not only do the four members of Take That and the band wear the in ears. The whole cast of circus performers and dancers have them as well. This means wherever they are performing or off stage, they can hear the show. On this tour the boys spend the first half of the set singing out on the B stage and then return to the main stage. Throughout the second half of the show there are two other visits to the B stage (one via unicycles!) Having high quality In Ear Monitoring during all this movement is essential and the ew 300 G2s have proved 100% reliable. Right from the very first day of rehearsals of the first Reunion Tour the band have been very happy with the sound and performance of both their Sennheiser microphones and in-ear monitors. Gary Barlow in particular has commented several times on the quality of the vocal sound in his ears, helped in no small measure by the engineering skills of Steve Lutley who does the band's monitor mixes.

"A particular problem with this tour is the fact that we do not have a B stage PA system. When the boys are on the B stage they are out in front of the main PA. They have been able to successfully stay in time with the band and isolate themselves from the sound of the PA (which is approximately 160ms-180ms late by the time the sound reaches them). And we have had very few feedback problems with the vocal mics out in front of the main PA system."

The quality of Sennheiser's equipment was never in doubt, but Bradshaw and RF Technician Simon Hodge were equally enamoured by the support offered by Sennheiser UK, in the shape of Andy Lillywhite, the Company's chief engineer, and Mark Saunders, who looked after the tour as Artist Relations Manager.

"Back up and support from Sennheiser is always first class on this tour and every other tour," insists Bradshaw. "Any problems that appeared to have something to do with radio transmission or reception, on either stage at whatever distance, have been overcome. The problems we encountered with weatherproofing the mics and in ear packs have been solved. It is very reassuring as an engineer to know if and when problems do pop up, there is the back up and support to quickly find a way round whatever the problem may be."

It's an appreciation echoed by RF Tech, Hodge.
"The band perform on a B Stage some 70 metres from the stage," he explains. "For an RF guy this is a nightmare. But by using the G2 IEMs with the Vulcan and CP antennae we are able to cover the whole space with no dropouts. We have had no complaints from anyone, and that is the best reaction we could expect! When performers can trust in this kind of kit night after night then we know we have chosen the right gear."

Sennheiser Gets Sticky and Sweet on Madonna's World Tour
As Madonna's Sticky and Sweet World Tour returns to Europe this July the audio quality and RF stability of the many microphones involved show no signs of deteriorating. As the tour nears its one-year anniversary one constant has been the performance of the Sennheiser equipment at the heart of the production.

The superstar and her backing vocalists are all using Sennheiser SKM 5200 wireless mics with ME 5005 super-cardioid heads, all linked through the new Sennheiser EM 3732 receiver, and ew 300 IEM G2 in-ear monitors. In addition, her guitarists and musical director and keyboard player are all employing evolution radio systems and ew 300 IEM G2 in-ear monitors.

"I chose the evolution systems for backline, as their RF is rock-solid, the transmitter units are small and reliable and they are very competitively priced," explained monitor engineer Matt Napier. "And I couldn't imagine giving Madonna another monitor system, she has become so accustomed and comfortable with the IEM G2. And of course, Kristy Jo Winkler in the USA and Mark Saunders and Dave Hawker at Sennheiser UK are always great to work with. The whole Sennheiser team offer unrivalled support."

Jason Kirschnick from Eighth Day Sound Systems is Project Manager on the tour. He explains just how much RF equipment the tour requires.

"Like the last time Madonna toured, the Confessions tour, I do all the advance coordination for the Sticky and Sweet for each city and Chris Messina is the day to day on site coordinator and RF tech. I developed the band plan for the whole RF package with frequencies ranging from 400 mHz to 2.4 GHz totalling over 100 channels of wireless. This included production intercoms and production radios as well."

Radio technician Chris Messina is glowing in his praise of the EM 3732 receiver.
"The 3732 is probably the best receiver I've used, aside from the Sennheiser EM 1046," he explained. "I've found the learning curve to be practically non-existent. The unit contains all of the standard Sennheiser features which have become necessity such as a reliable frequency scan for consumers as well as professionals, superior RF makeup gain and the ability to link units, eliminating the need for a combiner. The audio quality sets the bar for all other RF equipment. As for features exclusive to the 3732? The list goes on and on - the AES output has become invaluable to the Madonna tour, the increased gain and clarity is like no other available. Also, the native Ethernet linking to the WSM software without the need for a NET 1 is fantastic and cost effective. The internal word clock eliminates yet another piece of external kit.  Overall? I'm all for it."

Sennheiser Shines Through at Glastonbury
Sennheiser UK was once again at the heart of the production at this year's Glastonbury Festival, as high profile performers and three major stages used Sennheiser microphones, in-ear monitors and wireless systems at the core of their audio set-ups. All three headline acts on The Other Stage, The Prodigy, Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party, used a range of Sennheiser equipment, while Lily Allen, N*E*R*D and the Black Eyed Peas all shone through a weekend of changeable weather with Sennheiser's help. In addition, Sennheiser's G3 products were given their UK festival debuts when Dizzee Rascal took to the Pyramid Stage with an SKM 935 G3 and Mike Skinner of The Streets used an SKM 945 G3.

The John Peel Stage is Glastonbury's major showcase stage for emerging musical talent. The production team there employed e 935 wired mics and SKM 935 mics and EM 550 receivers for lead vocals, with a backline of e 900 mics, while ew 300 G2 IEMs were available for any band that requested them.

Mike Taylor was Production Manager on the John Peel Stage.
"The John Peel Stage has had a long relationship with Sennheiser," he explains. "It was one of the first stages to use the e 935 vocal mics prior to their release. Since then the John Peel Stage has been happy to use a compliment of nothing but Sennheiser mics and we have never had a single complaint. We see the same faces coming back year after year, and the reaction is always positive. Every year we have zero problems with the microphones we use, even after the abuse they get at Glastonbury!

"Everyone who used our stage was happy with using the Sennheiser IEMs. They sound better than anything else out there, so why wouldn't they? The feedback from our stage is always positive, even when people are weary at first of trying new equipment, they always leave with a big smile.

"Having the Sennheiser guys on site during the festival is just amazing. It's nice to be able to rest assured that no matter what you throw at them they have a concise and practical solution to hand. Production teams from other stages were coming to our stage to get advice and emergency support throughout the festival. The Sennheiser guys just always seemed to be on hand when ever you needed to ask them something."

Julian Spear, Area Co-Ordinator for The John Peel Stage and Head of Production for Liz Hobbs Group, was in total agreement.

"The products are great," he confirms, "but what's really great us is having Sennheiser's technical support staff on site. On the John Peel Stage there are new bands getting their first access to equipment like the IEMs. They have questions.

"One of the reasons the John Peel Stage is so special is that it showcases new acts alongside major artists. This year the headliners were Doves, Jarvis Cocker and Echo and the Bunnymen. We had an orchestra playing with Echo and The Bunnymen. There must have been twenty people on stage, all wearing Sennheiser IEMs. It was great having Mark Saunders there to plot it all out."

Over on The Park Stage Sennheiser e 935 wired mics and wireless SKM 935 mics with EM 550 receivers were used for lead vocals, with a wide range of e 900 series backline mics and another batch of ew 300 G2 IEMs

"On a gig like Glastonbury Sennheiser becomes the natural choice as every visiting engineer knows what they are getting," explains The Park Stage's Production Manager, Mark Bott. "Another reason for the choice is that of all the specs from bands I received this year the most popular choice was Sennheiser by far.

"Glastonbury presents the obvious challenge of a large amount of RF traffic on a single site and despite licensing all of the frequencies we required we had a huge amount of interference. Thanks to the support of Sennheiser's on site team this was one headache that quickly went away. We've had a great relationship with Sennheiser for many years and we hope this will continue for many years to come. The support that comes along with a great range of products is a winning combination for us." 

Away on the Radio One Introducing Stage an e 840 lead vocal mic was teamed with a range of e 600 backline mics with typically successful results.

The end result, across the stages, was a multitude of happy crowds and happy production teams.

"The equipment all worked brilliantly as usual," concluded Julian Spear.

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