LAS VEGAS — This year, the MTV Video Music Awards moved to Las Vegas, trimmed down to two hours, ditched the host and concentrated on live performances in an extreme makeover that was all about the music. On Sunday, Sept. 9, five of the eleven VMAs handed out went to Sennheiser users, almost half of the 29 artist performances in venues around the Palms Casino Resort featured Sennheiser mics. Sennheiser was also the only brand of microphone used throughout the pre-show, the red carpet segments and by announcers during the show.
Sennheiser's newest user, Rihanna, picked up a pair of the iconic Moonman awards, including the prestigious "Video of the Year" as well as "Monster Single of the Year." In addition, Beyoncé and Shakira — both Sennheiser users — won for "Most Earth-Shattering Collaboration," Fergie took home the award for "Female Artist of the Year" and Gnarls Barkley were honored for "Best Editing."
The production relied on Sennheiser to provide broadcast of all the venues, no matter if closely or remotely located from the Palms Casino Resort. Eight of the 13 artists showcased at The Pearl theater performed using Sennheiser mics, including Rihanna, with an SKM 5200 handheld outfitted with a Neumann KK 105-S capsule, and Nelly Furtado, with a custom gold-plated SKM 935 G2.
Coordinating wireless audio and communications in the diverse and far-flung Fantasy Suite locations posed a challenge, but David Bellamy, the primary RF person on the show, reports that the Sennheiser equipment performed as expected: "It was seamless." In addition to 18 channels of Sennheiser EW 300 IEM wireless personal monitors provided by the show's sound production company, Clair Brothers Audio, Bellamy's L.A.-based Soundtronics company supplied around fifty channels of Sennheiser RF equipment, including EM 3532 and EM 3032 receivers, plus SKM 5200 wireless microphones for all the presenters in The Pearl.
Sennheiser wired microphones were used exclusively throughout the Foo Fighters' VMA Fantasy Suite, including frontman Dave Grohl's preferred MD 431 II at center stage. Guests Cee-Lo Green (Gnarls Barkley), Serj Tankian (System of a Down) and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) also dropped by to blast through a series of originals and covers with the band.
On the red carpet and the main floor of the Palms Casino during the 2007 MTV VMA Pre-Show Royale, MTV VJs interviewed guest presenters, performers and nominees with the help of Sennheiser SKM 5200 wireless handhelds supplied by Kevin Sanford and his New York-based company, Wireless First. Performances during the pre-show included Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger rocking out on her Sennheiser/Neumann combination mic.
Noted Sanford, "Working in a live casino from four positions, with forty-two channels of Sennheiser RF, about 300 feet from Bellamy's position was quite an adventuresome undertaking. Upon arrival, it looked impossible — in the end it was fun and the Sennheiser RF was flawless."
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