OLD LYME, CT – The Plain White T's cultured a fan base for nearly a decade with persistent, well-attended tours and a handful of well-received albums before releasing "Every Second Counts" on Hollywood Records in 2006. Its runaway hit – "Hey There Delilah" remained at the number one spot on Billboard's Top 40 for two weeks and recently earned the band two Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Best Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals. The band is selling-out shows around the world with Sennheiser evolution wired and wireless microphones.
Jason Decter, production manager and FOH engineer for the band, explained why they selected the 900 series evolution microphones. "Having worked with all of the usual live microphones, it seems to me that Sennheiser has done a much better job of tuning their microphones to highlight the best qualities of any given instrument while downplaying the worst qualities. Their frequency responses are complementary. I know that if I put an e 906 in front of a guitar, for example, it's going to sound right. I don't have to mess too much with EQ back at the board. Beyond that, Sennheiser mics tend to have an open, airy sound that's easy to mix."
Decter uses evolution e 935 handheld mics for all the Plain White T's vocals. Tom Higgenson's lead vocals use an e 935 capsule on an evolution wireless transmitter, and all backing vocals are wired. In addition to a DI, he uses an e 902 low-frequency dynamic on Mike Retondo's bass. Specially designed for guitars, e 906s adorn the cabinets and combos of Dave Tirio and Tim Lopez. Together with an e 901 boundary layer condenser, Decter uses a second e 902 on De'Mar Hamilton's kick drum. He uses an e 905, with its fast transient response, for snare top and bottom and a handful of e 904s on toms. Decter rounds the drum kit out with a pair of Neumann TLM 103 large-diaphragm condensers for overheads.
By using Sennheiser evolution ew 300 IEM G2 wireless personal monitoring systems for each band member, Decter ensures that the Plain White T's retain their reputation for putting on spellbinding shows that combine technical precision with a well-tuned emotional delivery. "The monitors are crystal clear and perfectly reliable even in challenging RF environments," said Decter. "The band really likes them. No matter what stage they're on, no matter what the acoustics, each of them can always hear and feel what everyone else is doing. That makes for a great show night after night."
After a performance on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, the Plain White
T's will continue to ignite fans throughout Europe and Australia in 2008 with the help of Sennheiser microphones and personal monitors.
For information, please visit www.sennheiserusa.com.
