Press

Sennheiser’s two new condenser microphones, the MKH 8020 and MKH 8040, were given their maiden outings this summer in the company of internationally respected front of house engineer Dave Wooster. Taking the mics out with a pair of artists at either end of the musical spectrum, Wooster came to the conclusion that both the MKH 8020 and MKH 8040 would soon be essential pieces of equipment for professional engineers.

The first mission for the new mics was a sequence of shows with reggae and hip hop-influenced singer-songwriter Jamie T and his band.

“The first two shows with Jamie T were small warm-up gigs in August at very small venues in London and Southend,” recalls Wooster. “Both venues proved to be great tests for the rejection characteristics of the 8040s which I used on the hi-hats and the snare drum. I also used a pair of 8020s to capture the cymbals, close miking the underside of the two crash cymbals. The 8040s produced an excellent snare drum sound – sharp, dynamic and punchy with one of the best un-EQed sounds I have heard from a mic on hi-hats. The spill from the neighbouring drums and cymbals had much better than expected levels for condenser mics. The same can be said for the cymbal mics, which gave an accurate and responsive reproduction. And with their close proximity to the cymbals, they had an excellent signal to noise ratio with neighbouring sources.

“The next two shows were at the V-Festivals, playing in large marquees. At both shows the mics really proved what they could do going through a very substantial PA system, producing a truly dynamic and percussive snare sound – sharp and defined mid/highs with an excellent mid/low providing the punch. At these shows I used a Sennheiser e 905 on the snare alongside the MKH 8040 which further enhanced the possibilities of the new mic.”

After the V-Festivals, Wooster flew out to Los Angeles to work on a pair of shows with Britain’s vocal superstar Leona Lewis. Naturally, he brought the MKH 8020 and MKH 8040 with him.

“Leona’s first show was a post-VMA party at the Chateau Malmont in Los Angeles,” continues Wooster. “It was a very small stage to fit a big band on. Leona’s drummer is Nissan Stewart, who’s a very well known drummer for his R&B and hip hop work. He’s worked with the likes of P Diddy and when he’s hitting the drums at full velocity he really generates some phenomenal levels. The MKH mics handled those levels without any issues yet still managed to capture a very accurate reproduction of the source sound. I used an e 905 alongside the MKH 8040 again, which allowed for even further artistic scope. The hi-hat reproduction was again crisp and true to Nissan’s excellent performance.

Leona Lewis’ drummer, Nissan Stewart, soundchecks with Sennheiser MKH 8020 and MKH 8040 mics.

“The second show was a recording in Sunset Studio for a show called Stripped, which is like MTV Unplugged meets Live at Abbey Road. Two days of rehearsal allowed me to do some very accurate comparisons with my current choice of condensers. The rehearsals were recorded into ProTools direct from my FOH Digidesign Profile console. The results led me to the conclusion that I’ve found new mics for both my snare and hats.

“I think the main point I can make about the new MKH mics is that they are very accurate. But the real eye opener for me was the excellent, open and full bodied sound that we achieved on the snare drum. I’m really looking forward to using them in my studio in one of our jazz sessions. I’m sure that they’ll provide accurate and realistic recordings that our clients will love.”

For more information about Sennheiser please visit www.sennheiser.co.uk or call:

Robert Collins, Sennheiser Pro PR
T: 07966 294 877