New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Anastacia, a long-time user of Sennheiser, has re-emerged for her Resurrection Tour, with her voice sounding better than ever following her courageous battle with cancer. Once again, Sennheiser proves to be the perfect choice for her voice, as she delivers intimate and exciting performances night after night with an all new setlist and a special Q&A session where she talks about her experiences in overcoming cancer.
For the Resurrection Tour, which includes stops everywhere from Paris to Belarus to Brisbane, Anastacia's voice is better than ever as she sings through a Sennheiser SKM 5200-II coupled with an MD 5235 capsule, running in combination with an EM 3732-II receiver. Front-of-house mixing engineer, Gerard Albo, who has been working with
Anastacia for over four years, and appreciates the sound quality and flexibility he gets night after night with the SKM 5200 / MD 5235 combination, "The microphone works well with her voice, which can be difficult to manage. She has a lot of power, especially between 2 and 4 kHz. We find that the 5235 capsule is very smooth all the way through."
"The theme 'Resurrection' relates to Anastacia's battle with cancer," Albo explains. "After a long battle, she is back stronger than ever. Her voice never stops to amaze me - in my opinion, she clearly has one of the strongest in the business."
While the tour has a similar musician line-up as in previous years - including several talented British musicians and many microphones from Sennheiser - it delivers a "very powerful and big" sound according to Albo. This tour also presents a completely reworked visual component, including advanced choreography and lighting - which Albo says makes it look more like a theatrical performance than a traditional rock concert.
Sennheiser: A dependable friend on the road
Such a powerful and dynamic voice might put a strain on another microphone, but Albo explains that the Sennheiser SKM 5200 brings predictability to FOH and monitor stations, delivering flawless performances night after night for Anastacia's millions of fans all over the world.
Anastacia began using the SKM 5200 / MD 5235 combination at the suggestion of Sennheiser's Manager,
Music Collaborations,
Pierre Morant. "I had been using many Sennheiser microphones, and then
Pierre suggested the wireless systems," Albo explains. "Since then, we have been using the Sennheiser SKM 5200 with the MD 5235. In my opinion, this is the best dynamic capsule Sennheiser has made so far. It has the transparency and detail of a condenser capsule, but since it is dynamic, it is easier to control in a live environment and less prone to feedback."
The production team is using other microphones on stage include an e 902 and an e 901 on the kick drums, e 904s and an e 905 on snare drums: "The 905 on a snare sounds very snappy, with plenty of attack," said Albo. The remainder of the drum kit is miked with MKH 8040s on the high-hat, ride cymbal and overheads. An e 906 is hung over the electric guitar cabinets, and an e 945 is utilized for the guitarist's vocals. Additionally, an MKH 416 is set up to mike the audience, while SKM 5200-II with MD 5235 capsules help to capture back-up vocals.
In addition to counting on Sennheiser's premium sound and reliability, Albo takes comfort in the fact that he receives dependable support - no matter where they are touring in the world. "Knowing that I can get help when I need it is a huge bonus," he says. "For example, I was mixing a musical performance in Batumi, Georgia a few years ago to celebrate an opening of their newly built opera house," Albo recalls. "The opera had no wireless equipment, and time was running out. I immediately contacted
Pierre Morant of Sennheiser and explained the situation. A technician from Sennheiser Russia flew in from Moscow to set up this complicated wireless system and also taught the local technician how to use the equipment. Frankly, I could not have done that musical without Sennheiser's help, and I am not sure that any other manufacturer could have helped the way that Sennheiser did."
Anastacia's Resurrection Tour is currently in Australia, before beginning the summer leg of the tour in June.
