STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN TAKES HIS AWARD-WINNING SOUND ON TOUR WITH AUDIO-TECHNICA MICROPHONES
(Audio-Technica | Posted 2004-08-07)
Steven Curtis Chapman, one of the best-selling and most beloved recording artists in the contemporary Christian music genre, is touring after a nearly two-year hiatus. Supporting a new album due in stores on September 21, Chapman performs at a series of festivals starting in late June and will embark on the 70-city All Things New tour in October. Every live performance will feature Audio-Technica microphones, including the acclaimed Artist Elite® 4000 Series UHF Wireless System using the AEW-T3300 handheld microphone/transmitter.
The microphone complement for Chapman’s live dates includes three AT4050 mics on guitar amps, the renowned dual-element AE2500 on kick drum, four ATM35s on rack toms, a pair of AT3035s serving as overheads on drums, an AT3031 on snare (bottom), an ATM25 microphone on bass cabinet, a pair of ATM63HE mics on the top of the Leslie speaker cabinet and an AT4055 on the bottom. In addition, all four background vocal microphones are the acclaimed AE3300, the wired version of the AEW-T3300 that Chapman himself uses.
Russ Long is the FOH mixer for Chapman, and with engineering credits on records for Sixpence None the Richer, Wilco, and Dolly Parton, he is a consummate connoisseur of microphones both in the studio and for the stage. “Steven gave me free rein in choosing the microphones he and the band use live, and Audio-Technica is the only line of microphones that can give you studio-level quality while performing live,” remarks Long. “At the same time, they’re as rugged as any touring microphone I’ve ever used, and they have an incredible level of reliability. So you really can’t ask more from any microphone under these circumstances.”
Another outstanding benefit of selecting the Audio-Technica mics is the unparalleled service offered by the company, says Long. “Audio-Technica’s customer support is amazing,” he continues. “Whenever we need something — if an antenna is left behind at a gig, or any problem at all — A-T is right there for us, even if it means overnighting something to us. They not only keep us sounding good, they help keep us on the road.”
