Sweetwater, world’s leading music technology and instrument retailer, recently filmed a short concert by Guitar virtuoso and singer/songwriter Ariel Posen. Recorded at Sweetwater Studios, the company’s state-of-the-art recording studio, Ariel and his band performed exclusively with TELEFUNKEN microphones, including dynamic mics employed for all vocals.
Julian Bradford and Ariel Posen. Photo by Nick Sonsini.
Engineer Shawn Dealey had previous experience using the mics. “I have been a huge fan of the M81 since first trying it years ago. I find that the natural response of the mic and tight pattern allow for amazing tonal qualities as well as great rejection for me in close miked live situations, especially when we have a vocalist singing with drums in the same room.”
Posen’s touring FOH engineer Manuel Unrau commented, “I use my favorite vocal mics, the M80 and M81 — Ariel was super happy when we switched to the Telefunkens.”
Ariel Posen is an acclaimed guitarist, singer/songwriter and producer. He was born in Winnipeg, Canada and was immersed in music during his earliest years while on the road with his parents, both professional musicians. Being raised in a musical environment gave him the foundation needed to pursue a career as a guitarist quickly gaining recognition for his soulful touch, and masterful improvisational talent.
“I really like the M80 on Ariel’s voice,” says his FOH engineer. “It brings his presence, really brings his vocal forward in the mix. And because we’re using wedges, it really helps because of its gain before feedback. He likes to have his wedges pretty loud, so for me it makes it a lot easier to get his vocal loud and clear in the wedges. The first time he heard it, he was surprised at how clear it could sound while still being quite loud.”
Manuel Unrau with his TELEFUNKEN dynamic mics.
Unrau continues, “For Ariel I find the M80 gives a bit more presence to his vocal and the M81s have a bit of a flatter, smoother, frequency response. I like to use M81’s on the background singers, the bass player Julian Bradford and drummer Jon Smith. I just find that the mics blend really well together, and I can still get Ariel’s vocal nice and present out front. The background vocals really support what he’s doing.”
Are there any vocal feedback issues for the drummer? “It handles it great,” Unrau continues. “Just as well as the M80 would. I haven’t had any problems with feedback. The gain before feedback is great on it; it doesn’t let in as much stage bleed as other microphones I’ve tried, especially for a drummer with the drums being right there. I find I can still get a lot of his vocal out of the mic.”
In addition to his solo and group work, Posen explores different projects as a sideman and producer for numerous artists across various genres including country, jazz, blues, R&B, pop and rock.
Unrau recounts his history with TELEFUNKEN, “I first came across Telefunken mics five or six years ago. A friend of mine was using these mics and I was mixing a lot of monitors at the time. We always liked to try different gear and he brought out the Telefunkens on vocals and I was like, wow, these are so easy to put in wedges to be able to just get the vocal to a great level for artists. I’ve had many, many artists come up to me and ask, ‘Wow, what mic is this? Where can I get one of these?’ That’s how I discovered Telefunken. I carry my own mics and I’ve been using them with all the bands I’ve worked for ever since.”
Ariel Posen and drummer Jon Smith.
Ariel Posen’s music is a rootsy sound that nods to his influences of heartland rock & roll, electrified Americana, blue-eyed soul, R&B, and Beatles-inspired pop.
Posen has received standing praise not only from his audiences, but also from outlets like Rolling Stone, who dubbed him “a modern-day guitar hero.”
Additional TELEFUNKEN microphones utilized in this session include matched pairs of C12 and U47 microphones. Studio engineer Shawn Dealery explains, “As for the Telefunken Diamond series mics, they are consistently my go-to’s for anything I want to sound larger than life, and hyper realistic. The C12’s are my favorite drum overheads and give a spectacular sonic image of the drum kit. We used the U47 as room mic’s on this session but they are usually my number one vocal mic, and is really hard to find anything that captures performances the way that microphone does.”
The performances will debut on TELEFUNKEN’s YouTube channel starting with “Man You Raised” on June 23 to coincide with Sweetwater’s GearFest celebration. https://www.sweetwater.com/gearfest
“Man You Raised'”- June 23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYvbcKz4A9A
“Nobody Else” – July 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2i-FrMFnj0
“What Are We Doing” – July 10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bguYSRaCEkM
Learn more about Ariel Posen: https://www.arielposen.com
Learn more about TELEFUNKEN’s dynamic microphones:
https://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com/product/m81/
TELEFUNKEN’s M80 and M81are on sale for $50 off through July 5, 2023
ABOUT TELEFUNKEN
TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik strives for absolute perfection. By offering historic recreations of classic microphones alongside their own proprietary designs based around the distinctive tube mic sound, TELEFUNKEN has established a product line that expertly combines vintage style and sound with the reliability of a modern-day microphone design. TELEFUNKEN’s commitment to both the sonic excellence and quality of all of their products is rivaled only by their dedication to provide the best possible service to their customers.
http://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com
