M80-WH Wireless Mic Capsule for Adam Duritz and ELA M 260s for New Album
TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik delivered a number of it’s microphones to the Counting Crows for their live touring and the recording of their new album, “Underwater Sunshine.”
Shawn Dealey, Crows’ FOH and studio recording engineer, remarked, “I was on tour with the Goo Goo Dolls a few years back and when they set up their new studio they bought just about every mic that TELEFUNKEN makes, so I had a good first hand introduction. When I joined up with the Crows, I started picking out some new mics for their shows and the studio.”
Formed in 1991, in Berkeley, California, Counting Crows gained worldwide attention with their 1993 debut album, “August and Everything After,” which featured the hit single, “Mr. Jones.” They have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and received a 2004 Academy Award nomination for their song “Accidentally in Love,” which was included in the film “Shrek 2.”
“We started out using the Tfunk dynamic M80 mics on snare drums in the studio,” explained engineer Dealey. “It’s a mic that has the perfect crispness, the full body, and a tight bottom end that can sit comfortably in the track.
“For live performances,” Dealey continued, “We picked the M80-WH wireless mic capsule for Adam, who had previously used the same stage mic for 15 years. Our longtime monitor engineer, Kory Carter, tried it out and that was all it took. The M80-WH is the clear winner, and the mic capsule of choice for Adam. And now we are using M80s for all the stage vocals.”
As for studio sessions for the new Counting Crows album, the project was well underway before the delivery of the TELEFUNKEN ELA M 260 mics. “Crow’s guitarist Dave Bryson and I did a shoot out with small diaphragm condenser mics and found the TELEFUNKEN ELA M 260 was a really well-balanced microphone for any sort of acoustic instruments, like mandolin and 6- or 12-string guitars. It’s just a great sounding mic and we bought four of them.”
After touring in support of the new album, Counting Crows will head back later this year to the studio for their next album. “We’re looking forward to more sessions with the 260s, maybe trying them out on drums,” explained Dealey. “I see a lot of places where the ELA M 260 can shine. TELEFUNKEN is definitely making a difference in capturing what this band is all about.”
About TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik
TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik(tm) produces a comprehensive line of fine microphones, ranging from meticulously engineered replicas of historic vintage microphones handcrafted in the USA, to the R-F-T series of microphones that take advantage of the globalization of technology, as well as innovative dynamic microphones for live and studio performance.
To learn more about TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik, visit: http://www.t-funk.com
