CLEVELAND, OH, November 9, 2023 — Sean ‘Sully’ Sullivan has built a reputation over the last three decades as a focused, straight-shooting FOH engineer who can always be relied on to get the best mix no matter what the venue or situation calls for. In that time he’s worked with a diverse range of major touring acts, including Roger Waters, Rage Against the Machine, Rhianna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shania Twain, and most recently Beck. While on tour with the artistic chameleon, Sully began using a trio of Lauten Audio Snare Mics on the kit of drummer Joey Waronker which have allowed him to capture the detailed nuances of Waronker’s impressive technique better than ever before.
Capturing the broad strokes of beloved albums in a live environment
No-nonsense as they come, Sully’s approach to live sound effectively balances the needs of both artist and fan expectations while still acknowledging the realities and difficulties of working in an ever-changing environment. As such, he’s made it his mission to capture the broad strokes of how things should sound without being hopelessly pedantic in his approach. “Being faithful to the records is the starting point of where we want to go, but the live experience is its own thing and has to be treated accordingly,” he explained. “Ultimately the broad strokes are what’s really important — As long as you get all the right parts and they move the audience the right way, then it’s a success. If it’s better than the fans expect, then we’re doing well!”
Sully has a similarly pragmatic approach to his choice of equipment. Picking the right microphones is crucial, but often that means making choices that sacrifice super detailed sound in favor of focused responses that are less likely to pick up unwanted sounds or frequencies. “We really have to pick microphones that work in hostile environments in a very specific way,” he said. “If you’re picking up obnoxious stuff and amplifying it through a massive PA system you’re not doing yourself, or the audience, any favors. I really need tighter, better, cleaner mics on my sources that don’t give me too much data.”
“That kind of feedback made it back to Lauten Audio, and when they told me that Snare Mic was being developed for that exact need, it got my attention right away.”
A game-changer for condenser mics
Joey Waronker’s drum kit for Beck tours is an exercise in maximal minimalism. Crammed into an 8x8ft riser, the kit includes three snare drums, two hi-hats, 11 rack tom drums, a gong, and 10 cymbals. Given the amount of bleed inherent in such a small area of space, Sully has had to choose how he mics the kit carefully. Snare Mic quickly proved an asset not only for its detailed sound, but also its superior off-axis rejection. “Typically I am not using condenser mics live — they may sound incredible but they pick up everything and it’s not ideal for a clean mix,” he explained. “What was immediately incredible about Snare Mic is that it’s a condenser mic that behaves like a dynamic mic — it has those amazing clear sonics that I can expect from any other Lauten mic but it’s not so overly sensitive that it’s picking up anything else in a fifteen foot circle around it.”
“It’s also the perfect size — it fits perfectly into the kit just deep enough that it never gets in the way.”
Additionally useful for Sully’s purposes is the onboard HP and LP filter controls, that have allowed him to easily dial the mic in to get exactly what he needs each time — and easily dial out exactly what he doesn’t want to hear. “The Lauten Low Pass Filters are some of the best sounding I’ve ever heard built into a microphone,” he said. “They are very subtle but exactly what you need — just enough to keep the cymbals and other sounds of the kit out of the equation.”
“It lets you really focus on the detail you’re getting out of a drum that you don’t normally hear without being so overly sensitive that you’re picking up someone sneezing from across the stage. It’s a complete game changer for condenser mics in live environments.”
“I’m pretty straight forward and right to the point and I don’t have a lot of tricks and techniques that people don’t know about,” he concludes. “There’s not much to do aside from picking the right stuff and putting it in the right space — and in this case Snare Mic is exactly the right tool for the job.”
For more information about Snare Mic, please visit: https://www.lautenaudio.com/snare-mic
About Lauten Audio
Lauten Audio is a family-owned maker of original, inspiring microphones. Currently available products include the flagship “Eden” tube microphone, the award-winning “Atlantis” FET condenser microphone, the groundbreaking “Synergy Series” of noise-rejecting condenser microphones, and the new Series Black family of condenser microphones. Lauten Audio and its diverse family of users can be found in studios, on stages, and in homes worldwide.
For more information, visit http://www.lautenaudio.com or call 1-877-721-7018.
