Audio-Technica endorser Kenny Chesney, 2005 AMA Artist of the Year winner and a multiple CMA Award-winner and nominee, toured this summer delighting fans from coast to coast at a variety of venues, from arenas to sheds to stadiums. On the road, Chesney and his band used Audio-Technica microphones and wireless systems exclusively, featuring Artist Elite® 5000 Series Wireless Systems in addition to many other acclaimed models.

Chesney used the AEW-T3300 capsule for his wireless microphone, as did his backup singers. Members of the band who also sing used the A-T wired Artist Elite AE3300 microphones. The drums got the full A-T treatment: the kick employed the renowned AE2500 dual-element cardioid microphone, with the AT4050 condenser microphone used on overheads, the ATM63HE hypercardioid dynamic microphone for the top of the main snare drum and the ATM25 hypercardioid dynamic microphone on the bottom, an ATM23HE hypercardioid dynamic microphone for the second (piccolo) snare drum, an AT4040 on the floor tom, an ATM23HE on the rack toms, an AE5100 for the high-hat, and an AT4041 on the ride cymbal. Electric guitar amps were miked using the AT4050 condenser, with an AT4040 on guitarist Tim Hensley combination electric/acoustic set up. The bass amp utilized an AE5100.

“The Audio-Technica microphones have been great performers on this tour,” comments Phill Robinson, Kenny Monitor Mixer for the last four years. “The 5000 wireless system is virtually failure-proof and sounds great.” He also appreciates how the A-T mics are engineered to anticipate the needs of touring sound: “The AT4050 that we use on the electric guitar rigs have a high-pass filter switch that tremendously helps in keeping out stage noise,” he explains.

The bass rig used a combination of the AE5100 and a DI. That will change on the next tour, says Robinson. “The way the stage set design is now, the bass amp is placed close to the edge of the crowd, so we need the DI to get a signal free of crowd noise, which has been running upwards of 125 dB on this tour,” he says. “When the stage set is redesigned for the next tour, we ll use only the AE2500, which will give us the sound and the noise rejection we need.” Robinson has high praise for A-T technical support, as well — he says it has been perfect throughout the tour. “If there an issue, it resolved quickly,” Robinson notes. “Great company, great microphones.”