UK hip hop trio N-Dubz has recently been promoting the platinum-selling album Against All Odds with a major April UK tour. Accompanying the band every step of the way have been their now ubiquitous Sennheiser microphones and in-ear monitors.
The tour’s schedule was relentless, with very few non-show days as the band played gigs from Folkestone to Glasgow and all points between. Reliability was essential, but monitor engineer Chris ‘Bronski’ Jablonski is just as impressed with the hi-fidelity sound of the Sennheiser equipment.
The band’s three vocalists – Dino ‘Dappy’ Contostavlos, Tula ‘Tulisa’ Contostavlos and Richard ‘Fazer’ Rawson were all using SKM 935 G3 microphones and ew 300 G3 in-ear monitors, with a three-piece backing band and Chris also using ew 300 G3 IEMs.
“I’ve been using Sennheiser for the last six or so years for a wide variety of projects, the 500 series for live vocals, and the 3000 and 2000 series on large scale corporate as well as vocalists,” says Chris. “The G2 equipment was great, very sweet sounding, but with G3 Sennheiser have actually managed to improve it. The microphones are more robust, both physically, and in their aural qualities. The G3 in ear system has a new outstanding depth to it. My mixes are a lot more detailed and have a lot more weight to them. The band love how they sound.
The rugged qualities of the equipment are very much in demand by a band who, by Chris’s own admission, don’t treat microphones very well. “They’re always throwing them about,” he smiles.
“The first time I came into contact with a G3 mic was when Sennheiser’s Phil Cummings put one into my hand at a V Festival. I was impressed with the weight. There is something very reassuring about having a mic with that kind of solid feel in the band’s hands.
“I’m rescuing the mics every day from different places where they get left. We’ve had them since November last year, they’re in use for at least 75% of the time and they’re still going strong. They’re in amazing condition considering the amount of abuse they’ve had.”
As with all Sennheiser UK’s artists, the company goes to great lengths to ensure that everything they need is available, with an instant response to requests for help of any kind.
“Phil Cummings has been awesome,” says Chris. “Sennheiser’s support is always fast and helpful, every time I need anything they’re there – from frequency plots to the tour’s London show, when we had so many guest performers appearing that I had to ask for anther G3. It was there, waiting at the stage door when we arrived.”
One final feature of the Sennheiser equipment, which is useful to N-Dubz in particular, is the result of a happy coincidence – the shape of the hexagon dome antenna.
“Dappy likes to throw ‘Dappy hats’ out into the audience every so often, and the hexagon dome is the perfect shape,” explains Chris with a smile. “When he wants to throw a hat out, we just put it on the antenna, he comes over, picks it up and out it goes. I’m sure it was the last thing on Sennheiser’s minds when they designed the antenna in that shape, but it’s very useful for us!”
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