Divas Use the New Neumann KK 105-S Capsules at "Divas Las Vegas"

OLD LYME, CONNECTICUT: What do you get when you combine the glitz of Las Vegas with the glamour of the world's leading top female vocalists? "Divas Las Vegas"!

What do you get when you combine the award-winning Neumann KMS 105 live sound capsule with the top-of-the-line Sennheiser SKM 5000 wireless transmitter? "The best sounding wireless handheld on the planet".

Whitney Houston and Mary J. Blige using the new Neumann KK 105-S capsules with Sennheiser SKM 5000 wireless transmitters at "Divas Las Vegas" (PHOTO CREDIT: AP Wide World Photo)

VH1's "Divas" extravaganza showcases the world's leading female entertainers during one high-profile night of unforgettable performances. This year's "Divas Las Vegas," which aired live from the MGM Grand Hotel on May 23, was hosted by comedienne Ellen DeGeneres with Vegas legend Wayne Newton serving as the announcer. Internationally-renowned Anastacia, Latin superstar Shakira, French-Canadian native Celine Dion, Hip-Hop queen Mary J. Blige and the Dixie Chicks joined forces at the fifth annual "Divas Las Vegas" special with established superstars Whitney Houston, Cher, Stevie Nicks and Cyndi Lauper making guest appearances.

Divas do not disappoint. The past four of VH1's Divas specials rank among the top five highest-rated broadcasts in VH1's history. Past "Divas" performers have included Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain, Diana Ross, Faith Hill, Destiny's Child, Tina Turner and Donna Summer. The show raises funds for VH1 Save the Music Foundation; a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music programs in America's public schools. Since VH1 Save the Music has been initiated in 1997, more than $17 million worth of musical instruments have been donated to 750 public schools in 75 cities, reaching 250,000 children.

The Neumann KK 105-S capsule does not disappoint, either. Ten of the new capsules with the Sennheiser SKM 5000 transmitters were in the hands of most of the Divas under the control of RF Guru, Kevin Sanford of Wireless First. This marks the first time the new hybrid mics were used in such magnitude. Sanford had used the Neumann/Sennheiser combo at the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony" and was determined to have them for Divas Las Vegas. "I have been working on getting this new capsule from Sennheiser for some time," noted Sanford, "and I knew once the Divas tried the mic, and their respective engineers heard the sound, all would agree to use the new Neumann KK 105-S capsule. There is no denying it is a beautiful sounding microphone. And as the RF guy, combining this capsule with the power of the SKM 5000 transmitter is the best of both worlds. With the new capsule there's little or no need for EQ-ing, especially on the high end where sibilance problems may occur. This tends to be an issue for some artists when using other voice specific capsules. The Neumann KK 105-S transcends those problems. With this capsule if you increase the level of the vocals, the entire bandwidth increases - the sound is just that clean - you get what you expect to hear."

All Divas were on various in-ear systems, with Anastacia and her backup singers using Sennheiser 3054s. "Mixing various brands of in-ears and mics is a bit of a problem," commented Sanford. All in all I had well over 100 channels of RF (in-ears, mics and intercoms). "I've performed RF duties for all of the VH1 Divas shows and the frequency part is always very difficult. Part of it is homework prior to departure; the other part is getting into the MGM Grand, turning on the analyzer and finding open slots to work with. Mixing various brands of mics and in-ears can always make compatibility a challenge. Every artist likes to use what they are used to, so you have to make it work."

Neumann's award winning line of microphones has set the standard in the industry since 1928. In 1999, Neumann received the prestigious Technical Grammy(r) for their 70 years of innovation in microphone design and contribution to the music industry. A continuing commitment to provide innovative, technically refined products and engineering solutions of proven quality ensures that Neumann's stature will remain unassailable.