Country Music's Biggest Night Finds an ATI Paragon II Production Console at FOH with a Sea of Sennheiser Wireless On Stage

Sennheiser was a big winner at the 37th Annual CMA Awards, held November 5th at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, with ATI a close second. All but two of the vocal microphones featured in 21 live performances were manufactured by Sennheiser, as were all of the wireless lavalier mics. "Country music's biggest night" featured a host of performances from artists including Alison Krause, Patty Loveless, Martina McBride, George Strait, and Darrel Worley, all of whom were mixed through an ATI Paragon

"There were 14 Sennheisers," relates Baltzell, a well-known mixer and sound designer whose Sherman Oaks, California-based Baltzell Audio has also been involved with the annual Academy Awards broadcast for many years as well as with such televised events as the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in 2002. "This is the only music award show that I've seen where the majority of the wireless microphones were one brand. And we ended up using all of them."

Sennheiser 5000 Series wireless handheld vocal microphones and Neumann KK 105-S capsules for the telecast were supplied by Kevin Sanford's Wireless First. Jeff Drigette, based out of the company's Boston office, was on hand to set up and maintain the RF systems, which included Sennheiser EM 3032 receivers plus MKE 2 lavalier microphones and SK 5012 miniature beltpacks. Head broadcast mixer, Mark Repp specified the Sennheisers for the show, Baltzell reports. Only one of each of the other two leading microphone brands were available for endorsees, notes Baltzell.

The three-hour music awards show, telecast live on CBS, was the first outing for the custom-manufactured, 64-input ATI Paragon II. The live sound-mixing console was commissioned by Gaylord Entertainment Center, owner and operator of the venue, to replace an 11-year-old ATI P40 desk.

"I told them that I would like to have the new console that was scheduled to be put in place in time for the CMAs," reports Baltzell, who was the sound designer of the installed loudspeaker system in the hall. "So they went ahead and expedited the shipping and installation. You could credit me with pushing it along."

He continues, "It performed just fine and the EQ worked great. I was basically doing the live-to-track performances. I also did all the production mixing, all the dialogue, such as the awards, the podiums, the lavs, the videotape inserts, all the housekeeping stuff, of an awards show."

Pictured: Norah Jones and Dolly Parton each chose a Sennheiser 5000N wireless system for their stunning duet at the recent Country Music Awards. (PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images)