Two Bands, One Microphone Brand Of Choice: Carlos Elizalde and AKG by HARMAN Are Unstoppable This Summer

SAN RAMON, California – Onstage, Carlos Elizalde is an unstoppable force of nature, singing, playing percussion and dancing with boundless energy. In fact, just one band isn’t enough to contain his seemingly limitless musical passion. This summer, Elizalde is performing with Rúckatan, the Latin, reggae and world music band he founded, as well as Caravanserai, a Santana tribute band that performs lovingly recreated hits from Santana’s 40-plus-year history. It’s therefore no surprise that he relies on AKG wireless microphones and gear to deliver world-class performance and versatility.

A recent Rúckatan gig at the Sausalito Seahorse found Elizalde in his element. The band had everyone dancing, cheering and on their feet, with Elizalde right alongside them thanks to his AKG system. Elizalde relies on a WMS4500 reference wireless microphone system with a D7 reference dynamic vocal microphone, plus the AKG IVM4500 in-ear monitor system, D7 dynamic mic and C214 condenser mic for percussion.

“When you’re up on stage, the last thing you want to be thinking about is your gear,” Elizalde said. “I know that the AKG WMS4500 with its wireless Auto-Setup and the D7 will deliver every time, even when I go a little crazy with jumping around and singing with everything I’ve got. OK – maybe more than a little crazy.

“I just plug everything in and it works. The stage is no place to be fussing with wireless frequencies or worrying about dropouts – we’re here to entertain people and get them caught up in the music and the songs they love!”

Combining the clarity and detail more typical of a condenser microphone with the presence of a dynamic mic, Elizalde prizes the AKG D7 for its warm, rich, punchy sound that enables the audience to clearly hear his vocals in the midst of thundering, multi-layered polyrhythmic percussion assaults. Key to the D7’s superior performance is its dual-thickness Varimotion diaphragm, which provides accurate, open sound in all frequency ranges.

To capture all the dynamics, overtones and nuance of his hand percussion, Elizalde uses a second D7 and an AKG C214 large-diaphragm condenser mic, a cost-effective offering with a heritage drawn from the legendary AKG C414. “We use a wealth of percussion instruments in Rúckatan and Caravanserai, and the D7 and C214 are really outstanding at capturing the percussive attack and individual ‘personality’ of each instrument.” Through it all, the AKG IVM4500 in-ear monitor system ensures that Elizalde hears everything onstage with clarity and consistent sound.

As if playing in two bands wasn’t enough, Elizalde is also working on a new record at Secret Studios in Alameda, California, where the band is tracking with AKG mics and a HARMAN Soundcraft Si3 console. “Music is our life, and I and the musicians I work with want to share it with as many people as possible,” Elizalde said. “Thankfully we have these wonderful tools to help make that happen.”

Learn more about AKG microphones at www.akg.com/pro

HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for consumers, automakers, and enterprises worldwide, including audio, visual and infotainment systems; enterprise automation solutions; and software services. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson ® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. HARMAN also is a technology and integration services leader for the Automotive, Mobile, Telecommunications and Enterprise markets. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. The Company’s software solutions power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated, personalized, adaptive and secure across all platforms, from the work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 25,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.9 billion during the last 12 months ended March 31, 2015.
Share on Google Plus
    Blogger Comment
    Facebook Comment

0 comments: