Depeche Mode takes beyerdynamic on latest world tour

British cult band Depeche Mode has taken a range of beyerdynamic products on a world tour to celebrate its latest album Spirit.

In the first part of the tour – which kicked off in Stockholm on 5 May – the band will perform 34 shows in front of 1.5 million fans in 21 different European countries, before continuing their tour in North and South America.

Sound engineer Antony King uses beyerdynamic’s TG 1000 digital wireless system to handle radio frequency interference, while a TG 1000 handheld transmitter with TG MM1w interchangeable capsule is used to test the sound system during the preparations at each venue.

Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan and guitarist Martin Gore both use TG 1000 handheld transmitters with hypercardioid TG V70w interchangeable capsules for their vocal performances. The band’s long-serving live sideman, Peter Gordeno, on the other hand, uses a wired version, with the dynamic TG V70 live vocal microphone.

On the bass drum played by drummer Christian Eigner, King uses a TG D70 and a TG D71 boundary microphone (a condenser half-cardioid microphone) to create the desired sound. The toms are miked up with beyerdynamic TG D57, TG D58, M 201 TG, TG D50 and TG D70 microphones. The hi-hat is picked up by an MC 930 condenser microphone, while two MC 840 microphones and two M 160 double ribbon microphones serve as overheads. The robust beyerdynamic GST 500 model was chosen for the microphone stands.

The TG 1000 dual receivers are cascaded through the new beyerdynamic WA-AS6/2 antenna splitter, with four WA-ATDA directional antennas providing operational reliability. At FoH, King uses DT 1770 PRO headphones to fine-tune the sound, and communicates with performers by means of a dynamic TG V50 microphone.

Depeche Mode was founded in 1981 and has sold over a hundred million records to date. The current album Spirit is a follow-up to 2013’s Delta Machine, which went straight to the top of the charts in twelve countries. 233,000 copies of Spirit were purchased worldwide in physical and digital form in the first week after it was released, and it has reached number one in the sales charts in ten countries.

“Unlike in the studio, where we have the optimum conditions for audio work, achieving a good live sound always involves successfully overcoming the challenges posed by the respective venue,” King (pictured above) explained. “And when it comes to dealing with such unavoidable circumstances, it’s great to be able to rely on technology that is designed to overcome any obstacle.”

A teaser of the third video in the “I am PRO” series from beyerdynamic, which follows Antony King, can be viewed below:

http://europe.beyerdynamic.com/