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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => HistoryOfConcertSound.org => Topic started by: Steve Litcher on January 06, 2017, 12:03:31 AM

Title: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Steve Litcher on January 06, 2017, 12:03:31 AM
This is one of my favorite concert movies of all time... love all of the songs, and the production value is so incredible.

Does anyone know what type of vocal mics they used for the show? Looks like they're all nearly identical, and that they could possibly be some Audix mics, but I'm not 100% certain.

Timeless.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Tim Padrick on January 06, 2017, 12:51:59 AM
There's a good closeup at 14:16.  Not an Audix.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Dave Pluke on January 07, 2017, 12:27:37 PM
Looks Beyer-ish to me, but I can't be certain.

Dave
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: brian maddox on January 07, 2017, 02:45:22 PM
Looks Beyer-ish to me, but I can't be certain.

Dave

been staring at that vocal mic for 30 minutes now and can't figure out what it is...

i really need to get a hobby....
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Riley Casey on January 07, 2017, 05:24:07 PM
shure made for a hot moment sm57s and sm58s without output transformers and called them 77s and 78s. The David Byrne vocal mic looks to be one.  Why do I have this useless information rattling around in my head?  Because I still have a few of those mics  rolling around in the b stock mic drawers.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Ivan Beaver on January 07, 2017, 05:49:26 PM
shure made for a hot moment sm57s and sm58s without output transformers and called them 77s and 78s. The David Byrne vocal mic looks to be one.  Why do I have this useless information rattling around in my head?  Because I still have a few of those mics  rolling around in the b stock mic drawers.
Over the years there have been some "short runs" of products that most people are not aware of.

A couple I remember are the Crown MT1000.  NOT the 1200.  It was the first one out-but not for long.

There was also a Crown MT1200 that was a cross between the MA and MT1200.  I guess it was during the transition to the MA series.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Dave Pluke on January 07, 2017, 06:07:43 PM
shure made for a hot moment sm57s and sm58s without output transformers and called them 77s and 78s.

You may have won a kewpie doll!

(https://guideimg.alibaba.com/images/shop/86/11/07/9/shure-starmaker-sm77-sm78-cardioid-microphone-brochure-1970s_176649.jpg)

(http://thumbs.picclick.com/00/s/MTE5NVgxNjAw/z/C4MAAOSwx2dYF7bT/$/Lot-of-Three-3-Shure-SM78-Cardioid-Dynamic-_1.jpg)

Dave
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Ted Kulczycky on January 08, 2017, 04:16:03 AM
According to the equipment manifest for this tour, the following mics were used:

5 x 421 Sennheiser
5 x 441 Sennheiser
5 x SM56 Shure
1 x SM57 Shure
2 x SM58 Shure
1 x SM77 Shure
5 x SM78 Shure
4 x 451 AKA
2 x 414 AKA
1 x SM81 Shure
1 x 416 Sennheiser


This is one of my favorite concert movies of all time... love all of the songs, and the production value is so incredible.

Does anyone know what type of vocal mics they used for the show? Looks like they're all nearly identical, and that they could possibly be some Audix mics, but I'm not 100% certain.

Timeless.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Tim Weaver on January 08, 2017, 08:18:03 AM
shure made for a hot moment sm57s and sm58s without output transformers and called them 77s and 78s. The David Byrne vocal mic looks to be one.  Why do I have this useless information rattling around in my head?  Because I still have a few of those mics  rolling around in the b stock mic drawers.


I have 3 of the 78's too. They sound awesome on light, breathy vocals. And saxes too.

The handles were covered in a soft-touch rubber that has degraded into goo by now. Mine are wrapped in gaff tape.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Andrew Broughton on January 08, 2017, 12:32:14 PM
According to the equipment manifest for this tour, the following mics were used:

5 x 421 Sennheiser
5 x 441 Sennheiser
5 x SM56 Shure
1 x SM57 Shure
2 x SM58 Shure
1 x SM77 Shure
5 x SM78 Shure
4 x 451 AKA
2 x 414 AKA
1 x SM81 Shure
1 x 416 Sennheiser


That's great info, I'd love to know how you found that!

BTW - You'll need to change your username to your full name which is a requirement to post here.
Title: Posting Rules
Post by: Mac Kerr on January 08, 2017, 01:06:29 PM
According to the equipment manifest for this tour, the following mics were used:

Please go to your profile and change the "Name" field to your real first and last name as required by the posting rules displayed in the header at the top of the section, and in the Site Rules and Suggestions (http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/board,36.0.html) in the Forum Announcements section, and on the registration page when you registered.

Mac
Title: Re: Posting Rules
Post by: Ted Kulczycky on January 08, 2017, 07:36:49 PM
Please go to your profile and change the "Name" field to your real first and last name as required by the posting rules displayed in the header at the top of the section, and in the Site Rules and Suggestions (http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/board,36.0.html) in the Forum Announcements section, and on the registration page when you registered.

Mac

Fixed. Thank you.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Mike Smith on January 13, 2017, 02:30:47 PM
Over the years there have been some "short runs" of products that most people are not aware of.

A couple I remember are the Crown MT1000.  NOT the 1200.  It was the first one out-but not for long.

There was also a Crown MT1200 that was a cross between the MA and MT1200.  I guess it was during the transition to the MA series.

I bought some of the first Crown Microtech amps when they were introduced in the mid 80s. As a big Crown fan at the time, and user of multiple black-face DC300A-II models (the upside-down ones) I jumped at a chance to get improved power, efficiency, and packing density (The fans are inside? I'll take that!). Eventually had three 1000 amps, only blew up one (on monitors at a Lonnie Mack club-gig). They were crude amps by today's standards but I suppose they competed fairly well with their contemporaries. It would be decades before I bought another Crown product! Of course, the Macrotech Series was an improvement over the Microtech in just about every way imaginable, but I'd already moved in a different direction.

...and to sort of get back on topic, I do remember those funky gray little Shures, and Stop Making Sense is my favorite live concert film ever. David Byrne had moments of genius during his career.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Ivan Beaver on January 13, 2017, 07:38:41 PM
I bought some of the first Crown Microtech amps when they were introduced in the mid 80s.  Eventually had three 1000 amps, only blew up one (on monitors at a Lonnie Mack club-gig). They were crude amps by today's standards but I suppose they competed fairly well with their contemporaries. It would be decades before I bought another Crown product! Of course, the Macrotech Series was an improvement over the Microtech in just about every way imaginable, but I'd already moved in a different direction.


What I "heard" was that the original 1000 blew up a lot.  And they discontinued it and reworked it and came up with the 1200.  Which was a very solid amp.

I had several brought to me to repair-and when I saw the insides and the damage done, I turned the repair down.  To much work.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Art Welter on January 30, 2017, 10:19:01 PM
shure made for a hot moment sm57s and sm58s without output transformers and called them 77s and 78s. The David Byrne vocal mic looks to be one.  Why do I have this useless information rattling around in my head?  Because I still have a few of those mics rolling around in the b stock mic drawers.
I also bought several SM 78s, they did not have the "classic" Sure transformer distortion, and were available in several "designer" colors. The pseudo-suede like finish picked up dirt like a sponge, so the mics would look ratty in a month, and you could not re-paint them with any normal paint. They did not "catch on" with the touring business, sold them all off by 1982 or 1983.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Jim McKeveny on December 07, 2018, 10:52:24 AM
What I "heard" was that the original 1000 blew up a lot.

They were Crown's knee-jerk response to the Carver PM1.5. At that time, Crown was self-congratulatory over the introduction of their "revolutionary" PSA-2. The rush to market in the MT1000 next product showed...(There was an MT "LX" series that sucked also.)
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Mal Brown on February 22, 2019, 12:20:38 AM
I am a huge TH fan.  saw them many times in my back east days.  Saw the Stop Making Sense tour once in Sprinfield, MA.  One of the best Heads shows ever for me.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Steve Litcher on March 02, 2019, 11:37:27 PM
I'm so glad I happened to stumble back to this post - I had missed a lot of great info and history. Thanks everyone for sharing!!! I really love this.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Steve Eudaly on March 04, 2019, 06:51:19 PM
Slightly related: worked with Clutch last week. Lead vocal was an SM58 with a black grille. Looked great. Considering buying a few black grilles to have on hand for ours for certain gigs.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Tim Weaver on March 04, 2019, 08:32:06 PM
Slightly related: worked with Clutch last week. Lead vocal was an SM58 with a black grille. Looked great. Considering buying a few black grilles to have on hand for ours for certain gigs.

Clutch was always one of the friendliest bands I worked with. Super great bunch of guys....
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Steve Eudaly on March 04, 2019, 09:47:05 PM
Clutch was always one of the friendliest bands I worked with. Super great bunch of guys....

Confirmed!
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Pat Latimer on March 07, 2019, 07:50:19 PM
Confirmed!

Agreed! Solid group of guys.
Title: Re: Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
Post by: Tim McCulloch on March 18, 2019, 04:14:44 PM
Slightly related: worked with Clutch last week. Lead vocal was an SM58 with a black grille. Looked great. Considering buying a few black grilles to have on hand for ours for certain gigs.

They came through Wichita a few days after your show.  As always, Clutch was a pleasure to work with.