“I was with them since the summer of 1992, when they first came to Europe. It was great to see them getting back together, so when they asked me to mix for them again, I put my studio work on hold.”
“There are plenty of great microphones out there, but I’ve always been a big fan of Shure mics. And they’ve gotten even better since we were last on the road. Our monitor engineer, Jeremy Lemos, recommended I try the KSM9 for (lead singer) Stephen Malkmus’ vocals, and I totally fell in love with it. It cuts through so well, has a nice shine at the top, and it’s almost impossible to get feedback. It’s almost like a studio sound in a live setting, and everything I’ve been looking for in a vocal mic since I started with the band in 1992.”
“Spiral does all the rhythm parts and he’s got that background growl, and this combination gives him the extra texture he needs. I especially like the thickness of the KSM313. It has that classic ribbon response – nice and thick, with a clear, detailed high end that always shines through. I can imagine using it in a bunch of applications, especially in the studio.”
"Stephen is a great guitarist, and plays through an Orange amp and closed Marshall slanted cabinet with a lot of punch and distortion. To emphasize that, on some of the heavy bits and choruses, I do what I call my phase trick. I mic two speakers in the cabinet and pan them left and right. I switch one of the channels out of phase as an effect during choruses or heavy passes, which really gives it some depth. It gives you this warped feeling out in the audience, and gives me another dimension without using any weird DSP effects.”
“I fell in love with the KSM137. It really cuts through in the 10K area, and the bottom end is nice and thick, like an SM57. Perfect for snare top.”
. “The combination of mics on the kick lets me get whatever tone I need, and the Beta 98 is beautiful on toms,” he says. “It’s got a narrow pattern, so how you aim it really changes the tone. I place them directly over the rim, about an inch above, aiming at the middle of the skin, and it sounds amazing.”
"It gives me a full, round bottom tone, which is important, because Mark does not like a lot of high end in his sound. I use the DI mainly for the mid tones, to cut it through the mix, and the Beta 52A for that big bottom end. It’s a great combination.”
“These new Shure mics sound fantastic and are making my life a lot easier. I hardly have to touch the EQ on my Midas H3000 to produce a very fat, thick, and dense but clear mix—with plenty of character!”
“It’s pretty amazing. The band sounds fantastic and the fans are loving it. For my part, it’s great to get back out on the road after eight years and a pleasure to mix these guys again. It’s been a great experience.”
Remko Schouten, FOH engineer, Pavement Reunion Tour
