Grizzly Bear Evolves its Unorthodox Onstage Vocal Chain, Using Several TRUE P-Solo Preamplifiers

Trailblazing Indie Band Chooses TRUE P-Solo for its Sonic Clarity, Rugged Build, LED Metering and other features. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) October 25, 2012 - OLD LYME, Conn. - 2012 has been a defining year for Grizzly Bear, a Brooklyn, NY-based indie rock band that has headlined at venues including Radio City Music Hall in New York and The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, and performed on television shows including "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and others. A few years ago, the band began employing a somewhat unorthodox practice of integrating guitar pedals and other stage effects into its onstage vocal chain. Thanks to front of house engineer Drew Malamud, the band has recently taken this approach to the next level by incorporating several TRUE Systems P-Solo preamplifiers, distributed by audio specialist Sennheiser.

"When I started working with Grizzly Bear back in 2009 around the release of 'Veckatimest,' they were doing things like taking their stage mics and plugging them right into reverb pedals with just an XLR to 1/4" adapters on the end of the cable," Malamud recalls. "Then after the reverb pedal, they would go into a DI and that was their vocal chain. It didn't sound very good because a microphone likes to hit a preamplifier before anything else."

Malamud began searching for a suitable preamp solution to use at the foot of the stage, before eventually choosing the TRUE P-Solo. "I liked many things about the P-Solo," he says. "It is compact, has a robust build and also has an internal power supply rather than a wall wart. I was already familiar with the great sound because I have a TRUE Precision 8 in my own studio." Malamud soon acquired six TRUE P-Solos for Grizzly Bear's live performances, one for each vocal mic on the stage.

After setting up the P-Solos on stage, which took the microphone input and then ran to a Radial Engineering X-Amp™ active preamplifier, through a series of effects pedals and finally through a Radial JDI, there was a noticeable increase in the quality of the audio signal. "Once we had the TRUE P-Solos all set up and routed through the wireless personal monitors, the band couldn't believe the difference in sound they were hearing versus just plugging a mic into an effects pedal," Malamud says. "They were able to experience much more sonic detail and clarity."

Having noticed that TRUE preamplifiers are often used in recording trucks for well-known festivals such as Bonnaroo, Coachella and others, Malamud has long appreciated the natural sound of the TRUE P-Solo. "It is a clean sound that I knew would work with Grizzly Bear," he says. "It also had really nice LED metering on the front so I could see what was going on, even in extremely low light situations."

While its onstage vocal chain set up may be somewhat unconventional, it is the result of Grizzly Bear's relentless desire to recreate the sonic textures of their studio work in a live setting. "Part of their whole sound is the effects," Malamud says "When Grizzly Bear is recording and mixing in the studio, I am always thinking, 'How am I going to help recreate this sound live?' And for the onstage vocal effects, the TRUE P-Solo is a perfect fit."

As Grizzly Bear continues to find new audiences around the world and its live rig continues to expand and evolve, the band remains committed to its sound: "I feel like it's all been a natural growth," concludes Malamud. "We are one of the few bands in music today still doing everything with analog at front of house with really unique and exotic gear and vintage analog effects. Our TRUE P-Solos are a perfect complement to our approach."

TRUE Systems P-SOLO at a glance

Natural, musical, highly detailed soundfield
Complete compatibility with condenser, dynamic and ribbon mics
A totally balanced, dual servo, high dynamic range, transformerless design
Internal linear AC power supply for excellent transient response
Built-in DI: high-impedance instrument output
High impedance instrument input
High-pass filter and 48 V phantom power
Dual analog outputs
Four-level metering
Oversize volume control with selectable 10 dB input level attenuation
Compact, portable, solid desktop case

The upgraded version of the P-SOLO is available now, and pricing remains the same at $599.95.

About TRUE Systems
TRUE Systems is an internationally acclaimed brand of premium professional recording and sound reinforcement products designed and manufactured by Sunrise Engineering and Design Inc. (Tucson, Arizona). TRUE Systems products are used in every segment of professional audio production including recording and broadcast studios, concert halls, remote recording and live sound, etc. The primary goal of the TRUE Systems brand is to provide a state-of-the-art solution for every application, at an affordable price point, without compromise to the sonic integrity or feature set of the products. TRUE Systems products are distributed in the U.S. via Sennheiser Electronic Corporation in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

About Sennheiser
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Sennheiser's pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

You can find all the latest information on Sennheiser by visiting our website at www.sennheiserusa.com or by contacting:

Rachel Smolin
Public Relations
Sennheiser Electronic Corporation
(860) 434-9190, Ext. 180
rsmolin ( @ ) sennheiserusa dot com
Jeff Touzeau
Public Relations
Hummingbird Media, Inc.
(914) 602-2913
jeff ( @ ) hummingbirdmedia dot com

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