PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Clyne Media, Inc.
Tel: (615) 662-1616
Fax: (615) 662-1636
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUDIO-TECHNICA PRODUCTS SELECTED AS THE MICROPHONES OF CHOICE FOR POPE
BENEDICT’S NEW YORK CITY VISIT
STOW, OH, April 22, 2008 — Further reinforcing
its reputation as a world leader for microphone solutions, Audio-Technica
was selected to provide microphone products for Pope Benedict XVI’s
recent visit to New York City, which took place April 18-20, 2008. The
trip, the last three days of which occurred in New York, coincided with
the pontiff’s 81st birthday and the third anniversary of his election
as pope. It was Pope Benedict’s first stateside visit as pontiff
and the first U.S. papal visit since Pope John Paul II’s 1999
trip. Audio-Technica provided a wide range of microphones for Benedict’s
appearances and related events in New York City, even going so far as
to create special white-colored microphones and accessories, in order
to be consistent with the color scheme and solemn tone of these events.
Larry Estrin, of Best Audio in Studio City, CA, served
as Director of Communications for the Papal Visit for the Archdiocese
of New York and Coordinating Technical Director for Media and Broadcast.
He selected several different Audio-Technica microphones for use at
eight separate events over three days.
On Friday morning, April 18, the pontiff arrived at New
York’s JFK Airport, hosting a short ceremony after landing. Later
in the day, he traveled to the Church of St. Joseph in Manhattan’s
Yorktown district, where he held a prayer service with representatives
of other Christian denominations. The following morning, Saturday, April
19, he held a special mass for priests, deacons and other clergy at
St. Patrick’s Cathedral (this was the first papal mass ever celebrated
at the legendary church and also a commemoration of Benedict’s
third anniversary of his election to the papacy). That afternoon, he
traveled north of the city to Yonkers, where two events were held at
St. Joseph’s Seminary Chapel: a meeting with disabled children
followed by a meeting with young seminarians. On Sunday, April 20, the
pontiff visited and spoke at Ground Zero of the World Trade Center at
a morning prayer service. From there, the pope traveled to Yankee Stadium,
where he led thousands in Sunday mass, and entertainers performed the
Concert for Hope. Finally, he held a short prayer service back at JFK
before his departure, capping his historic visit to the U.S.
A key microphone at all of these events was the Audio-Technica
AE6100 Hypercardioid Dynamic Handheld Microphone. Estrin selected it
to capture audio as the pope spoke from the Pontifical Throne, as well
as whenever a Vatican assistant or priest held the microphone for him.
The AE6100 was used on a microphone stand aiming toward the pope, as
well as on a specially designed boom to facilitate easy handheld usage.
Said Estrin, “We chose the AE6100 specifically because I like
the way it looks and sounds, and it’s got all the right attributes.
It’s an excellent microphone for these purposes, because when
used as a handheld, it has very, very little handling noise properties.
Also, the pope can at times have a very soft speaking voice, and we
relied on the AE6100 to provide clear and articulate sound to that end.”
Two other key mics were the ES961 Cardioid Condenser Boundary
Microphone and the ES933H Hypercardioid Condenser Hanging Microphone.
The ES961s were employed at the Yorkville, St. Patrick’s and St.
Joseph’s Seminary events as ambo/pulpit mics and altar backup
mics. The ES933H mics were used at the prayer service at Ground Zero.
Said Estrin, “We concealed one of them at the base of the candle
the pope lit while saying a prayer and another at the edge of the carpet
to pick up the ambient sound as he quietly talked to some of the survivors
and families of victims of the attacks. The goal was to have the mics
as low-profile as possible, but we needed to pick up the audio for broadcast,
so we put them at the base of the candle and edge of the carpet, which
made them disappear. They worked like a charm.”
Other mics included ES915ML (18") MicroLine®
Condenser Gooseneck Microphones for use on lecterns at the St. Joseph
Yorkville, St. Joseph’s Seminary and Yankee Stadium services;
four AT4040 Large-Diaphragm Side-Address Microphones to mic the choir
at the St. Joseph’s Seminary service; two black ES905 Hypercardioid
Condenser Rigid-Pipe Microphones at the St. Patrick’s mass, chosen
to blend in with the color scheme of the speakers’ vestments;
and an A-T 5000 Series Frequency-agile True Diversity UHF Wireless System.
Additional on-site support for the Yankee Stadium mass was provided
by Audio-Technica representative Steve Savanyu, who lent his expertise
on microphone setup and placement.
Estrin and Audio-Technica went to great lengths to make
all these microphones and accessories available in white to blend in
with the papal colors of yellow and white. Estrin stated, “These
services were solemn and spiritual occasions for many Americans. Our
job was to mic everything to the best of our abilities without drawing
attention away from the prayerful nature, and white mics made it all
the more possible.”
Audio-Technica Marketing Manager Dan Montecalvo stated,
“Audio-Technica has been extremely successful as the microphone
manufacturer of choice for many important, high-profile events, and
we are honored that Best Audio selected our products for such a historic
occasion as Pope Benedict’s first visit to the U.S. We believe
this underscores our reputation for quality and dependability of product.”
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Photo File: A-T_Pope.JPG
Photo Caption: Audio-Technica provided microphone products for Pope
Benedict XVI’s recent visit to New York City, which took place
April 18-20, 2008. Shown is Pope Benedict XVI, speaking into an Audio-Technica
AE6100 Hypercardioid Dynamic Handheld Microphone, at the ecumenical
prayer service held at the Church of St. Joseph on April 18, 2008. Photo
by Mel Evans/AFP/Getty Images (This photo is the property of Mel Evans/AFP/Getty
Images and may be used by the press only for the purpose of one-time
reproduction. Unauthorized use, alteration or reproduction of this photograph
is strictly prohibited.)
Celebrating over 45 years of audio excellence worldwide,
Audio-Technica is a leading innovator in transducer technology, renowned
for the design and manufacture of microphones, wireless microphones,
headphones, mixers, and electronics for the audio industry.
—For more information on the complete range of Audio-Technica
products, contact
Karen Emerson, Audio-Technica U.S., Inc., 1221 Commerce Drive, Stow,
OH 44224.
Tel: (330) 686-2600; Fax: (330) 688-3752; Web: www.audio-technica.com