Charlotte Church, the renowned singer who has sold millions of records, uses the ATM610a microphone. Her engineer, Mathew Acreman, selected it after trying many other microphones, until he found the only one capable of capturing the nuances he needs from this exceptional voice. "I've tried a lot of vocal mics with Charlotte," he says, "but none of them really did her voice justice, and they all seemed to lack the clarity and brilliance her voice deserves."
"With 11 people on stage, spill from other musicians is always a big issue for me, and with that in mind I needed one with a tight pickup pattern. I discussed this with the people at Audio-Technica, and they suggested I try the ATM610a."
Charlotte Church rose to fame as a classical singer. Her debut album, "Voice of an Angel," sold millions of copies and made Church the youngest artist ever to have a number 1 on the UK classical charts. In 2005 Church moved into pop music, and by 2007 she had already sold more than 10 million records worldwide. She is now on tour with a ten-piece band presenting her show "Charlotte Church's Late Night Pop Dungeon," a constantly evolving covers-based show that plays at various festivals and venues.
FOH engineer Mathew Acreman began his career in 2005, when he opened a studio in South Wales. Through his studio work, he developed a real passion for live music and started working as an engineer at various venues in Cardiff. He began touring in 2009, and since then has worked around the world with artists such as The Kills, Super Furry Animals, Razorlight, Charlotte Church, Mystery Jets, Drenge, Funeral for a Friend and Kids in Glass Houses. It was he who recommended that Charlotte use the ATM610a, after a long selection process in which he assessed the capabilities of many other microphones.
"I've tried a lot of vocal mics with Charlotte," he says, "but none of them really did her voice justice, and they all seemed to lack the clarity and brilliance her voice deserves. With 11 people on stage, spill from other musicians is always a big issue for me, and with that in mind I needed one with a tight pickup pattern. I discussed this with the people at Audio-Technica, and they suggested I try the ATM610a. That was the first time I had heard the ATM610a and I was instantly impressed. Not only did the hypercardioid polar pattern largely eliminate stage noise, but Charlotte's voice now had the presence and brilliance I had been looking for, all with minimal EQ. That, together with its solid build, means I haven't tried any other vocal mic since I started using it."
The ATM610a has been designed to deliver clear, detailed, wide-range reproduction of lead and backing vocals. This high-end dynamic vocal microphone from the Artist Series is equipped with a rare-earth magnet and a multi-layer grille, and offers a tight hypercardioid polar pattern. It also features a newly designed internal shock mount that reduces handling noise.
