Rick Wakeman performs at his Ultimate Experience show in Cheltenham (photo: Lee Wilkinson)
UK - Rick Wakeman and his English Rock Ensemble recently performed two special shows with the 65-piece Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra and the Gloucester Cathedral Choir, which saw an array of Audio-Technica AT2020 and AT2031 microphones used for brass and woodwind duties.

The Rick Wakeman Ultimate Experience shows featured more than 90 artists on stage performing selections from Wakeman's best-loved albums - The Myths And Legends of King Arthur, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth and The Six Wives Of Henry VIII - at The Centaur venue at Cheltenham racecourse.

Front-of-house engineer Ian Barfoot has worked with Wakeman for nearly 30 years and is full of praise for Audio-Technica's budget-friendly 20 Series models.

"I use the AT2020s exclusively for brass," he explains, "I'm not usually a fan of large diameter capsules for live work but the size of the AT2020's diaphragm is a great 'halfway house' and it sounds much more expensive than it is. I tried them on a show in Buenos Aires for the first time last year and was so impressed with them on French horns that I ordered 10 when I came back to the UK.

"I use the AT2031s on woodwind, where they do a good job of 'mellowing' some of the instruments that can be a little strident, like the piccolo," says Barfoot. "I'll also be trying them on choir at some point - I think they'll turn out to be a good all-round pencil condenser mic."

(Jim Evans)


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