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Around the World with Audio-Technica

A conversation with Kevin Glendinning

Audio-Technica is proud to be the choice of monitor engineer Kevin Glendinning, who recently wrapped a high-profile gig for R&B sensation Alicia Keys at London’s O2 Arena. Glendinning, who has also worked with long-time Audio-Technica users Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani and Linkin Park, selected a quartet of wireless Audio-Technica Artist Elite® AEW-T4100 microphones (in conjunction with 5000 Series receivers) for Ms. Keys and her three backing singers.

“Alicia is a phenomenal singer,” Glendinning begins, “and the power she has is quite incredible. So it’s really important that we use microphones that not only deliver beautiful tone, but that can also cope with the volume that she puts out. I’ve used the AEW-T4100 mics for a long time and they’ve proven themselves over and over as being incredibly durable as well as awesome-sounding, so they’re the perfect choice for her. I’ve trialled other microphones, from big manufacturers, where you can hear the capsule struggling in the face of high SPLs, but these Audio-Technicas never do that.”

The AEW-T4100’s gig-after-gig reliability is something that a couple of Glendinning’s previous employers have pushed to the extreme, as he delights in explaining. “Gwen Stefani is a crazy, physical performer,” he laughs. “She’ll stick a mic in her waistband and climb the lighting rig. And with the Timberlake gig there’s all the high energy, sweaty dance routines that the gear has to cope with. The AEW-T4100s just shrug off that kind of use and abuse. I just don’t have to worry about them on a tour; I can completely rely on them to do their job. And that’s absolutely essential when you’re on the road for months at a time.”

Glendinning’s relationship with Audio-Technica extends back to 2000, so he’s had plenty of time to explore the capabilities of the microphones he uses day-to-day on the world’s biggest stages. And his introduction to stadium-sized gigs with A-T was with metal’s biggest act. “I was a tech with Metallica ten years ago,” he explains, “and pretty much the whole stage was Audio-Technica. I was immediately impressed with the tone of the microphones, and I’ve used them ever since. As a monitor engineer, I’m responsible for the only thing the artist has to gauge their gig by – the on-stage sound that they get through their in-ear or wedge monitors – so it’s always a collaboration between myself and the front-of-house guy when it comes to specifying gear for a tour. And I’m pleased to say I’ve always been able to simply show them the T4100s and let the mics convince the band and FOH guy that they’re the best for the job. Everybody loves them.”

While he’s now in the trusted position of working with some of the biggest artists in the world, Glendinning’s career in the pro-audio industry grew from humble beginnings. And it’s for this reason that he appreciates the kind of support that he receives from Audio-Technica. “I was a drummer in a local band back in the day,” he says, “and we gradually built a decent P.A. system for gigs, which I ended up responsible for. I was the guy who used to have to fix it and learn how the system worked. Eventually someone suggested that we rent the rig out and things kind of grew from there – I was a P.A. guy, not so much a drummer. I’ve had a fantastic career so far, and it’s made all the more enjoyable knowing firstly that the equipment I choose works brilliantly, and secondly that the support I can rely on from Audio-Technica is consistent around the world. I’ve never had a microphone break on me, but if we’re suddenly called for a gig and the gear is on the road somewhere, the company always steps into the breach and gets me what I need. That’s absolutely invaluable, and something I value very highly.”

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