‘As a ventriloquist, I can’t hide behind a microphone – I need the audience to see that my mouth isn’t moving,’ says Kevin Johnson, a regular sight on NBC’s America’s Got Talent and CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman, as well as performing arts theatres and other venues.
His technical needs – aside from his performance skills – are supported by an E6 Directional Earset microphone from Countryman Associates. ‘I love the E6 because it’s unobtrusive,’ he says. ‘To achieve the highest level of invisibility, I use the 1mm, low-profile Theatrical Wire, which is the thinner option for the E6. With a small wire clip attached to the back of my collar and a tiny piece of clear tape behind my ear, I forget I’m even wearing the microphone. The microphone’s flexible earpiece is unbelievably comfortable and I’m certain its flexibility is yet another factor that results in the mic’s durability.’
In addition to its build and sound quality, the mic is practically invisible to his audience – important factors in Johnson’s line of work. ‘The number one reason I prefer the Countryman E6 earset over anything else is consistently high-quality sound that is respected throughout the industry’ he says. ‘Everywhere I go, I hear technicians say, “Wow, that’s an E6… that’s an awesome microphone”. Not only does the E6 sound better than any other wireless microphone I’ve used, it picks up my voice(s) with great clarity, which is critical to the success of my performance.’
The ability to easily adapt to a variety of wireless microphone systems is a further consideration: ‘I use a Shure wireless system when I travel unless the house already uses Shure – then I plug right into their beltpack transmitter,’ Johnson says. I also carry a Sennheiser wireless transmitter connector that is easily interchangeable with the earset. This way, I’m covered.
‘This mic has been twisted and bent in so many shapes and handled by technicians of all skill levels and yet it still works like the day I bought it. In four years of use, I’ve only replaced the Snap-on cable once.
‘I’ve had the opportunity to use many different headsets, but the Countryman E6 earset is the Microphone for Dummies,’ he says. ‘It’s so good that it speaks for itself...’
More: www.countryman.com
