Jelly Roll, Kelsea Ballerini and Post Malone rely on Sennheiser to deliver outstanding performances at CMA Awards 2024

Sennheiser's MMD 935 cardioid dynamic microphone capsule and Digital 6000 system continue to be the artists' choice for sound quality and reliability.

Nashville, TN , December 5, 2024 - The 58th Annual CMA Awards took place on November 20, live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. Hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning and Wilson, it was a successful evening celebrating country music and its biggest stars. What made the ceremony even more special were the performances, including those by Jelly Roll, Kelsea Ballerini and Post Malone, whose teams all deployed custom Sennheiser microphones and the Digital 6000 wireless system. Jelly Roll used an MMD 935 cardioid dynamic microphone, Ballerini used an MD 9235 dynamic capsule and Post Malone used an MM 435 capsule - complementing each artist's voice and taking their performances to the next level.

A night of celebration filled with unforgettable performances

One of the highlights of the evening was Jelly Roll's nomination in the Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year (for 2023's Whitsitt Chapel) and Male Vocalist of the Year categories. The Tennessee-born singer didn't miss a beat on stage, calling on Keith Urban for a pyrotechnics-filled rendition of his latest single, "Liar", from his 2024 Beautifully Broken album, and joining country duo Brooks & Dunn for a rendition of their 2005 single, "Believe". "There wasn't a dry face in the room for that rendition," Jelly Roll sound engineer Ron Gardner said of the performance, which received a standing ovation from the audience. "It was pretty epic to see him sing with Brooks & Dunn. It's someone he grew up listening to, so to see him come full circle on stage with them was really special."

The CMA Awards show was just one step in a busy year for Jelly Roll and Gardner, who have been working together since 2020. "The first show we did was in a mud park, which I'd never done before. It was amazing and he was a great person to work with," says Gardner. "The first night we worked together, I went up on stage to thank the stagehands and give them beers at the end of the night. [Jelly Roll] came up on stage and I asked him what he was doing and he was there doing the same thing. It was a really cool moment. The band are currently on the Beautifully Broken tour, which has sold out over 50 arenas across the US.

Navigating a new environment

Going from a tour to an awards show was a welcome change. "These shows have a team that takes care of the whole show, and then the artists' engineers, like me, come in and consult and suggest things if necessary. The guys they had were very professional, so the sound was good from the start," Gardner explains. "The most important thing is to make sure Jelly is comfortable with the microphone he's singing on, and he's used to the Sennheiser MMD 935," which has also been paired with the Digital 6000 system for reliability and durability. Gardner has been using the 935s since the mid-2000s, when he worked with Sennheiser to support popular bands such as Paramore, The Used, Sleeping With Sirens and many others. "In my opinion, [the 935] is Sennheiser's workhorse [...]. It's warm, it sounds good and it's reliable.

Wireless microphones are one of the most important elements of this type of show. Every performer and presenter uses a wireless microphone, so it's essential to use a reliable system. James Stoffo is the RF coordinator who managed all the frequencies for the CMA Awards and can't stress this point enough. "The physical locations of the performers are constantly changing. ​ There are moving shots from the green rooms that use the wireless microphones of the host and the artist. ​ This can only be done using wireless systems with incredible range and audio quality," explains Stoffo. ​ "My role is to maximise the chances of success of all RF operations using my engineering background and 36 years of experience in the field. ​ I have to choose the right equipment and implement it. ​ "

My objective is to determine and meet the expectations of production. ​ In the specific case of this year's show, we had to run exceptionally long coaxial cables so that one of the acts could start in a green room quite a distance from my wireless rack. ​ I used a Sennheiser combiner with Sennheiser [A2003-UHF] low-gain antennas. ​ As the antennas had to be discrete, I chose two Sennheiser periodic logic dipole arrays for gain and radio frequency coverage. ​ "

It's also important to have the right headphones to control all the wireless microphones during the show. "My choice was a set of Sennheiser HD 650s for a number of reasons," explains Stoffo. ​ "Firstly, I wear the headphones for four hours straight, without any breaks. ​ The Sennheiser HD 650s are comfortable and adjustable to fit well. ​ Secondly, the audio quality is exceptional and I've never experienced any distortion with the headphones. ​ Finally, the open nature of the headphones allows me to control all the microphones wirelessly while still being able to communicate simultaneously with my audio team backstage. ​ I even insert the intercom audio panel into my mix so I can control communications too. "

A long-standing partnership

Kelsea Ballerini, who was nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year, also made a notable appearance at the ceremony. And like Gardner, his FOH engineer Chris Diener also enjoyed the preparation for the live broadcast. "The show organisers are always delighted when we bring our handhelds," explains Chris Diener. "We simply inform them that we're bringing them and tell them the frequency band, and they provide us with a receiver [...]. More than one engineer on the show has told us how well the system suits Kelsea's voice. We love getting compliments like 'you've got the perfect mic for her'.

For touring, the Ballerini team is loyal to the Sennheiser Digital 6000 and MD 9235 dynamic microphone capsule. "The system is incredibly robust, always sounds great and always shines in front of a PA on a push. We try to take this system everywhere we go, and it always performs," says Diener. "Sennheiser took very good care of us. Everything we needed, they did for us!

Stoffo also recognises the ease of Sennheiser support: "At a live event, the RF coordinator has to manage several wireless systems from several manufacturers. ​ Real-time technical support from the manufacturer is crucial to the success of the show. ​ Having Sennheiser support on site prior to the show is beneficial and the Sennheiser support team is always on hand to provide any last minute accessories required.

"My touring equipment is 90% Sennheiser - all our drum equipment is Sennheiser." Gardner talks about the Jelly Roll tour, before noting that it's also about the reliability of the team: "Tim Moore is always there if we need last-minute pods. I can call him and he'll take care of it," he says.

Jelly Roll's Beautifully Broken U.S. tour wraps up in Nashville, TN, on November 26, before the Canadian leg kicks off in the spring. He will also headline the Stagecoach Festival and join Post Malone on tour in 2025.

Image source: IMAGO/UPI Photo