Newport, RI - August 2, 2012 - Since its founding in 1959, the annual Newport Folk Festival® has served as a beacon for devout music fans and artists around the world. Last weekend, audio specialist
Sennheiser and
Paste Magazine introduced festival attendees to the Sennheiser Sound Lounge at The Paste Ruins, where they were able to experience up-close and personal performances from their favorite artists through a pair of Sennheiser RS 120 wireless headphones. 29 of the festival's 45 performing artists took part in the performances — including Of Monsters and Men, Tom Morello, Jonah Tolchin and many others.
The two-day recording session — which was open for music fans to view and experience first-hand — took place in a grotto-like alcove located in the quad of Fort Adams State Park. Despite the acoustic challenges of having a live sound stage located just 100 yards away, fans attending the Sennheiser Sound Lounge were able to enjoy intimate performances courtesy of the Sennheiser wireless headphones, which were fed a live stereo mix of the multi-track recording sessions in progress. Clips of the performances will be made available for viewing via Sennheiser's social media outlets beginning in two weeks.
"The Sennheiser Sound Lounge at the Paste Ruins was a huge draw at the festival this year," commented Tim Moore, artist relations manager of Sennheiser. "It gave music fans the opportunity to discover and experience a new generation of heartfelt music in an incredibility intimate environment. Having the Sennheiser wireless headphones on hand also helped deliver the true sound that today's music fans crave."
In addition to having over 300 pairs of Sennheiser wireless headphones on hand for fans to enjoy authentic sound quality, a special VIP section was set up where listeners could audition an assortment of the company's audiophile headphones, including the HD 600, HD 650, HD 700, HD 800 and the new Amperior.
Sennheiser, which owns the leading microphone brand Neumann, also used its technology on the stage wherever possible to ensure that the best possible sound quality was captured at the source.
Nick Purdy, publisher of Paste, commented: "When you come to a festival, you don't expect to be able to get 10 or 20 feet away from the artist and experience a close, intimate performance apart from what they may do on the big stage. By partnering with Sennheiser, who helped create the environment while providing microphones, wireless headphones and other equipment, we were able to create one of the more memorable highlights of the festival."
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jonah Tolchin, who performed on the second day of the festival, found the Sennheiser Sound Lounge / Paste Ruins performance space particularly inspiring. "This is just incredible," he said. "In this environment, with all these great mics, you are so zoned in and focused with all your heart and soul." Tolchin recently released his debut album entitled Criminal Man, which was recorded using Neumann microphones. "The sound was very crisp and clear — I got true sound out of these mics and my music is true. So it was a good pairing!"
Photo captions:
1. Music fans peer over the bales of hay to view performances in the Sennheiser Sound Lounge.
2. A 'behind the scenes' view of a recording session by Jonah Tolchin.
3. Music fans experiencing the true sound of Sennheiser.
4. Over 300 Sennheiser wireless headphones were put into use during the Sennheiser Sound Lounge / Paste Ruins event at the Newport Folk Festival®.
5. Jonah Tolchin and all the other performers were miked with Neumann and Sennheiser microphones. Tolchin is pictured singing through a Neumann U 87.
About Sennheiser
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Conn. Sennheiser's pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
You can find all the latest information on Sennheiser by visiting our website.
Media Contacts:
Jeff Touzeau
Public Relations
Hummingbird Media, Inc.
(914) 602-2913
Rachel Smolin
Public Relations
Sennheiser Electronic Corporation
(860) 434-9190, Ext. 180