Mexico. Sennheiser announced its partnership with TED, the global organization dedicated to "Ideas Worth Spreading," to ensure that the audio technology behind TED Talks is as cutting-edge as the content the brand offers.
Sennheiser has built a one-of-a-kind headband microphone for TED speakers that reliably delivers first-class sound, while combining the brand's sleek, minimalist aesthetic. The new headphones debuted alongside the Sennheiser Digital 9000 wireless microphone system at TEDMonterey which took place in August 2021. This was the first in-person TED conference since 2019 with speakers like Adam Grant and Lizzo.
TED first approached Sennheiser in 2018 as they were looking for a better solution than the headphone microphones they were using at the time. "We run into a lot of problems: from an audio perspective to an aesthetic perspective. The previous microphones were clumsy and annoying," says Mina Sabet, director of video production and operations at TED.
Mina was determined to design and build the first custom microphone for TED that would solve these challenges, and after much research, she set her sights on Sennheiser as the ideal partner. "I wanted to work with Sennheiser to create the perfect microphone for us that was aesthetic, modern and great sound, without detracting from visual performance, and I wouldn't take no for an answer because I knew they were the best in the audio and sound business." Mina collaborated with the Sennheiser team, led by Volker Schmitt, Pro-Audio's technical applications engineering manager, to bring his vision to life.
In their design collaboration, which involved several prototypes, Sennheiser achieved what TED was looking for in a headband microphone. The final design took elements from some of Sennheiser's best products, combining them into a sleek, sleek package. The short arm and small microphone took advantage of the MKE 1's transducer to give it the same top-of-the-line clarity and excellent frequency response found in music and streaming applications. The thin neckband allows comfort for extended use, and the silver color gives it a modern yet subtle touch. While the design is unique to TED, it is inspired by Sennheiser's popular headband microphones that can be found in all Broadway productions and news broadcast studios.
"The project with TED was outstanding and refreshing because Mina came in with a clear vision for the microphone. During the development phase, it was fantastic to have a partner so involved in the creative process," says Volker Schmitt. "Both Sennheiser and TED try to push the boundaries and deliver the best possible performance, so there was a lot of synergy in this partnership.
We both maintain equally high standards, so I'm very proud of what we created together."
"I feel a real affinity with Sennheiser because they allowed me to have such an important role in the design process. Volker really listened to what he was looking for and we got everything we wanted from the partnership," says Mina.
While the microphones' debut was delayed due to the pandemic, they finally appeared on the TED stage for TEDMonterey 2021 in early August. The four-day conference featured 63 artists and speakers with hundreds of attendees joining in person and remotely. According to Mina, "The energy at the conference was incredible, everyone was very excited and the content was fantastic. From a production standpoint, it was extremely smooth, the Sennheiser microphones sounded crisp and looked perfect on all the speakers. Sometimes, I even thought that the tech teams had forgotten to put the microphone on the presenters because the headphones are so sleek and not at all flashy."
TED used the Digital 9000 wireless system to bring the custom headphones to life and ensure fantastic, consistent sound during sessions. The robust system featured 4 wireless channels, 15 pouches and was combined with the 50 headphones and 50 handheld microphones used throughout the event. According to Volker, "the Digital 9000 was an advantageous option for TED thanks to its analog and digital outputs for audio, its Wireless Systems Manager software that allows the AV team to access live performance data, as well as its equidistant channel spacing that allows for easy frequency configuration and coordination without calculations." In Mina's words, "We've used the Digital 9000 before and, as usual, the wireless system was wonderful. It's so reliable, easy to use and sounds great."
Custom headband microphones are prepared behind the scenes at TEDMonterey 2021
After a successful first in-person event with TEDMonterey 2021, the organization will continue the momentum with major flagship conferences in the coming months. TED's calendar for the rest of the year will include "TEDWomen: What Now?" taking place in Palm Springs, California from December 1-3. "Those Sennheiser microphones will be with us everywhere," mina says.
