Milford, NH – Discovered by William “Count” Basie in 1982, Carmen Bradford became the featured vocalist in the legendary Count Basie Orchestra for nine years and continues singing as a guest vocalist with the Basie Orchestra to this day. She has also sung with the Doc Severinsen band, Naples Jazz Orchestra and in various Symphony Pops concerts with major symphony orchestras throughout the U.S, Canada and Europe. As a seasoned jazz vocalist, Bradford has used a wide variety of vocal mics throughout her career and discovered the Earthworks SR40V last fall. When it comes to delivering captivating performances night after night, Bradford relies on the Earthworks SR40V vocal microphone to carry her remarkable vocal talents to the crowd.
Bradford explains: “Over the years, I have used most of the popular conventional vocal microphones and they were OK, but I have never used a microphone that performs as well as the Earthworks SR40V. When the Count Basie Band was touring Australia, we were doing shows every single night, and it is brutal when you have to sing night after night. When using the SR40V, even when I was tired, or my voice was hoarse, I didn’t have to push at all when I opened my mouth to sing. It just carried me, almost like there was another voice inside the microphone.”
“I work nearly 35 weeks a year and I am usually singing every single night, and it is intense. It’s such a relief to know when I go out on stage, no matter what shape my voice is in, even when it’s at its worst, I don’t have to push. I have a very big voice and I sing very hard at times, and the SR40V has allowed me to pace myself more. I am not tensing up to sing, because I know whatever I sing, it’s going to be right there, and whatever goes through my brain and out of my mouth, I know that is what I am going to get.”
“The SR40V delivers much better than any other microphone I have used in the past. You don’t have to pull it into your face to get a good or warm sound. It is 100%, and you know exactly what you are going to get. Whatever the note you are reaching for, it’s like the microphone is an extension of that note.”
Bradford also found that the SR40V excelled both in its wide pickup pattern and rear rejection of floor monitors on the stage. “Previously, when using other conventional vocal mics, it was necessary to pull the mic close to my face to get a good full sound. But with the SR40V, wherever I placed the mic in front of me, the sound was just perfect from every direction. In addition, I also sing in front of two floor monitors and I have never had an issue with feedback using the SR40V, but feedback was a common issue when I was using conventional vocal mics.”
Bradford concludes: “I absolutely recommend the SR40V to other vocalists. Whenever I talk with any singer, I tell them how wonderful my experience has been using this microphone. The SR40V is awesome. It’s just great, and I love it.”
