‘Jimmy Bowen & Friends’ Relies on Heil Sound Microphones

Americana/Bluegrass entertainer Jimmy Bowen recently wrapped the first season of his program “Jimmy Bowen & Friends,” a new live TV music series that premiered this fall. The show hosted by Bowen consists of thirteen half-hour episodes featuring Bowen performing live with his band and a featured guest artist each week. A slew of Heil Sound microphones, including PR35s on vocals, PR31s on guitar cabinets, and a mix of PR30, PR40, and PR22s on drums provided by Tony Cottrill and his company Lonely Dog Productions, were utilized in the productions.

Cottrill, who worked as multi-track engineer and post mix engineer, is no stranger to Heil Sound microphones and has been using them on tour with several Nashville-based artists for the past five years.

“There’s something magical about the PR30 and PR31 on the front of a guitar cabinet,” he says. “For drums the control and consistency with the off-axis response gives me an evenness and stability sonically.”

Given the nature of this music performance-based show for broadcast, pains were taken to ensure that both Bowen’s vocal and any guest singer’s vocals were positioned in the mix for absolute clarity. For that, Heil PR35s and a RC35 wireless capsule were utilized.

Cottrill says, “To my mind there was no other option. I’ve experienced what a PR35 can do in terms of cutting through in a big, sometimes-not-so-great auditorium through a PA and I knew they could do the job here.”

“Jimmy Bowen & Friends” is syndicated nationwide and was produced by CJM Productions, whose shows are broadcast in over 160 million homes in the USA, as well as the UK and New Zealand. Season 2 will begin shooting in early 2021.