Search

"He had the same vibe as when we chat face-to-face, so I remarked, 'That must be the microphone'": The reason Justin Timberlake's sound engineer has him using a vintage, budget-friendly mic on his current tour.

It's unbreakable, affordably priced, and surprisingly, after nearly six decades, international icons continue to depend on this classic microphone.

View pictures in App save up to 80% data.

(Image source: Getty Images/Kevin Mazur)

Justin Timberlake must deliver an exceptional performance at every concert, regardless of the song he sings. Luckily, his touring team has a clever, cost-effective solution to keep the superstar consistently at his best.

Timberlake has returned to the United States as the Forget Tomorrow tour, which promotes his latest album Everything I Thought It Was (released in March 2024), kicks off its second leg in the country as part of its continuously expanding global journey.

Drawing inspiration from the legendary journeys of Taylor Swift (whose two-year Eras Tour recently wrapped up) and Harry Styles (whose ongoing Love On Tour has successfully showcased two new albums over the span of three years), Timberlake has been on the road since April 2024 and is set to wrap up his tour in July this year.

Although the tour is officially framed as a promotional event for the album, it fundamentally serves as a showcase of his career, featuring all the popular tracks from his six-album repertoire and demonstrating his diverse capabilities, spanning various vocal heights and musical styles.

Consequently, Timberlake must excel at every performance and with every track. While it may seem that this requires the latest high-tech innovations of 2025, the technology behind his signature sound is surprisingly straightforward. This stands in contrast to his incredible, soaring video box sub-stage, which poses a literal threat of crushing fans each night…

Justin Timberlake's 2024 Tour in Vancouver - YouTube
Justin Timberlake's 2024 Tour in Vancouver - YouTube

View pictures in App save up to 80% data.

View Now

Behind the scenes and front of house, the magic comes from Montreal-based Solotech and engineer Jaymz Hardy-Martin III, and he took the time to fill in Mix Online on what’s making the magic.

“I’m present solely to bring the sound to life,” Hardy-Martin shares. “I don’t insert my personal touch into the mix; my goal is to enhance what you already have, ensuring it sounds fantastic in any setting. I always begin with a straightforward approach and then incorporate additional elements as necessary.”

And as part of this ‘start simple’ philosophy, Hardy-Martin’s pic of vocal mic for such a superstar may surprise you.

I'm Enjoying It

The choice arose when, during rehearsals for the tour, Timberlake borrowed his choreographer’s Shure 58 to speak to the in-house crew.

Hardy-Martin recalls, "He had the same tone as when I speak to him face-to-face, so I remarked, 'That’s just the microphone.' It enhances the personal connection for the fans, as it creates a sense of intimacy; despite being in an arena filled with 20,000 people, it feels like a one-on-one conversation with him."

The Shure SM58 is perhaps the most popular microphone in the world: a dynamic mic ruggedly built for the road with a uniform cardioid polar pattern designed to capture a full vocal range in high noise pressure environments while doing its best to leave the background blast behind. Shure has been making (and delicately refining) 58s for 59 years, and you can join the legions of superstars who’ve relied on them (Justin Timberlake included) for around £110…

Accompanying this robust, straightforward microphone is an unexpectedly straightforward (though significantly more advanced) equalizer and effects setup.

“I use the Waves F6 [EQ] for Justin, as his vocal range is extensive, spanning from the falsetto in Cry Me A River to the lower tones in No Angels,” Hardy-Martin explains. “I can't adjust the EQ for each individual song, so I rely on the F6 along with some light compression, and the 58 works beautifully.”

In another location, a Waves PSE is applied to the vocals to avoid feedback, which is crucial when the performer is elevated above the crowd and positioned in front of the L-Acoustics PA system. Additionally, plug-ins like Manny Marroquin Distortion and Enigma Modulation are utilized.

After securing Timberlake's crucial vocals, Hardy-Martin applies one last touch of brilliance to the overall mix. “My secret weapon is the [Waves] L3 [Multimaximizer plug-in] on my master bus,” he explains. “When you apply it to that final output, it tightens everything up, increases the loudness, and enhances clarity, making the sound more impactful and present.”

Armed with cutting-edge technology, Hardy-Martin and his crew have one last visual cue to determine if their mix is resonating well - the audience in the budget-friendly seats.

“I constantly find myself glancing towards the back corner,” he shares. “If I spot someone by the wall dancing, it tells me the music is hitting the right notes. Even if we arrived when the room was bare, the energy is still palpable. So, when I see them getting into the groove, I always turn to Hilario Gonzalez, my sound engineer, and say, ‘We nailed it tonight!’”

You can find out more about the tour and get tickets via JustinTimberlake's website.