Last Sunday, Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals set one of the biggest stages in football. Held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., it witnessed over 70,000 in-person fans. Additionally, more than 100 million TV viewers tuned in from across the world. Shure shares that its wireless audio technology once again facilitated engaging performances for this spectacular event. The Niles, Ill.-based company adds that RF coordinators, referees and even performers relied on the Shure gear.
Delivering Clear Audio Across SoFi Stadium
Per a statement, the lineup featured Shure’s Axient Digital Wireless System. The system captured clear, uninterrupted audio from the game’s most meaningful moments. These included the pre-game show, key parts of the halftime performance and crucial fourth-quarter referee decisions. Off the field, Budweiser’s Super Bowl Music Fest and NFL Honors broadcast utilized Shure’s technology.
ATK Audiotek hired Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) to handle wireless microphones and IEM systems for the pre-game, halftime entertainment and referees.
“Shure Axient Digital microphones have been a key part of our Super Bowl wireless system for the last five years,” says Gary Trenda, Lead RF Technician for PWS. “The PWS team deploys a Quadversity antenna system that gives us great coverage.” He adds that they saw five bars on the quality meter across the stadium field with the Axient Digital system. This helped the team gain confidence in the system.
Meeting the Challenges of the RF Environment
Trenda and the ATK Audiotek team depended on 10 AD4Q four-channel wireless receivers and a Shure spectrum manager with Wireless Workbench. With this, they evaluated the RF spectrum efficiently and continuously at SoFi Stadium in real time. Additionally, ATK used Axient Digital with Quadversity, a patented Shure technology, leveraging four simultaneous RF inputs to feed a single RF channel.
Per a statement, Quadversity can extend the coverage area of a microphone channel or enable multiple coverage areas with additional antenna inputs. Thus it is ideal for challenging RF environments like SoFi.
RF coordinators leveraged the assurance of Axient Digital’s Frequency Diversity Mode and Frequency Diversity enabled transmitters for the pre-game audio. The technology also simultaneously transmitted two independent frequencies. Thus, it ensured audio remained uninterrupted in SoFi Stadium’s extreme RF environment. The RF coordinators also depended on the command and control of Axient Digital with ShowLink. According to Shure, it enabled real-time, instantaneous remote control of transmitters throughout the stadium.
Enhancing Artists’ Performances
Country music artist, Mickey Guyton, kicked off the Super Bowl with a rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.” Guyton sang into a custom chrome Axient Digital ADX2FD transmitter with a KSM9 microphone capsule. Shure reveals that Guyton also uses Shure gear while on tour. Additionally, R&B artist Jhené Aiko’s stirring presentation of “America the Beautiful” used an ADX2FD transmitter with a KSM9 microphone capsule. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gave his electric Super Bowl introduction on an ADX2 transmitter with a KSM9 mic capsule.
At halftime, iconic rapper and entrepreneur Snoop Dogg took to the stage wielding a custom gold-plated ADX2 transmitter with a KSM9 microphone capsule. He also wore Shure SE215 Sound-Isolating in-ear monitors. In fact, all artists in the halftime show trusted four of Shure’s category-leading PSM 1000 in-ear personal monitoring systems. They also had 41 Shure P10R diversity wireless bodypack receivers to deliver total audio conviction throughout the entire performance.
Ensuring High-Quality Sound Throughout the Super Bowl
Referees had with Axient Digital ADX1 bodypack transmitters paired with Shure’s premium subminiature TL47 model TwinPlex omnidirectional lavalier microphones. Omnidirectional lavaliers are typically used in controlled audio environments like theaters. However, Shure adds that the TwinPlex uniquely suited the stadium application.
“Given its reliability and extremely consistent sound, TwinPlex was an excellent choice for our referees,” shares Jack Bowling, Super Bowl LVI stadium FOH audio engineer. “Our team depended on TwinPlex and Axient Digital to deliver high-quality audio from our refs for both broadcast and PA.”
ATK Versacom is a wireless intercom services provider. It equipped the production staff with 30 Shure BRH441M single-sided production headsets for set-up week, pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows. All crews from staging, to audio, lighting and video experienced seamless two-way communication during the set up and execution for Super Bowl LVI.
Elevating Sound Beyond the Stadium
Shure technology also delivered audio for Budweiser’s “Super Bowl Music Fest” concert series at Crypto.com Arena. The concert series included performances from artists who depend on Axient Digital. These included Machine Gun Kelly, Halsey, Gwen Stefani, Green Day and Mickey Guyton.
Machine Gun Kelly sported a custom pink ADX2 transmitter with an SM58 capsule. Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus was on a wired Shure 565SD and her horn section relied on Shure KSM313 ribbon mics. Shure’s PSM 1000 in-ear personal monitoring system was also used by Machine Gun Kelly, Halsey, Stefani, Green Day and Guyton.
Stefani and Green Day’s crew also leveraged the wide-band UHF spectrum scanning, analysis and frequency coordination of Shure’s AXT600 spectrum manager for their sets.
Along with this, Shure also provided sound for this year’s NFL Honors broadcast. ATK leveraged 16 channels of Axient Digital handhelds and belt packs, 8 channels of UHF-R for the center tube and guitar packs. It also delivered 16 Shure TwinPlex omnidirectional lavaliers and 12 channels of the Shure PSM 1000 in-ear monitoring system for the band and orchestra. The handheld microphones used for NFL Honors, including those used by host Keegan Michael-Key, were Shure KSM9s. The host and award show participants were equipped with a mix of Shure AD1 and AD2 transmitters.
“I was extremely happy to have Shure Axient wireless mics on this year’s NFL Honors, televised live on ABC on Thursday, February 10,” remarks Paul Wittman, production sound mixer for this year’s NFL Honors broadcast. “I love the clear and natural sound Shure mics deliver, which is so important to me for TV mixes.”
Click on “View Slideshow” on the upper-right corner for images of Shure and the Super Bowl LVI in action.
This article originally appeared on our sister site Commercial Integrator.
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