Shure wireless systems answer Bruce Springsteen's tour call

With a total of 68 Wireless microphone channels and personal monitoring systems in use and near 100 Tickets, the American musician Bruce Springsteen has made a tour to present his seventeenth album, 'The Wrecking Ball', by the main cities of America and Europe, adopting Shure's Axient wireless system, distributed in Spain by the company Earpro.

Bruce Springsteen's recent world tour has been a huge event. with 18 Musicians on stage, the Wrecking Ball tour has traveled from America to Europe and back, bringing the musical stamp and emotional intensity that Bruce always delivers to packed auditoriums. On this tour, One of the challenges for monitor engineers Monty Carlo and Troy Milner was the choice of wireless systems to use., with a total of 68 Wireless microphone channels and personal monitoring systems and almost 100 Tickets. Milner kicked off tour with eight channels of personal monitoring systems Shure PSM 1000, But it wasn't long before the system fell short of its intended use..

"At the beginning of the tour, in San José, it was difficult to find a space for all our RF, and we had an interference problem in Bruce's vocal channel”, remember Monty Carlo, a veteran of every Springsteen tour since 1992. “I knew we were going to visit several places where it would be even harder to get a clean RF spectrum., so I talked to our tour director and he proposed to make a change to Shure Axient”.

Axient went live on tour within a few days, at the concert in Barcelona. “fortunately, We had two shows there, which gave me enough time to familiarize myself with the system and make the transition.”, comments Carlo. “I spent the first morning setting up Axient, performing all the labeling and leaving it ready to work. I walked around the stadium with Bruce's microphone checking the RF scanners several times to see how it worked.. Then I matched the winnings, to ensure the transition was smooth”.

Ability to detect and avoid interference

The Shure Axient wireless system uses advanced diversity technology to ensure critical RF channels are immune to interference. When deployed with your ShowLink access points, The system offers the engineer complete remote control of all transmitter functions. The system is designed to handle sweep and frequency coordination, and can detect and prevent interference, switching to a backup channel on the fly. Making the most of Axient technology, system configured with two ShowLink access points, three Ethernet switches and three antenna combiners along the 20 Basic Axient channels on the Wrecking Ball tour. On the other hand, A separate rack housed the battery charging station.

For the 8 Voices, SM58 capsule handheld transmitters were used via Axient, using bodypack transmitters including miniature microphones Beta 98H / C, for three accordions with internal microphone and a violin. “For Bruce's voice, We use the Diversity frequency option, which allowed to transmit on two different frequencies for seamless switching in case of RF interference on one of the channels”, details Carlo. “It also took advantage of the system's ability to have two packs connected with a receiver, Ideal for musicians who change instruments during performance. With the ShowLink system, When making a change during the show, The second portable unit automatically switches to the new frequency when powered on. It is a very advantageous feature. ”

Although Springsteen uses stage monitors, Wireless Maintains an Important Presence on the Scene. “PSM has been used 1000 by Max Weinberg and Garry Talent, as well as several additional band members, as well as by guest artists and several members of the technical team”, says monitor engineer Troy Milner. “I've really managed to make my job so much easier., and the band is very happy”.

The new PSM 1000 Shure uses diversity reception to combat signal outages, plus additional key features. “The CueMode allows me to move around the place and check my frequencies from a single flask, which is a huge time saver for me”, Milner highlights. “The rechargeable battery system is also a big improvement. Bruce's concerts normally last about three and a half hours., and with each load they are achieved 8-10 hours of autonomy, So the worry about battery life disappears”.

Milner has also been impressed with the sound quality of the PSM. 1000. “This is my first time using the system and I have to say I'm impressed.”, Says. “The system sounds great, and the noise level is very low, so that the flask is practically imperceptible. From now on this is the only in-ear unit I will use on my tours.”.

RF Spectrum

On concert days, Monty Carlo explored the local RF environment with Axient Spectrum Manager and Shure Workbench software 6. “The Spectrum Manager is a fantastic tool that has become indispensable for me”, Says. “Not only finds and deploys frequencies for the Axient system, it also shows the status of the entire RF spectrum of the area, So I can recommend to the guys on the backline which areas to avoid.. I use WWB6 software to find main and backup frequencies, in the morning and then during the performance to maintain control over that of the battery and change the RF transmit power when necessary”, Says. “Bruce likes to get on and off the stage a lot., so I change from 10 to 50 milliwatts when it does. and, obviously, He is known for doing long shows in which there is no costume change., So the accuracy of remote battery meters can also be very important.”.

Another advantage of switching to Axient was its wide range of tuning., which allowed the same systems to be used in Europe and North America.. “When I switched to Axient, the RF world opened up to me in all its breadth”, says Carlo. “We use the entire UHF range, of 470 to 698 mhz, but I kept all my microphones in the J5 range, of 578 to 638 mhz, with the rest of the guitars, monitoring, Etc. Because the receivers can operate over the entire range of 470-698 mhz, this option has given me better options for situations where the RF environment is really crowded”.

After using the Axient system throughout a summer in Europe and then in the return of the tour to North America, Monty Carlo has had plenty of time to evaluate his behavior in all kinds of situations.. “Bruce is as active as ever on stage. Run a lot, Soak in water to cool off, And you also have to keep in mind that sometimes the microphones fall, and even sometimes it can rain while playing moving around the stadium “, details Carlo. “Axient works under all these situations without any problems. Axient tops the list of equipment that makes my job easier. The system is great to work with.”.

Outside the FOH, engineer John Cooper experiences sound from a fan's perspective. “As FOH, my criteria for an RF microphone is that it remains faithful to its original wired equivalent”, Designates. “The Axient Shure system is exactly that. It is a great sense of tranquility to hear the true and natural voice when being captured. – as if he were sitting next to the artist, when he sings. Axient is a great example of how Shure continues to develop better products, that make a difference in the quality I look for in my live mixes. It's a fantastic system”.

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