The Billboard Latin Music Awards, held at the BankUnited Center in Miami, recognizes finalists and winners determined by their performance on the Billboard charts. The Latin music industry’s longest running and most prestigious awards are also broadcast live on the Telemundo network, using wireless intercom systems from Radio Active Designs.
Telemundo tapped Professional Wireless Systems (wireless audio), Acoutech (PA) and East Shore Sound (communications) to handle audio and communications for the event. In total there were 140 channels of wireless for the main show and another 60 in use between the red carpet and other media areas. Telemundo also specified UV-1G wireless intercom systems from Radio Active Designs to free up more RF channels for the occasion.
“We set up wireless world back stage up in the bleachers,” explains Sisse Jonassen, wireless intercom systems technician. “We used a total of five UV-1G base stations with 25 RAD beltpacks in use by the producers and audio crew. Because they transmit in the VHF range, it cleared up a lot of the spectrum for mics and IEM.”
Radio Active Designs introduced the UV-1G in late 2014 and since then the units have been picked up and used by a number of high profile events with great success. The UV-1G unit features Enhanced Narrow Band technology which is 10 times more spectrally efficient than current FM technology. As a result, the UV-1G offers RF channels possessing an occupied bandwidth of a mere 25 kHz the audio characteristics one would expect from a traditional FM system. In addition, the system utilizes the relatively unused VHF range for all belt pack portable devices, leaving more room for operation of other wireless devices, such as wireless microphones and in-ear monitors.
“Programming both the base station and belt packs is very intuitive and easy,” continues Jonassen. “Plus they bothered to include features that make using it so much more efficient. Simple ideas like making the battery rechargeable and putting an internal antenna on the beltpacks are just smart. They save the production money on batteries and replacing lost $30 antennas and they save on labor, because I didn’t have to chase anyone around who can’t communicate because they lost an antenna.”
The 2015 awards featured performances by Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, Carlos Vives, Romeo Santos, Afrojack and Ne-Yo and Gerardo Ortiz. With such notable artists performing and broadcasting live, it was extremely important that the artists gear performs flawlessly.
“The RAD systems made this the easiest Latin Billboards to coordinate in my 16 years of working the show,” adds James Stoffo, RF coordinator. “For the first time we had spare frequencies for wireless microphones and in-ear monitors due to the spectral efficiency of the UV-1G.”