Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore is a performance arts center with about 3,000 events presented each year, ranging from dance, music and other theatre shows.
Following its success in other similar venues in Singapore, Esplanade recently added Shure Axient Wireless Management Network, with professional support from Shure Authorized distributor – Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd (E&E).
After a strenuous tender, review process and evaluation, the Esplanade team decided that the Shure Axient system best met their needs to ensure the venue is ready for more performances in the future.
“With a history of audio innovation spanning over 90 years, Shure has been committed to providing quality products and excellent services to our customers in pro audio segment,” says Mark Humrichouser, vice president of Shure Asia/Pacific and Americas Business Units. “We are proud to see that Axient and other Shure products have been trusted by another world-class performing arts center like The Esplanade.”
A total of 172 channels of Axient and 32 channels of PSM1000 personal stereo monitors (IEM) have been installed in the renowned theaters, including 16 channels of Axient in the Concert Hall, 32 channels of Axient in the Theatre, 8 channels of Axient in the Recital Studio, Theatre Studio, The Concourse and the Outdoor Theatre respectively. 60 channels of Axient in portable racks and 32 channels of Axient with UR3 plug-on transmitters have been installed across all the spaces within the venue for either an expansion to fixed systems or working independently.
“The main aim of the overhaul project was to replace our existing wireless microphone systems so that Esplanade complies with Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore’s pending ‘Frequency Allocation and Assignment’ regulations. We required a flexible, deployable system capable of exceptional audio quality and the high demands of our operations, and we found that Shure Axient met these requirements. We feel that Axient has been designed with the end-user in mind and has several useful and ergonomic features that cater to our needs,” comments Ed Ferguson, technical manager, Sound, The Esplanade Co Ltd.
Gary Goh, deputy managing director of E&E also commented, “Axient has marked significant technological advancement that helped us redefine previous production parameters. Knowing that The Esplanade continuously host a myriad of activities, we put forward a complete solution that offers flexible, user-friendly productions for unprecedented audio in any environment. We accomplished the wireless multi-channel application by combining Shure’s industry-leading technology with proper design to overcome interference issues traditionally linked to RF-intensive productions.”
The foundation of the Axient system is a suite of inter-related spectrum management tools that integrate spectrum analysis, channel allocation and device management on a network-based platform. It automatically detects interference and changes to clear and compatible frequencies to avoid interference, without a need for user involvement.
Furthermore, the Shure Wireless Workbench (WWB) software was also chosen by the Theatres for full monitoring of the frequency network. Sound engineers can utilize the saved scan files in the RF History during rehearsals to provide details about the RF environment.
The WWB software also provides real-time monitoring of the network with live remote adjustments during each performance, making it easy for the sound engineers to monitor the frequency, audio gain, RF output power, battery life and other information for each channel of all the wireless systems installed, from microphones to in-ear monitoring systems.
