A big part of the Super Bowl telecast is the halftime show, which has become a major production in its own right, with the biggest names in music performing their hits live on a gigantic yet temporary stage.
“It’s really an incredible production,” says Simon Higgs, Monitor Engineer for The Who. “I mean, what’s really amazing is the stage set-up, which has to be put in place and assembled in minutes. And, everything working on the first go – sound, lights, and pyro. That’s quite a show in itself.”
Among the iconic images in rock history are lead singer Roger Daltrey swinging his Shure SM58 like a lariat, and guitarist Pete Townshend’s windmill guitar riffs.
“The Who have worked with Shure microphones for over 40 years,” notes Bob Pridden, the band’s audio consultant/producer. “Getting ready for the Super Bowl, one thing I knew I could count on was that Shure wouldn’t let me down on Sunday night.”
In addition to a full stage of Shure microphones, The Who used four channels of the new PSM 900 personal monitor system in their performance.
Lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Simon Townshend, and drummer Zak Starkey, along with Monitor Engineer Higgs, used the PSM 900.
“We had the chance to try PSM 900 prototypes on the (autumn 2009) Daltrey tour,” notes Higgs. “Roger and I both think they sound incredible, and they have been absolutely flawless for us. So we were keen to use them for the Super Bowl.”
Long-time Super Bowl audio vendor ATK Audiotek was again present to support the audio mission, with James Stoffo serving as Entertainment RF Engineer and Thomas Pesa to handle the monitor system design.
“Normally, I would be quite hesitant to use any new product at an event like the Super Bowl,” says Pesa. “But the band really wanted to use them, so we gave it a try in rehearsals and found it to be rock solid. And since we had on-site technical support from Shure and James Stoffo, we went with the band’s request. And I’m happy to say everything went off without a hitch.”
Out of more than 1,000 total wireless frequencies being coordinated by the NFL, Stoffo was responsible for around 100 intercom, microphone, and in-ear channels being used by the musical acts and their support.
“This was my first time using the PSM 900 at a major event, and it performed flawlessly,” he notes. “I’d be happy to see this system on any of my shows as the go-to in-ear system.”
