Shure Axient Digital wireless systems were at the heart of the approach on this year’s European tour by German rock band the Scorpions, while English rock band Deep Purple is currently on tour in Europe with Shure KSM11 wireless vocal microphone capsules for lead singer Ian Gillan.
Ingo Powitzer, who’s been an integral part of the Scorpions crew for 22 years as the backliner for lead guitarist Matthias Jabs, is responsible for the band’s wirelesss systems for guitars. “With Scorpions, the backliner job is a bit broader, more full-service,” he explains. “That’s why I also look after new equipment and regularly keep an eye out for suitable solutions on the market.”
Powitzer came across Axient Digital through colleagues and counterparts in U.S. bands such as Whitesnake. “I had concerns at first because the system is digital, and I was unsure about the latencies and the ‘analog’ feel,” he notes. “For Scorpions, it has to sound good and feel right. This concern simply did not come about with Axient Digital.”
The band’s Axient Digital inventory includes two AD4D two-channel wireless receivers each as well as 11 AD1 bodypack transmitters each for both Scorpion guitarists. Bassist Paweł Mąciwoda also employs an AD4D with four AD1 bodypack transmitters.
“Setting up and synchronizing the packs with the calculated frequencies is much easier than before,” Powitzer says, adding that the AD1 transmitters are glued directly to the guitars of the band’s second guitarist, Rudolf Schenker, and have to withstand a lot during shows: “With other manufacturers’ plastic cases, the packs would probably break after three songs.
The Scorpions are slated to perform at the Hell And Heaven Metal Fest in Mexico City in early December, and will embark on another tour leg in May 2023. “The Scorpions are still playing in the biggest venues worldwide. We simply cannot afford to have any failures. Every piece of equipment has to work perfectly. We are absolutely happy with Shure Axient Digital. In addition, the support from Shure has been outstanding for many years.”
Meanwhile, Deep Purple is on the road in Europe with recently released KSM11 capsules on Gillan’s wireless trasnmitters. Specifically, Tobi Hoff, the band’s front-of-house engineer, tested the KSM11 during the band’s rehearsals in May and decided to work with it combined with Axient Digital AD2 handheld transmitters.
“We just finished the first weeks of the tour, and we have only used the KSM11,” Hoff states. “Ian Gillan’s voice is transmitted crystal clear and transparent, and crosstalk from the other instruments to the vocal mic is lower with this new microphone capsule. This is important as it keeps the front of house mix tidy and constant. Overall, the KSM11 sounds a touch more ‘rock-n-roll’.”
