Shure microphones and wireless systems were deployed for a range of applications by a team of veteran audio engineers and technicians at the recent Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix as well as at the NFL Honors awards presentation held on the Thursday before the big game in the host city.
ATK Audiotek and Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) handled all wireless microphones and IEM systems for the pre-game entertainment, halftime entertainment and referees, as well as the NFL Honors broadcast. The team included broadcast mixer Tom Holmes, monitor mixer Tom Pesa, RF engineers Cameron Stuckey, Kasey Gchachu, and Gary Trenda, RF team lead for CP Communications, Loren Sherman, as well as a team of A2s, who deployed components that include Axient Digital wireless systems and PSM 1000 in-ear personal monitoring systems.
“Once again, the reigning Super Bowl champ for in-ear performance was PSM 1000,” says Pesa. “I used Shure Wireless Workbench to monitor levels. For the pregame, all three performers wore in-ears, including Chris Stapleton, who normally does not. With the two live guitar mics and live vocal, along with Chris’ slowly building and poignant rendition of our National Anthem, PSM 1000 was the right choice for the reverberant stadium.”
The RF team utilized eight AD4Q four-channel wireless receivers and the recently introduced AD600 Axient Digital Spectrum Manager. For another year, ATK used Axient Digital with patented Quadversity technology, leveraging four simultaneous RF inputs to feed a single RF channel. Quadversity can extend the coverage area of a microphone channel or enable multiple coverage areas with additional antenna inputs.
“It’s hard to picture doing the Super Bowl without using Axient Digital,” states Stuckey. “The ability to operate in Part 74 exclusive spectrum with the range of capsules, WWB monitoring, and familiarity of Axient Digital is unequaled. We are using every feature that sets it apart to the fullest extent possible. Each year we continue to push our wireless systems and have come to rely on Axient Digital’s ability to deliver.”
During the pre-game, Sheryl Lee Ralph, singer and star of ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” delivered a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” with a KSM9 condenser microphone capsule on an Axient Digital ADX2 Frequency Diversity (FD) enabled wireless transmitter. The RF engineers also employed Axient Digital with ShowLink for real-time remote control of transmitters throughout the stadium.
Additionally, a Shure Axient Digital bodypack transmitter was trusted captured Babyface’s guitar performance of “America the Beautiful” while a separate Shure ADX2FD delivered the R&B star’s vocals. The DJ performances and choreography at the stadium also relied on Shure SM58 microphones with ADX2 transmitters.
PSM 1000 personal monitoring systems delivered audio to performers throughout Rihanna’s performance. “For halftime, eight transmit mixes were used and 35 receiver packs, which included 21 for core dancers on stage and aerial platforms,” Pesa notes. “The coverage zone was the entire field, as well as the almost 80 feet that Rhianna flew at her highest peak. But, of course, when testing and walking ears for coverage, you could go almost anywhere in the bowl of the stadium. They just work that well. I truly believe that Shure PSM is one of the only brands that could function in the toughest frequency coordinated event that is Super Bowl.
Referees were outfitted two Axient Digital ADX1 bodypack transmitters working together in Frequency Diversity mode and paired with miniature TL47 model TwinPlex omnidirectional lavalier microphones. Meanwhile, portions of the audio for the FOX television broadcast, including sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson’s use of ADX2 mics with talk switches and PSM 1000 as IFBs, along with parabolic microphone AD1 transmitters, were executed by CP Communications, with pre, half, and postgame show support from Digital Black.
Marc Martignetti, RF lead and owner of Digital Black, and Ryan Stotts, freelance RF A2, worked with Wireless Workbench to monitor RF inside and outside the stadium throughout the pre, half, and postgame. They also managed the RF for all desk mics throughout the FOX broadcast, with the hosts outfitted with using ADX2 transmitters while talent wore ADX1 bodypacks for backup and all stand-up segments.
“For the Super Bowl, a huge challenge is the available spectrum versus the tremendous wireless counts needed for onsite users,” says Martignetti. “Shure has wireless microphone and in-ear products that cover all our legal spectrum options. That helps meet our client’s ever-expanding needs for more wireless to support their on-air talent.”
Outfitted byCP Communications, the NFL Network Desk (NFLN) saw the hosts equipped with 14 ADX2FD transmitters with talk switches as well as 12 channels of PSM 1000. “NFLN has requested and used Axient Digital for the last few years on all events due to their flexibility and reliability,” adds Brian Ready, systems engineer at CP Communications.
The handheld microphones for NFL Honors were all KSM8 Dualdyne cardioid dynamics for vocals, with the host and award show participants equipped with a mix of Shure AD1 and AD2 transmitters.
“It was a pleasure to use Shure Axient Wireless mics on this year’s NFL Honors, televised live on NBC, Thursday, February 10,” concludes Larry Reed, production sound mixer for this year’s NFL Honors broadcast. “The reliability of Shure Axient is very important on a live broadcast, and I especially like the KMS8 capsule for all the vocals. I used 15 of them on the NFL Men’s Choir, as well as the host handheld for Kelly Clarkson, the vocals for the three parodies, and the player tosses to commercial from the audience. I like how smooth the KSM8 sounds, and its off-axis rejection makes it easier to use out in the audience, in front of the house PA.”
