Sony DWX digital wireless handheld transmitters were recently deployed for Charlie Daniels’ 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam.
This year’s show featured an all-star lineup at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville that included The Charlie Daniels Band joined by performers such as Ted Nugent, Trace Adkins, Alabama, Terri Clark, Lee Greenwood, The Kentucky Headhunters, Tracy Lawrence, The Oak Ridge Boys, Wynonna, Lee Roy Parnell, Billy Dean, Michael W. Smith, Travis Tritt, Phil Vassar, and Montgomery Gentry, among others.
The audience was also treated to surprise performances from Blackberry Smoke, Eric Church and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
“I’ve been involved in Charlie’s Volunteer Jam for decades, and each year the show grows in excitement and spectacle, and best of all, it benefits the Journey Home Project,” says Bob Workman, head audio engineer/front of house for The Charlie Daniels Band. “This foundation was established by Charlie Daniels to raise money for the direct support of our most grievously wounded war veterans, and it’s an honor for all of us to be involved in a show that raised over $300,000 for such a noble cause while doing what we love.”
The show marked Workman’s first opportunity to utilize Sony DWX wireless transmitters, which were equipped with his favorite Heil Sound microphone capsules.
“With nearly 30 artists coming across the stage in a matter of five hours, we ended up with around 64 total inputs throughout the course of the show,” he notes. “It was a massive show and we were looking for the three constants that you always want: something that’s not going to drop out on you, something that’s reliable, and something that sounds great. We wanted a product that was not going to have any problems during the show and would perform solidly and reliably throughout the duration of the performance, and with Sony that’s exactly what we got.
“We were doing a multi-track recording and shooting a live DVD,” he adds, “so I was looking for an HD quality, broadcast reliable system. After talking to a few people within my circle and weighing my options I decided on Sony’s DWX with 10 channels of wireless audio, and it paid off big time for us.
“We brought in the sticks, set them up, did one scan and set up the frequencies the night before the show. Every engineer that came to the benefit with an artist showed up on the day of the Jam pleased and reassured and no one had any questions about using the DWX.
“Even though these engineers use different brands in their daily line of work, there were no balks at using this new system and everyone commented on how well the show went and how great it sounded in the arena and on-stage,” Workman concludes. “Everyone was impressed and well pleased knowing they had Sony behind them during this big show, which was being recorded.”
A DVD of the Charlie Daniels’ 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam will be released next year (2016).
