2014 Billboard Latin Music Awards Relies on PWS for Wireless Support

 

MIAMI — For the 2014 Billboard Latin Music Awards, held at the Bank United Center at the University of Miami here April 24, Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) was on-site to support Telemundo’s live broadcast. This marks the 16th year that PWS has been providing wireless solutions and equipment for the show.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards, the longest running and most prestigious awards show in the Latin music world, honors the most popular albums, songs and performers in Latin Music, as determined by the actual sales, radio airplay, streaming and social data from Billboard’s weekly charts.

In addition to the main stage, PWS provided its wireless services for various indoor and outdoor locations before, during and after the live broadcast, including the red carpet, the press room, mun2 network coverage, the Telemundo Morning Show, Un Nuevo Dia as well as two digital media areas. Due to the extensive equipment requirements needed for the various components of the show, PWS worked with Bill Saltzer of East Shore Sound, an AV and integration company based in Jarrettsville, Maryland, to ensure that all the equipment needs were met.

“This was a large show from an equipment standpoint and James Stoffo, the main RF coordinator, once again did a great job of managing all of the wireless microphones, in-ear monitors and IFBs for the technical production and musical elements of the awards show and its associated broadcasts,” says Jim Van Winkle, General Manager, PWS. “Live broadcasts always present their own unique set of challenges and our team worked very hard to ensure that all wireless operations went off smoothly and without any interruptions.”

This year, PWS was faced with more of a challenge than usual due to the size of the video and lighting walls that ran across the main stage. “Our receiver antenna position was behind the stage, which placed all of the live music artists’ microphones and hosts on the other side of the lighting wall,” Stoffo says. “In addition, the overall frequency count was the largest it’s ever been, with more wireless positions than we have ever had, including two media centers operating inside of the venue. The PWS team ensured that everything came together seamlessly, and we had a flawless show.”

For the pre-show red carpet activities, PWS supplied 10 Shure UHF-Rs and five Telex BTR 800 intercom systems along with six Lectrosonic IFBs. PWS provided an additional 10 channels of Sennheiser wireless (3732-II receivers with 5200-II handhelds and 5212-II belt packs) as well as two Telex BTR 800s and nine Lectrosonics IFB’s for the Telemundo Morning Show, as well as four IFBs, eight Shure UHF-Rs and three Telex BTR 800s for Mun2’s coverage. In addition, the press room was outfitted with 30 listen-only Williams Sound FM Systems receivers and headsets.

For the main show, PWS employed 12 channels of the Shure Axient wireless microphone system along with the Shure PSM1000 personal monitor system. Four channels of Sennheiser wireless (3732-II receivers with 5200-II handhelds) were used for the main talent, including Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin and Andrea Bocelli. Laura Pausini used a Sennheiser SKM2000 Handheld outfitted with a 935 capsule. Nine Telex BTR 800s and 10 Shure UHF-R wireless microphones were also utilized. In addition, Masque Sound’s headphone monitor system was deployed to ensure that all microphones were interference-free before hitting the stage.

PWS provided its GX-4 and GX-8 Series Combiners, as well as the RAD TX-8 Transmitter Combiner. Several PWS DB Series Multicouplers were used for the microphone receivers and intercoms. PWS’ Helical Antennas and Domed Helical Antennas were also onsite, both inside and out throughout the full-day event.

“Our goal is to have a perfect, interference-free show every time and we do whatever it takes to accomplish that,” adds Van Winkle. “By creating customized equipment packages and bringing in our filtered products, RF monitors and antennas, we are able to pull off these large shows. This year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards was another successful event for us.”