Latin America. Sennheiser's wireless technology was used in FOX's television music production, Grease Live! The production, which was presented live to more than 12 million viewers, incorporated 14 sets spread over 20 acres – and required more than 50 channels of clear and reliable sound.
Audio supervisor and designer Bruce Arledge was in charge of the demanding production, which was made at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California. Arledge and her team used Sennheiser transmitters and receivers to provide perfect wireless audio from the main actors, including Vanessa Hudgens, Aaron Tveit and Jessie J.
Uncharted RF Territory
"I have 25 years of experience as a director in the most important awards shows and live television productions of all kinds, but this was totally different from what I have done before," recalls Arledge. Arledge was brought in early in production to help design a system that could meet the demands of the show's sound needs. "This was a three-hour live show with playback music and an added complexity of moving between stages without the sound being interrupted," he explains. "This led to a hybrid situation with a high channel count across multiple locations." Having extensively used Sennheiser's wireless technology in other productions, he was already sure that he could meet the needs of Grease Live!"
Before making any final decision, Arledge brought in Dave Bellamy of Soundtronics to help navigate the complexities of the wireless environment, which covered three stages and an outdoor space. Arledge and Bellamy wanted to keep logistics as simple as possible. "We wanted to put a microphone on the talent and have them use the same transmitter throughout the show," says Arledge. "With multiple costume changes and hairstyles, I wanted to keep the signal flowing directly to mixing producer Mark King." Bellamy recommended that Sennheiser's wireless equipment, combined with Soundtronics' antenna technology, be the tools that did the job.
Unusual wireless system
"At the time of the RF survey, it was noticed that there was only one TV channel that did not have DTV at any level in the Warner Brothers studio," Bellamy says. "To facilitate the show we had to submit an application to the FCC for a special license for other bands." The versatility of Sennheiser transmitters allowed Bellamy to overcome these limitations and obtain the 54 inputs that production required. Bellamy and Arledge decided to use a combination of EM 3732-II receivers with Sennheiser SKM 52000 handheld transmitters, and EM 3532 receivers paired with a Sennheiser SK 5212 bodypack transmitter. "Sennheiser transmitters and receivers have the ability to be set to 960 MHz, so they're perfect for this application," says Bellamy.
The Sennheiser team also gave Bellamy the clear, ready-to-stream audio and uninterrupted performance he needed for all the core talent at Grease Live! "This was a zero-tolerance situation in terms of RF issues," Bellamy says. "We needed reliability and Sennheiser gave us all that." All the main talent had two microphones with lavaliers for redundancy and an improvement in pickup, so Arledge had to hide two transmitters in each of the protagonists. "The Sennheiser transmitters are nice and compact so we put them in the bags sewn in the wardrobe or in some cases in the wigs of the talents," he says.
The broadcast took off with a strong start with artist Jessie J, Sennheiser artist, presenting "Grease Is the Word." His voice was captured and delivered by Sennheiser's trademark MD 5235 capsule and an SKM 5200 handheld transmitter. "She loves that combination and it sounded amazing," Bellamy says. Jessie J sang the song, which was written by Barry Gibb for the 1978 film adaptation Grease, as she crossed the backstage and outdoor areas of the set with clear and reliable audio. "It's a perfect example of the challenges we were facing and the success of Sennheiser transmitters," says Arledge.
