Inventive Know-how (CT), a part of the NEP Group, is a multi-national supplier of know-how, challenge administration, and artistic options for the dwell occasions and system integration markets. Lately, the corporate’s U.S.-based operation (CTUS) labored with Sennheiser on the design and specification of a complete wi-fi audio package that featured its EW-DX wi-fi system to make sure dependable and superior sounding audio for its prospects. CTUS has assembled and deployed 140 customized wi-fi microphone kits—every with the Sennheiser EW-DX wi-fi system at its core—to streamline its capacity to ship high-quality audio for mission important occasions throughout the U.S.
CTUS routinely tackles over 100 occasions monthly—lots of which might be thought of ‘extraordinarily large-scale exhibits’ with 1000’s of attendees. Whereas CT’s specialty is staging enterprise stage company occasions, the corporate additionally has a major foothold within the audio, video, and lighting providers for sporting leisure and specialty occasions of all sizes and shapes, working with purchasers together with Google, VMWare, Meta, Microsoft, and others. In all of the atmosphere sorts that CT serves, efficient wi-fi audio options are pivotal to the success of the occasion.
Philip Barrett, director of audio at CT Group is liable for the continual and future operation of the audio division at CTUS. “After I was doing music and touring, I used to say that ‘nothing sobers the thoughts just like the considered 20,000 folks asking for his or her a refund,'” he defined. “Within the dwell occasions house, I might add that it does not matter how stunning the LED screens are, or how implausible the lighting seems to be. If the CEO walks on stage and his mic does not work, that is all they’ll discuss.”
[SCN Hybrid World: Expert Insights and 16 Speakerphones to Know]
With absolutely stocked warehouse workplaces in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, and New York, CTUS employs full service technical occasion groups, logistics operations and supplies on-site assist for all of its shopper occasions, prioritizing the human factor on the subject of dwell occasions. Venues can vary from intimate assembly rooms or ballrooms all the best way to arenas and enormous out of doors areas. “I wish to say we’re the most important sound firm you might have by no means heard of,” Barrett mentioned. “By way of the place we function, we run the gamut and now we have to be versatile.”
CT selected Sennheiser’s EW-DX system for his or her wi-fi microphone ‘Flight Pack Kits’ based mostly on the newly launched system’s performance, wealthy characteristic set, and flexibility. Sennheiser’s EW-DX units a brand new business customary for value-based efficiency and reliability with its low latency (1.9 milliseconds) and an ultra-wide enter dynamic vary of 134 dB. This enables its transmitters to deal with nearly any sign, making it dependable in any RF atmosphere. Whereas in Customary Mode, the EW-DX can deal with as much as 146 hyperlinks inside its switching bandwidth, and as much as 293 frequencies in Hyperlink Density Mode. This leads to a better quantity of doable transmission frequencies—all in a system that straightforward to make use of and is provided with lengthy battery life.
“Our objective was to place collectively kits with every little thing in a single field that our purchasers may want,” mentioned Barrett. “It was a clear answer for us to package deal every little thing in a single place so it’s all there and able to go. We will’t afford to have folks searching for disparate parts and having to ship them out at 10:00 p.m. on a weeknight. These are very straightforward to ship and in addition straightforward to move on-location in and across the staging space.”
Every package accommodates a Sennheiser EW-DX receiver, two HSP headset microphones, two ME4 lavalier microphones and two EW-DX SKM-S handheld transmitters, each coupled with MMD 835 capsules. Additionally included are two EW-DX SK bodypack transmitters in addition to an Evolution Wi-fi Digital charging case. A QR code resulting in the instruction guide is printed on inside of every case for the straightforward reference of stagehands.
When contemplating the necessity to purchase a number of dozen wi-fi microphone techniques for its secondary breakout techniques, Barrett mentioned that the EW-DX introduced a value-driven answer that was each versatile and sturdy. “It was a terrific buying choice for us, as a result of the system was on-point worth sensible, whereas delivering all the efficiency and reliability we count on from Sennheiser. Our end-user prospects are fairly often C-level presenters, and the appliance is nearly at all times spoken phrase— so high-quality, predictable efficiency is essential.”
There have been many components that attracted Barrett to the EW-DX system, similar to ease of operation and suppleness of frequency allocation. “With the ability to deploy massive portions of techniques in shut proximity and nonetheless have obtainable frequencies is essential for us,” he defined. “We work in so many alternative cities, and the EW-DX works in all of them. There are at all times loads of frequencies obtainable on this field and it’s so straightforward to make use of.”
“On one in all our current tasks we coordinated over 200 frequencies simply within the Labs, Workshops and Breakouts utilizing the brand new Sennheiser EW-DX R1-9 and Q1-9 RF Bands,” says Jeff Jones, RF Coordinator, Inventive Know-how. “These models have been straightforward to arrange, straightforward to tune and simple to sync physique packs and handhelds. Having the 2 large RF bands allowed us to tune over the whole obtainable spectrum making the EW-DX models a superior option to deal with the massive amount of breakout rooms versus older technology, band-limited applied sciences. We had rock strong efficiency with the brand new Sennheiser models.
Other than the technical and efficiency components that drew Barrett to the EW-DX system, Sennheiser was in a position to create a holistic package to suit CTUS’s wants. “CTUS got here to us with a particular understanding of how these techniques might successfully be deployed to their prospects,” mentioned Jamie Criswell, enterprise improvement at Sennheiser. “We labored onerous to create an answer that brings collectively all of the required components right into a single, complete package deal so it not solely anticipates the wants of the top person, however makes logistics and dispatch all of the extra environment friendly.”
[Everything We Know about the Vegas Sphere, So Far—A Running Blog]
On this enterprise, the significance of steady reliability can’t be overstated: “We’re in contrast to most different staging firms with respect to the amount that we do, so the ROI for us has to work,” mentioned Barrett. “These mics get thrown on pallets, are shipped all throughout the nation and are taken by way of the darkish labyrinths of assorted properties and resorts time and time once more.”
After evaluating aggressive choices for a top quality, sturdy microphone system, Barrett says that the EW-DX checked all of the containers and has been performing flawlessly ever since. “General, it was Sennheiser proper out of the gate and we’re more than happy that Sennheiser listened to our wants and helped put collectively this method for us. To this point, every little thing is assembly or exceeding all of our expectations. There have been no failures, the intelligibility is nice, and I have been very impressed with the system general.”
