PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Filmed on location, TV’s The Superstars updates ABC’s 1970s-vintage Battle of the Network Stars with similar celebrity challenges. Mike Abbott, the show’s audio supervisor & sound designer, relied on Lectrosonics wireless gear for the various swimming, biking, climbing and other events.
Abbott’s wireless Lectrosonics arsenal included numerous transmitters, including 22 MM400A water-resistant miniature beltpack transmitters, six UH400A plug-on transmitters, four SMDa super-miniature beltpack transmitters, eight UM400a beltpack transmitters (with eight MC40 cables), plus four UT400 handheld transmitters equipped with the VMC cardioid capsules.
On the receiving end, Abbott’s setup included five Lectrosonics Venue Series receiver mainframes, each stocked (six modules per receiver system) with the company’s VRT receiver modules plus two extras for backup (32 total), 12 UCR411A compact receivers, along with an SR Series dual-channel slot mount ENG receiver.
For communication among the production crew, the equipment included nine T2 multi-frequency IFB beltpack transmitters and 22 R1a synthesized UHF beltpack IFB receivers. All equipment except for the IFB units used Lectrosonics’ Digital Hybrid Wireless technology.
“My choice for RF transceivers was based on past experiences I’ve had on other shows of this type and the success I experienced using Lectrosonics,” Abbott said. “The 16 contestants competed in approximately 18 different events. The climate was extremely humid and some events required the RF mics to be totally immersed in the ocean to capture the audio of the competitions.
“The overall design and build quality of the transmitters—including the attention to the housing size and the waterproofing via the gaskets that are used —played a significant role in my decision. Similarly, the design of the Venue receiver racks was another important factor.
The ability to place 6 receiver modules into a 1RU rackspace system created a space efficient setup, and Lectrosonics’ Digital Hybrid Wireless technology was another factor behind Abbott’s decision-making.
“The Lectrosonics equipment exhibits excellent frequency response,” said Abbott. “Equally important, the R1a beltpack IFB receivers allow for multiple transmitter sends for my clients, which enables them to monitor my program in addition to the number of ENG mixes going to the ENG cameras. These features are extremely useful.
“I’ve known Lectrosonics’ Matt Robertson and Karl Winkler for years,” Abbott added, “and I know that when I need assistance, I’ll get it ASAP. That’s especially important when you’re doing projects outside the U.S. With 15 days of shooting, these were extremely oppressive conditions for any electronic equipment. Through it all, I didn’t experience a single failure.”
For more information, please visit www.lectrosonics.com.
