Fresh off the back of completing three festivals on the bounce, Nile Rodgers
& CHIC’s FOH Engineer, David Shepherd spoke to TPi ahead of Meltdown
Festival, curated by Rodgers himself, to lift the lid on the “integral role”
played by Shure Axient Digital.
At its ver y core, Nile Rodgers & CHIC’s touring rig comprised eight
channels of Shure Axient Digital to handle radio mics and Nile Rodgers’
iconic Fender Stratocaster guitar – The Hitmaker – along with the brass
section. As well as the four handheld and four beltpacks, the crew used
12 channels of Shure PSM1000 and AXT600 Axient Spectrum Manager to
overlook frequency management.
Working alongside regular updates of Shure’s Wireless Workbench
software, the system gave the crew the flexibility to select from a real-time
group of back-up frequencies, should the need to reallocate due to local
interference arise. The kit on the rig, part-owned by Shepherd’s company,
BCS Audio, also used Shure rechargeable batteries and recharging system.
“We’ve worked with Shure for a long time, we’ve probably got about
150 channels of Shure RF, there’s a lot of it,” Shepherd began. With anunprecedented level of signal stability and audio clarity, plus flexible
hardware options, advanced connectivity and comprehensive control,
Shepherd coined the Shure Axient Digital as a wireless system built to take
on the challenges of global touring.
An increased scope from day to day, the AXT600 made it the perfect unit
for “scanning with” and “working out frequency coordination”. Shepherd
added: “Axient Digital allows us to get more into RF channels, squeeze more
units in and gives us a bit more scope when we’re moving around festivals
and jobs requiring RF spectrum management.”
Having a wider spectrum also meant some of the pressure was relieved
from Shepherd’s shoulders. Shure’s Axient Digital has proven itself, time
and again, to be a crucial tool in this area for Shepherd. “Obviously,
checking around different parts of the world it allows you to tune into
different bands without having separate units to do, so it’s ideal,” he said.
Monitor Engineer, Marco Dellatorre handled all of the frequency
planning and programming the gear on the road. Nile Rodgers is reportedly
a fan of the freedom that wireless offers him. “Nile still uses Shure UHF-R,IN THE FIELD
Nile Rodgers & CHIC’s FOH Engineer, David Shepherd, speaks to TPi in the
midst of a busy festival run to break down the importance of Shure Axient
Digital to the disco icon’s live shows...IN THE FIELD:
SHURE AXIENT DIGITAL