Tom Holmes, broadcast mixer, for the sixth annual Univision "Premios Juventud" award show chose Sennheiser's chrome-plated SKM 5200 wireless microphones for Alexis y Fido's futuristic performance during the show.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - AUGUST 2009: The recent sixth-annual Univision "Premios Juventud" awards show utilized Sennheiser's proven wireless technology to recognize the U.S. Hispanic youths' top recording artists, movie stars, sports figures and pop culture icons. Over eighty wireless channels were used for the podium mics and most of the monitoring.
Stylized performances from long-time favorites and up-and-coming celebrities punctuated the announcements, with reggaeton sensation Alexis y Fido electrifying the stage with a pair of chrome-customized Sennheiser SKM 5200 wireless mics.
"Whereas most awards shows feature performances that include a little bit of stage scenery, things are a lot more intense at 'Premios Juventud,'" said broadcast mixer Tom Holmes. "All of the performers are going for full vignettes to help create a mood and a story. Alexis y Fido asked us for 'futuristic looking' mics to go with their futuristic theme. I asked a few mic manufacturers, and Dawn Birr at Sennheiser was the first to respond and the only one to respond with a range of options. Although we were given the choice of gold, silver, and jewel-encrusted 'bling', the futuristic chrome on the Sennheiser SKM 5200 turned out to be exactly the sort of thing they were looking for."
Like any awards show these days, "Premios Juventud" is awash in RF signals - each of them critical. Both of the podiums used two Schoeps microphones tied to a pair of hidden Sennheiser SK 5212 body-pack transmitters. "Obviously, dialog is very important to TV people," laughed Holmes. "We had to go with the best to ensure that there would be no dropouts."
James Stoffo of Professional Wireless Systems, the show's "wireless maven"
in Holmes' words, always demands a rack of Sennheiser EM 1046 receivers. The EM 1046 is Sennheiser's top-of-the-line modular receiver and serves as the complement to its top-of-the-line 5000 Series transmitters. "Stoffo knows more about RF than anyone I've ever met, and he swears by the 1046, both for its reliability and its sound," said Holmes.
In addition, almost everyone that performed used 300 IEM G2 personal wireless monitoring systems from Sennheiser. "There was a lot going on,"
said Holmes, "so we were glad that we didn't have to worry about our wireless reliability. With Sennheiser, you do your preparation, lock things in, and roll."
ABOUT SENNHEISER ELECTRONIC CORPORATION
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Sennheiser's pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.