Shure rises to the challenge for Hairspray
Published: ASIA
AUSTRALIA: Shure equipment comprising 26 UR1M Micro Bodypack Transmitters and UR4D Dual Receivers were selected for the musical Hairspray, currently playing at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre. The audio was designed by Michael Walters of Jands Production Services, which supplied the Shure equipment.
Describing the Shure gear as ‘a dream’, deputy head of sound James Kohler reports that the ‘lightweight and discreet’ Micro Bodypacks impressed him.
‘I’ve been using the Shure Micro Bodypacks for the past 18 months and they have been rock-solid,’ Mr Kohler stated. ‘With the packs being strapped to the dancer’s bodies, heat can become a bit of an issue. Other packs in the past have sometimes lost audio due to the pack over heating, and I haven’t experienced that once with the Shure Micro Bodypacks.’
Mr Kohler reports that some of the costumes used in Hairspray are fairly tight, meaning that the size of the pack itself can become quite an issue.
‘If the size of the pack is too big it’s difficult to hide,’ Mr Kohler explained. ‘The size of the Shure Micro Bodypack is a big advantage as they are very small, plus they take AAA batteries instead of AA which cuts down on the size. They’re much easier to hide. In fact, you can easily hide the pack in a wig.’
‘There’s a very low noise floor on them with no background noise,’ he added. ‘They do what they do and they’re true to how the microphone sounds itself. I’ve also found that the RF radio reception has been amazingly good. In fact, some of the best I’ve ever used,’ he enthused.