Wireless First Produces RF-Heavy VMAs

MIAMI, FL—For its 21st Video Music Awards show in late August, MTV found a way to spice-up the yearly music fest by moving it to a brand new location. Hosted in Miami for the very first time, the 2004 VMAs presented a new challenge to Wireless First, the New York-based RF specialist company headed by Kevin Sanford, who brought in many channels of Sennheiser wireless equipment for the telecast.

"This year, MTV decided they wanted to do it in the round," reports televised awards show veteran Sanford, who was in charge of all of the RF systems for the show, including wireless performance microphones and personal monitor systems, presenter microphones and production intercom systems. "I asked, 'What do you want us to cover?' The answer from MTV production was, 'Everything!'"

"In addition to the performance and presenter microphones," Sanford notes, "There were four podium mics. Those were all wireless, with the Sennheiser SK50 beltpack transmitters. And we had another 12 Sennheiser SKM5000 RF mics outside."

Televised live from Miami's American Airlines Arena, the awards extravaganza used multiple stages throughout the venue while also broadcasting from the grounds outside the building. "We had to cover the pre-show, arrivals, awards show and post-show as well," notes Sanford.

Including the MTV production, roaming ENG crews and pre-existing local RF systems, Sanford had to negotiate a tangled web of RF traffic. "It was guerrilla TV, let me tell you," he laughs. "I also put in about 140 channels of RF intercom for production, inside the arena and outside. Inside alone there were 18 stage managers."

The hundreds of wireless channels in use meant that artists were encouraged to use the microphones provided by Wireless First rather than their own, explains Sanford. "Obviously I try to accommodate the artists, but generally I just have to say no. Throwing another frequency into the mix is extremely difficult. And we can usually find a match for whatever mic they prefer."

JET, who performed on the show and also took away the award for Best Rock Video for their hit single "Are You Gonna Be My Girl," utilized most of their arsenal of Evolution Series mics. "I managed to use our own e945 vocal mics while performing," reports the band's FOH engineer, Johnny Haskett. "We let them put a another mic on the guitars, but we made sure there was an e609 Silver on there as well!"

Other rock acts, such as Hoobastank and Yellowcard, who performed back-to-back with JET in a rock 'n roll medley, used only one RF mic. In contrast, notes Sanford, the hip-hop medley, featuring Lil Jon with his East Side Boyz, the Ying Yang Twins, Petey Pablo and Terror Squad, used 14 RF mics.

Pictured above is Usher using the Sennheiser SKM5000-N with the Neumann KK105-S capsule.

The next endeavor for Wireless First and its Sennheiser wireless systems was "Fashion Rocks" at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Sanford was glad to be home after that exhausting week in Florida. "It was quite an undertaking and MTV stretched everybody, but they should be very proud of the product that they got."

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