ABOUT THE CLIENT
ABOUT THE CLIENTSentosa Wings of Time, this spectacular light show about friendship and courage is staged nightly. Be wowed by spellbinding laser, fire and water effects set to a majestic soundtrack, complete with a jaw-dropping fireworks display, possibly the only place to see this in Singapore.
Source: Sentosa official website
Shure Systems at Sentosa Wings of Time
Wings of Time is a spectacular award-winning outdoor night show set in the open seas, created and produced by a team of local and international entertainment and multimedia technology experts who have executed large-scale events and permanent shows. Located at Sentosa island in Singapore, Wings of Time runs two 20-minute shows daily.
WINGS OF TIME UPGRADES TO ENSURE SEAMLESS PERFORMANCE
Wings of Time is an epic tale of courage, mystery and magic that transports the audience on a magical adventure through several exotic vistas through to the fabric of time. The adventure begins with Shahbaz, a prehistoric bird-like creature. Together with his friends, Rachel and Felix, they travel across beautiful landscapes and the mysteries of time. With a seating capacity of 2,500, the show is usually packed on weekends and attracts a weekday crowd of an average of 1,500 each day.
Set against a signature backdrop and a larger-than-life water screen, audiences can look forward to a contemporary storyline weaved together with an epic experiential fusion of the latest multimedia effects, including 3D projection mapping, state-of-the-art lasers, robotic water fountains and giant water jets as well as spectacular pyrotechnics.
Sound effects, lights and visuals play a crucial role in creating the scenes and moods together with the actors to bring the story to live. One component that is critical to the success of the show is to ensure that the narration is heard crisply and clearly.
With the recent Singapore Government mandated frequency management, frequencies have been earmarked for reallocation. This affects wireless systems that now need to operate in different frequencies.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENT
“We needed a wireless system that would allow us to lock-in to available frequencies with ease so that our performances during the show do not deteriorate,” said Shaun Tan, Senior Technician, Island Technical Services, Sentosa. “The regulations were an opportune time for us to upgrade our wireless system.”
“We needed a robust wireless system. This space is particularly challenging for radio frequency (RF). As it is an open space and near the waters, the area around Wings of Time attracts other events that operate using frequencies. Besides, the ships which are anchored offshore also use frequencies, so it narrows what is available for our use,” added Shaun.
SHURE WAS CHOSEN AS THE BEST OPTION
“We decided to add the Shure Axient Digital Wireless Systems to our inventory as we felt it is the best solution to meet our needs. Shure’s Wireless Workbench software allows us to see what frequencies are available visually – the built-in scanner lists all available frequencies. Our previous system was analogue which unlike digital offered limited frequency hopping options.”
Shaun highlights that the set-up for the Shure Axient Digital is simple and the technical team just needed a day for training.
“Our performers feel that the system has made the reproduced sound better and crispier. Thankfully we have had no dropouts during the performance as the system seamlessly switches to available frequencies,” said Shaun.
The Wings of Time rack features two units of Shure AD4Q Axient Digital Quad Channel Receivers that offers tuning options between 470 to 636MHz. The AD4Q groundbreaking performance features include broad tuning, low latency, and HighDensity (HD) mode, ensuring solid performance in the most challenging RF environments.
Four units of AD2/B87A handheld transmitters and an equal number of AD bodypack transmitters and Countryman Omni earset microphones take responsibility for vocal dispersion.
Receivers include four units of Shure UA874-WB UHF active directional antennas, two units of Shure UA864 wall/ceiling antenna frequencies and two units Shure ½ Wave Omni Antennas. Six of the antennas are strategically placed atop four towers surrounding the event space. Shure’s UHF antenna uses a log periodic dipole array to produce a cardioid pattern toward the desired coverage area, achieving greater rejection of RF signals outside the area than standard ½ wave omnidirectional antennas.
The Shure Axient Digital Quadversity™ mode provides the venue owners’ flexibility to combine the 4 antennas for extended coverage across the venue to prevent any drop outs should the need arises.
A Shure AXT600 Axient Spectrum Manager was also put in place to safeguard against the ever-changing RF landscape; providing the crew around the clock full spectrum analysis to prevent disruption from any rogue frequencies. Giving a peace of mind to the crew that they can react immediately ahead of time.
Photo Credit: Sentosa Wings of Time
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