In early September, Brown Note Productions (BNP) teamed up with their client to deliver an incredible virtual music festival in Colorado. A staggering 7,500,000 fans tuned into the concert, hit play, and plunged into the first-of-its-kind immersive experience. BNP supplied all audio gear required for festival production, including Clear-Com 's FreeSpeak II Digital Wireless Intercom, for a completely wireless solution at the client's request.
In a normal summer, Denver-based BNP would execute countless live events around the country but given the social distancing requirements implemented by COVID-19, companies like BNP are developing new ways of producing events within these requirements. In this case, that meant producing the festival onsite as if it were a typical live show, all while keeping the crew and artists socially distanced and streaming the content to an online audience. BNP brought on Denver local John Kendrick to assist with the comms solution.
This concert series was unique in its nature because it was livestreamed with no crowd, so it was going to be unique in its comms solution as well. The producer of the show asked for a completely wireless solution, and I had honestly never done that before for a live show, Kendrick explained. But this was a fun experiment, and it worked!
The event featured two renowned headliners each night, who played to a crowd of production staff and executives, while their main audience tuned in online. The seating area ahead of the FOH mix position was converted into the main stage, whereas the venue's main stage was used as the production area and for side stage needs, like hair and makeup. Audience interactions were in chat windows on the concert's website as well as over social media platforms viewers could choose emojis and make comments or requests that would then be projected on the venue walls via video projection, which was the primary way of bringing the removed audience into the show in real-time.
After a quick consultation with Clear-Com s application engineering team, it was decided that FreeSpeak II, operating in both the1.9 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands, would be the most appropriate wireless solution for this first-of-its-kind virtual concert experience. The system was comprised of two FreeSpeak II bases, one operating only 2.4 GHz, the other operating exclusively in 1.9 GHz, 10 1.9 GHz FreeSpeak II transceivers (with two splitters), 10 2.4 GHz FreeSpeak II transceivers (with two splitters), 25 1.9 GHz FreeSpeak II beltpacks, 25 2.4 GHz FreeSpeak II beltpacks, and various lightweight, single-muff and double-muff headsets.
Getting everyone over to wireless was actually ideal for COVID because it allowed the layout of the tech worlds to be very spaced out to account for social distancing, stated Kendrick, And I can t speak highly enough of the FreeSpeak II Base II CCM. Being able to make every necessary change to a comms pack via my phone, iPad or computer is invaluable in helping maintain social distance and continue working while in this pandemic.
Key personnel who would require the most point-to-point connections, including directors, production executives, LX board operations, and broadcast audio, were all on 1.9 GHz packs, while support staff including projector technicians, dimmer technicians, and camera operations were on the 2.4 GHz packs and used a 4-wire or 2-wire ties between the systems, creating multiple partylines to get them the calls they needed. Production communications largely relied on six partylines for audio, video, cameras, spots, electrics and the production team.
Aside from ensuring the comms solution was effective, it also needed to be conducive to a safe working environment, in compliance with COVID requirements. The producer of the show was very proactive in maintaining the health and safety of the artists and the on-site team members, Kendrick explained. All traveling staff had to complete COVID nasal swabs prior to travel, all locals were nasal swab tested onsite; daily temperature checks were mandatory each morning and masks were worn at all times. Everyone was assigned their own beltpack and headset to use for the duration of the event, and after the day's work, batteries were dropped off, sterilized and redistributed the next morning. Everyone was great about the conditions as I think we were all just happy to be at work and doing the thing we have spent our lives doing. I know for me it was amazing to be back at work and enjoying live music again, said Kendrick.
It was truly a surreal experience, he continues. The band is playing their hearts out, everything is dialed in, but there is no crowd, just the technicians and executives. We became the crowd for the bands, clapping and hooting and hollering to keep their energy up as they played to millions watching and listening at home.
The long-term survival of family-owned rental houses like BNP is crucial to the rebound of the live events industry, and it is imperative that they keep their lights on and doors open. To see how you can contribute to the survival of the live events sector, please visit wemakeevents.com.
North America Stories
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...
07/05/2026
At this year's Broadcast Asia, PlayBox Neo is set to unveil recent innovations across its PlayBox Neo Suite and integrated range of broadcast media solution...
07/05/2026
Strategic three-year partnership marks delivery phase of BFBS' next-generation media vision
Media organisation and military charity BFBS (British Forces Br...
07/05/2026
Amagi, the agentic industry cloud platform for unified broadcast, streaming, and monetization, today announced the availability of its In-Content Ads offering v...
07/05/2026
Lightware Visual Engineering has developed Rack Taurus for rack-based environments such as education and corporate training spaces. It enables clean and simple ...
07/05/2026
Jigsaw24, the UK's leading media equipment supplier and systems integrator, will showcase its expanded end-to-end workflow capabilities at MPTS 2026, signal...
07/05/2026
Ease Live, an Evertz company, today announced that it has been granted a US Patent for its proprietary graphical overlay technology, the foundation for interact...
07/05/2026
Test & measurement innovator Leader Electronics of Europe will present an extensive range of Leader, PHABRIX and LeaderPhabrix test and measurement solutions at...
07/05/2026
At Broadcast Asia 2026 (Stand 5H3 8), LiveU is redefining live production with its most powerful IP-video EcoSystem to date built to help broadcasters and con...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Recreating the 1974 Doctor Who Time Tunnel in After Effects
Graham Quince May 6, 2026
0 Comments
The Time Tunnel from Doctor Who titles is one of th...
07/05/2026
Back to All News
Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix Present the Trailer of ...
07/05/2026
Less typing, more tanking.
Faster logins mean more time in the gaming action - and this week provides GeForce NOW members with a smoother path straight into th...
06/05/2026
Gravity Media Chief RF Communications Engineer Glenn Willems uses Wisycom RF over Fiber and wireless solutions across major cycling events and international mar...
06/05/2026
A Sennheiser Spectera module is now available in Bitfocus Companion and Buttons, enabling direct integration of Spectera with the two software platforms. The mo...
06/05/2026
Ted Turner, the visionary media entrepreneur whose appetite for disruption helpe...
06/05/2026
The streamer aims to provide a fully integrated Spanish language experience with...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
In early September, Brown Note Productions (BNP) teamed up with their client to deliver an incredible virtual music festival in Colorado. A staggering 7,500,000 fans tuned into the concert, hit play, and plunged into the first-of-its-kind immersive experience. BNP supplied all audio gear required for festival production, including Clear-Com 's FreeSpeak II Digital Wireless Intercom, for a completely wireless solution at the client's request.
