Eurovision Song Contest 2019 Dare to Dream posted: 23/05/2019
140 Sennheiser wireless mics support the world's largest live music event
Israel has been a superb host to the 64th Eurovision Song Contest, with almost 10,000 ESC enthusiasts attending at Tel Aviv Expo, and about 180 million watching the televised live broadcast in the Eurovision countries - reaching as far as Australia. The amount of technical expertise that went into the three shows was outstanding, especially as this year the contest played in two halls. As partners to the rental company Agor , RF experts from Sennheiser and its local partner Kilim were on site to assist with the system planning for wireless microphones and monitors, as well as frequency management and RF monitoring. The system deployed by Agor and Sennheiser/Kilim included 140 wireless microphones from Sennheiser's Digital 6000 and 9000 Series, plus 42 channels of 2000 series IEMs with a total of 196 IEM bodypacks.
The main technical challenge for the ESC 2019 was the fact that it took place in two halls, with a third hall of Expo Tel Aviv hosting the press centre, said Volker Schmitt, Director Customer Development and Application Engineering. The main hall with the stage and its extraordinary LED wall seated 7,500 spectators. From here, the stage shows were transmitted to a second hall with the Green Room, where another 2,000 audience members watched the live shows via a huge video wall.
A dream come true for Duncan Laurence, winner of the 64th Eurovision Song Contest
The serious phase of frequency planning for Schmitt and his team began in early March with another round of frequency measurements on site. We checked occupied frequencies inside and outside of Expo Tel Aviv, and compared the data to earlier measurements in order to have a broad basis for our frequency plan. We found quite a bit of DVB-T activity, but with the frequency efficiency of Digital 6000, we managed to find room for all mics and in-ears, said Schmitt. The frequency plan also encompassed the press centre, because we wanted to avoid disturbance if a media team with wireless equipment walked over to the stage hall or the Green Room. Local Sennheiser partner Kilim looked after all the wireless requirements of the ESC press center.
The Sennheiser ESC team: Gerhard Spyra, Christian Almer Frederiksen and Volker Schmitt
Setting up the system
When installing the RF wireless infrastructure on site, special attention - as always - was paid to the positioning of the receiver and transmitting antennas. Asked about the biggest challenge in this field, Schmitt mentioned the video wall in the Green Room: Unlike the fantastic stage LED wall, this smaller video wall emitted a lot of RF noise, so special care was required in positioning the antennas to circumvent the disturbances. For the Green Room interviews between artists and hosts, we deployed two A 2003 receiver antennas plus two A 5000-CP for transmitting the monitoring signals.
Jonas N sby, Kevin Jungk, Ian Kim and Meir Kilim (not pictured are Renata Lima and Vincent Tilgenkamp)
Another challenge that popped up shortly before one of the live shows was the dress that one of the hosts was going to wear, said Schmitt. This dress was mainly made of metal threads - underneath it, the transmitter was more or less perfectly shielded! Meir briefly spoke with production and the dressing team, and convinced them that the transmitter should be worn above the dress. Together, we quickly came up with the idea of a sort of belt for the dress, to which we could attach the two transmitters for the host.
RF World accommodated 44 two-channel microphone receivers and 21 two-channel in-ear monitoring transmitters
When something like this happens shortly before a show, it really gets exciting. Generally speaking, a production should be boring' for the team on site - because this means that you have done a good job in preparing the event, and that everything was tried and tested and running smoothly before you installed the infrastructure on site.
A dream come true for Duncan Laurence, winner of the 64th Eurovision Song Contest
Spectrum monitoring
Of course, a frequency plan needs to be closely monitored and protected on site. Despite an armada of warning signs saying that non-approved wireless gear must not be used anywhere on the ESC grounds, a total of 39 unauthorised wireless users were located and caught before their gear could disturb any of the dress rehearsals, semi-finals, jury final and or grand finale.
Dare to Dream
For the past few years, the Sennheiser ESC team has made a personal commitment to support charities in the host cities of the Eurovision Song Contest. This year, they were additionally supported by local Sennheiser distributor, Kilim, with the result that their charitable food stand could not only offer the usual great coffee but also some home-baked pastry from the Kilim family. The small food stand was open to the entire production team, who all donated generously to the Ruth Rappaport Children's Hospital in Rambam. The sum collected - 3,300 shekel - will be tripled by the Sennheiser ESC team and by Kilim. In addition, four hospitalized children accompanied by their parents were invited to the first semi-final and a once-in-a-lifetime experience behind the scenes of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Show extras
While the Sennheiser wireless system for the stage and the Green Room was supplied by Agor and the press centre system by Kilim, the Sennheiser ESC team brought some last-minute extras with them to cater for special requests. We had specially-made headsets for the lady hosts, who also got IE 500 PRO in-ear phones instead of the standard IE 40 PROs. Another extra option on hand was a pair of SKM 9000 for the Russian participants, who needed silver microphones. For the sam
Europe Stories
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
07/08/2025
July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...
14/07/2025
Enhancing Public Service Broadcasting with
Innovation, Accuracy & Sustainability
New regional detail and local towns featured...
11/07/2025
If you've ever wondered what might be playing in Clark Kent's headphones...
11/07/2025
AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration launches two papers to guide the future of AI integration, today at the AI for Good Global Summit
The...
10/07/2025
The current holder of the prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award has been forced to stop reporting over fears for her safety in Afgha...
10/07/2025
Spotify is turning up the volume on Australian music with a multipronged initiative designed to highlight the dominance of Australian artists on the global stag...
10/07/2025
This is not a drill: Oasis is back on the road-marking its first live performanc...
10/07/2025
The music industry depends on fresh ideas, bold voices, and emerging talent. Yet across the U.K., too many young musicians lack the space to develop their craft...
10/07/2025
10 Jul 2025
VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing Kyiv, New York, Dubai, and Philadelphia - July 10, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq:...
10/07/2025
Thursday 10 July 2025
The Very Small Creatures
Jaime's Treetop Tales
Emerald
BooSnoo! Christmas Mashup
Pip & Posy's Spooktacular Party
The Very Sm...
10/07/2025
Thursday 10 July 2025
Brand new rewards are coming to Sky customers, with free ...
10/07/2025
Comscore Achieves Full JIC Certification for National TV Measurement Including...
09/07/2025
Wednesday 9 July 2025
Sky Broadband now has the UK's fastest broadband spee...
09/07/2025
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced Jeff Williams will transition his role as chief operating officer later this month to Sabih Khan, Apple's senior...
08/07/2025
In an era where digital threats to journalists are becoming increasingly aggressive and widespread, MediaSafe Africa launches as a vital online resource to help...
08/07/2025
This summer, as the energy builds for one of the biggest moments in women's ...
08/07/2025
UKTV today announces that Richard Watsham, Chief Creative Officer at UKTV and Global Director of Acquisitions for BBC Studios/UKTV, has decided to step down fro...
08/07/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - July 8, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a reco...
08/07/2025
Arvato Systems Optimizes Customer Communication with AOK Niedersachsen
New project in the statutory health insurance sector
Arvato Systems and AOK Niedersach...
08/07/2025
On August 7, Apple Arcade is adding four exclusive games to its diverse catalogue of more than 200 fun games for players to enjoy, all free from ads and in-app ...
07/07/2025
** MEDIA ALERT **
VIZ Media Ignites AX 2025 with Star-Studded Panels, Exclus...
07/07/2025
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA As Apple Music marks its 10th anniversary this year, Apple unveils its most ambitious creative project to date: a brand-new state-of-the...
07/07/2025
RT has announced that Mark Bignell has been appointed Commissioning Editor for Comedy following a public competition. This senior editorial position will drive...
04/07/2025
The Summer Reading Challenge has inspired children across the U.K. to embrace a ...
04/07/2025
Friday 4 July 2025
Watch the trailer here https://youtu.be/Od5WpvWmDr8
Further...
04/07/2025
The Pitch comes to RT Radio 1 airwaves this Sunday at 7pm. The Pitch is a brand...
03/07/2025
For our Vario-Jib, as well as for a repertoire of weights, we now have carts that make transport easier...
03/07/2025
One of our latest innovations: Slider Drive Unit!
Our Vario Slider not only comes with improvements and new features, but also with its own drive unit!
Our i...
03/07/2025
The 360 EVO lives up to its name: 360-degree rotation not only on the pan axis, but also on the roll axis, enables filmmakers to take their creative visions eve...
03/07/2025
What a buzzing few days at BSCExpo in London!
We were thrilled to connect with so many talented professionals from the world of cinematography.
A huge thank ...
03/07/2025
ADOLESCENCE - Shot with Panther Tower"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode
Netflix limited drama series Adolescence has been gaining attentio...
03/07/2025
** MEDIA ALERT ** Shonen Jump Store Hosting Los Angeles Pop-up During Anime Exp...
03/07/2025
Thursday 3 July 2025
David Harewood and Matthew Broome in Mozart: Genius for Hi...
03/07/2025
The Sky WNT Fund supports Womens National Team players with a 30,000 bursaryThursday 3 July 2025
Sky Ireland has announced the four recipients of the 2025 Sky...
02/07/2025
Calrec expands ecosystem at NAB 2025 giving broadcasters access to dynamic workflows and ultimate flexibility Helping broadcasters meet the shifting needs of me...
02/07/2025
02 Jul 2025
VEON Raises USD 200 Million in Private Bond Placement Dubai, July 1, 2025: VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON ), announces ...
02/07/2025
Brand new factual series follows mechanic and self-taught engineer Dom Chinea as he makes the move of his life to the far west of Cornwall
UKTV today announces...
02/07/2025
Rohde & Schwarz acquires ZES ZIMMER Electronic Systems GmbH and expands its T&M ...
02/07/2025
Wuppertal July 2, 2025
Riedel Communications Launches RefSuite Ecosystem for S...
02/07/2025
Andrew will serve as Chair of ABC alongside his role at NED, APL Media, where he supports the executive team with strategic insight and global expansion plans. ...
01/07/2025
The launch of Code of Silence, coupled with the Britains Got Talent semi final, gave ITV its best Sunday night of 2025.
The first episode of the new crime dr...
01/07/2025
ITV and Mammoth Screen have announced the start of filming for Betrayal, a gripp...
01/07/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
01/07/2025
Vocal-processing plug-in joins NOIZ Hub series
Launched in 2024, KIT Plugins' NOIZ Hub series was created with the aim of providing a range of professio...
01/07/2025
New self-paced learning programme announced
Mastering.com have announced the availability of a new online course designed to cover the fundamentals of maste...
01/07/2025
The Traitors are coming: Get your first taste of the global hit as Season 1 of T...
Eurovision Song Contest 2019 Dare to Dream posted: 23/05/2019 
