Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer has deployed Shure Axient Digital PSM across its latest world tour, with a new single-carrier narrowband operating mode introduced to address challenging RF conditions around the band’s stage setup.
Monitor engineer Mike Platt has been using the Axient Digital PSM system across arenas in the UK, Europe and US, as well as festival stages. The tour is running 16 stereo monitor mixes for performers and crew moving between A and B stages, bunkers and back- and under-stage positions.
The touring package includes four ADTQ Axient Digital PSM quad transmitters and 30 ADXR bodypack receivers. Twelve channels of Axient Digital wireless are also being used across the band’s vocal positions, while Wireless Workbench provides RF monitoring and management from front of house.
Platt was an early adopter of Axient Digital PSM and worked with Shure during the tour as the system developed. A key change came when the production moved from Multi-channel Wideband operation to Shure’s new Single Carrier Narrowband mode.
The change was driven in part by interference around drummer Ashton Irwin’s setup, where the combination of moving metal and a large drum kit created a difficult RF environment.
“Once we moved over to single carrier narrowband, it completely changed the game for us,” said Platt.
Unlike the OFDM transmission used in the system’s wideband mode, Single Carrier Narrowband uses the single-carrier approach already deployed in Shure’s Axient Digital microphone platform.
“The single carrier frequency firmly plants its transmission and is much more robust against the hostile RF environment that you'll find around a drum kit and in a busy arena show,” said Platt.
The team used the Timeline function within Wireless Workbench to compare RF receive levels, quality and dropouts before and after changing modes. Platt said venue construction, spectrum coordination and audience presence had all affected performance under the previous configuration.
For antenna distribution, two combiners feed two short helical antennas. The drummer’s position uses a separate BNC run from the transmitter to the riser, feeding a paddle antenna to improve coverage in difficult venues.
Platt is also using ShowLink for remote coordination and firmware management, while Wireless Workbench gives the monitor position visibility of RF conditions despite limited sightlines to performers on stage.
Beyond RF performance, Platt highlighted the improvement in monitor audio quality offered by the digital system.
“The transmission is now a huge leap closer to sounding like a wired connection. This gives you more scope to make more detailed, wider and dynamic mixes for the artist,” he said.
The tour’s Shure systems were supplied by UK audio production company Adlib, with the North American dates supported by Adlib’s US operation.