Shure Axient in the Crowds

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SHURE AXIENT IN THE CROWDS

Frank Carter turns to Shure’s Axient Digital for more on stage freedom and reliability.

English punk rock outfit Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes turned to Shure’s Axient Digital Wireless System technology in synchronisition with the band’s popularity and transition to larger venues and high profile slots at festivals. Live Sound Engineer, Mike Woodhouse, explained why the Axient Digital units became very appealing to their setup.

As a Shure user for over 10 years, Frank Carter has a whole collection of Shure microphones on all aspects of the setup, ranging from the classic Beta91a & Beta52 combo on the kick drum to a SM57 on guitars. Most noticeable is Carter’s vocal microphone, the tried and tested SM58. Carter is such a fan of the SM58 that he actually has one tattooed on his leg! “The thing about the SM58 is, it’s not just a microphone to me,” explained Carter. “When I’m in the crowd, sometimes it’s literally my only way back.”

The move to Axient Digital was a natural progression for the band, having known about Axient Digital for a while, Woodhouse had never worked with an artist that needed an upgraded wireless system. However, after seeing how lively Carter and the rest of the band were on stage, switching them to Axient Digital meant the band could perform with such high-energy and not worry about any potential dropouts or loss of sound quality.

Woodhouse explained: “Nearly two years ago we switched both guitars and bass to Shure GLX-D wireless units, allowing Dean, (Richardson, guitarist), and Tank (bassist), to have maximum movement on stage at all times. These units proved perfect for the band’s needs, however the band’s fanbase is growing quickly, and so have the stages. To ensure we didn’t lose any form of signal quality on the larger festival and high-profile support slots, the new Axient digital units became very appealing to us and in turn we had to try them out over this summer’s festival season.”

Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes are known for getting up close and personal with their fans and joining them in the crowds. Woodhouse needed a system which was reliable and gave the entire crew more faith in the signal chain. They cannot risk signal degradation when the band decide to jump in to the crowd.

Woodhouse furthered: “The crowd has always actually been the biggest hurdle with our wireless systems but the range on the Axient is flawless. We’ve had the guitar over 200m away from the stage in the London Stadium, without losing connection. That blew me away. I’d never seen anything like that before. The sound quality is like what you’d expect from

a cable connection. Full of depth and clear as day from the PA. I’d actually challenge anyone to try and tell the difference between the Axient vs. a cable signal.”

Richardson added to this explaining: “I’ve played guitar standing on top of thousands of people, upside down and buried when they drop me and from the back of stadiums – and this wireless system has never lost my signal. Trust me when I say it’s the best wireless system available.”

Woodhouse explained: “This is the first time I have used Axient Digital and there have been zero challenges, it just works! For our IEM units (PSM 1000) we use it in conjunction with Workbench 6 when we get to each venue, so we can usually see the problem frequencies in each venue and problem solve to ensure minimal signal disruption. However, even doing that with some wireless units you still get interference from timeto-time. With Axient Digital that’s not been the case once, the system is simple and easy to use, it’s seamless. I’ve been so impressed that I’m now recommending this technology to every band I work with. The quality is just better than anything I’ve used in the past.”

Shure work hard to ensure that their customer care is second-to-none. Woodhouse stated: “Tuomo George-Tolonen, (Sr. Director, Pro Audio) is the most hardworking man in the business, he is a lovely guy and always on the other end of the phone, if needed. He certainly has an influence on me favouring certain microphones, just because of the outstanding service. Setup was one phone call to Tuomo. He went through exactly what we needed and how to set it up. Once in front of it, it makes sense. Any musician or engineer could set it up.”

George-Tolonen added: “I’ve known Mike for some years now from his work with other UK bands and when he asked me about wireless for larger stages I knew Axient Digital was perfect for them. Big stages, harsh RF environments, band members jumping into the crowd, that’s what Axient Digital was designed for. It needs to sound good, RF be super reliable and the product has to be robust. I like punk rock myself so it’s been a personal and professional pleasure to see Axient Digital work so well for Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes.” TPi Photos: Tom Green www.andtherattlesnakes.com www.shure.co.uk

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