The Super Bowl continues to reign supreme as the most watched television sporting event around the world, shattering broadcast viewership records. Super Bowl XLVII featured an electrifying halftime performance by worldwide superstar Beyoncé at the New Orleans’ Mercedes-Benz Superdome. With so many millions of fans resolutely focused on the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show on February 3, there was no margin for error. Beyoncé’s audio crew and the musical segment’s veteran production provider, ATK Audiotek, chose Sennheiser’s reliable wireless technology and sound quality.
“It’s difficult to put her on a lot of other mics, as she can pretty easily distort a capsule if she’s really on it. To have the comfort of knowing that’s not going to be a problem, right off the top, is a huge thing for me.”
-Stephen Curtin (Beyoncé’s front-of-house engineer)
Beyoncé, a 17-time Grammy winner and longtime Sennheiser user, took the stage at halftime with her signature custom chrome-finish 5200-II handheld transmitter, topped with an MD 5235 dynamic capsule. “She’s got such a huge voice,” said Stephen Curtin of Eighth Day Sound Systems, who is also Beyoncé’s front-of-house engineer. “It’s difficult to put her on a lot of other mics, as she can pretty easily distort a capsule if she’s really on it. To have the comfort of knowing that’s not going to be a problem, right off the top, is a huge thing for me.”
Prior to kick-off, and using a matte black Sennheiser SKM 5200-II transmitter with an MD 5235 dynamic capsule, Alicia Keys performed the Star Spangled Banner seated at a piano on a stage that was in the shape of the NFL logo. Keys’ voice was shimmering and crystal-clear, and her rendition of the national anthem served as the perfect spark to what would become one of the more memorable Super Bowl events in recent history.
Sennheiser’s advanced RF technology is beneficial during special events such as the Super Bowl where, this year, Jason Eskew and the Professional Wireless Systems team coordinated more than 80 audio and comms channels. Stephen Curtin is carrying a total of 12 channels of Sennheiser EM 3732-II wireless receivers on the current leg of Beyoncé’s tour. There are eight channels for SKM 5200-II handhelds, including a main and backup for Beyoncé, three background vocalists and guests, plus four channels for horns. The horn players all use SK 5212-II belt pack transmitters.