Seamless integration and superb RF mark Axient Digital deployment at Guthrie Theater

Key Takeaways

• The Guthrie Theater deployed 16 channels of Shure Axient Digital to support major productions in a challenging downtown Minneapolis RF environment.
• Axient Digital integrated seamlessly with existing Shure wireless infrastructure, including Axient Spectrum Manager, Wireless Workbench®, ShowLink®, and UHF-R systems.
• Improved spectrum efficiency helped maximize available wireless channels, an important advantage in crowded RF conditions.
• Reliable RF and audio performance supported demanding theatrical productions, including active performers, challenging stage conditions, and complex backstage workflows.
• ADX transmitters and digital wireless technology delivered the flexibility and dependability needed for world-class live theater productions. 

The Guthrie Theater is a mainstay of the Minneapolis theater community, staging classic and contemporary productions to the highest professional standards. Operating multiple venues in downtown Minneapolis requires dependable wireless audio performance in a challenging RF environment.

To support productions of South Pacific and The Parchman Hour, the theater evaluated 16 channels of Shure Axient Digital wireless, integrating the system with its existing antenna infrastructure, Axient Spectrum Manager, and Wireless Workbench. According to Master Sound Technician Paul Estby, Axient Digital delivered a significant upgrade in RF performance while integrating seamlessly with the theater's existing Shure wireless ecosystem.

Customer Profile

With three venues under one roof in downtown Minneapolis, Guthrie Theatre stages large-scale classic and contemporary theatrical productions in a challenging RF environment.

Master Sound Technicians Paul Estby and Alex Ritter oversee audio system design and operation, relying on a Shure wireless infrastructure to support productions across multiple stages operating back-to-back in the same building amid the RF-intensive environment created by nearby broadcast television towers. 

Challenge

The Guthrie Theater needed to integrate Axient Digital with existing Axient analog and UHF-R systems in large-scale theatrical productions while continuing to use its existing antenna system.

Additional challenges included a very active cast with minimal offstage time, a shower scene that drenched one performer with water, and the challenge of having dressing rooms located one floor beneath the performance stage. All of these conditions demanded reliable wireless performance and consistent RF coverage.

Solution

During productions of South Pacific and The Parchman Hour, 16 channels of Axient Digital wireless with AD Series transmitters, operating within the existing UHF wireless infrastructure, including Axient Spectrum Manager.

For the 10-week run of South Pacific, Axient Digital was integrated with the theater’s existing 12-channel Axient analog systems with Spectrum Manager and ShowLink backchannel access points. The production also utilized eight channels of Shure UHF-R.

The Guthrie relies on Spectrum Manager and Shure Wireless Workbench for frequency coordination and RF monitoring, and Paul Estby reports that Axient Digital integrated seamlessly into their system, requiring only a simple firmware update to their Spectrum Manager hardware.

“It’s clear that Axient Digital was designed with efficiency in mind,” says Estby. “The digital architecture let us pack more channels into the available spectrum, and all coordination and monitoring activities in Workbench and Spectrum Manager worked perfectly. We also love the quad receiver with four channels in a single rack space.”

Advantages

Seamless Integration with Existing Infrastructure

Axient Digital integrated easily into the Guthrie Theater's existing Shure ecosystem, including Spectrum Manager, Wireless Workbench, ShowLink, and antenna infrastructure. The deployment required minimal changes while delivering enhanced performance.

Improved Spectrum Efficiency

The digital architecture allowed the theater to fit more channels into available spectrum, an important advantage in the congested RF environment of downtown Minneapolis.

Reliable Performance for Demanding Productions

Despite challenging production conditions, the system delivered dependable operation throughout both show runs.

“Axient Digital was a rock solid performer for us,” says Estby. “We had zero hardware failures through the course of both show runs, and we were very happy with both the sonic and RF performance of the system. The fact that it’s fully compatible with our existing Axient ShowLink system shows how much thought went into the design. We’re very excited about the advanced ADX transmitters, especially the micro bodypack, which is ideal for theatrical applications. We will definitely be adding Axient Digital to our product mix when those units are ready to ship.” 

Outcomes

By deploying Axient Digital within its existing Shure wireless ecosystem, the Guthrie Theater was able to improve spectrum efficiency, maintain seamless coordination and monitoring workflows, and achieve reliable performance throughout both productions. Despite operating in a challenging downtown RF environment and supporting demanding theatrical productions, the system delivered the "rock solid" RF and audio performance needed to support world-class live theater. 

FAQ: Axient Digital at Guthrie Theater

Why did the Guthrie Theater evaluate Axient Digital? The Guthrie Theater wanted to assess how Axient Digital would perform within its existing wireless ecosystem while operating in a challenging downtown RF environment and supporting large-scale theatrical productions.

What benefits did Axient Digital provide during the deployment? The system improved spectrum efficiency, integrated smoothly with existing Shure wireless infrastructure, and delivered reliable RF and audio performance throughout multiple productions.

How does Axient Digital support frequency coordination and RF management? During the evaluation, Axient Digital worked seamlessly with Spectrum Manager and Wireless Workbench, allowing the Guthrie Theater to maintain its existing coordination and monitoring workflows.

What makes Axient Digital a good fit for complex wireless environments? In this deployment, Axient Digital helped maximize available spectrum while maintaining reliable performance in a crowded RF environment. It also integrated easily with existing Shure wireless systems, making it well suited for demanding productions.