Staples Center Wins with Shure Wireless

STAPLES Center in Los Angeles is home to four professional sports teams, mega concert tours, and a range of private events. In total, the venue operates more than 250 ticketed events annually. Located in the heart of downtown LA,handling audio for the arena’s attractions is no easy feat, due to crowded RF and shrinking spectrum. The man behind the facility’s audio operation is SoundEngineer Dustin Delker, who recently adopted the Shure Axient® Wireless Management Network to better navigate available frequencies.

Delker relies on Axient Wireless with KSM9 handhelds, UHF-R® Wireless with bodypack transmitters, and Shure lavalier mics. The microphones support all in- game entertainment for the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, NHL’s Kings, and WNBA’s Sparks. This includes the national anthem, half-time performances, on- camera player and coach Q&A, and team introductions. The gear is also usedfor each of the team’s pre- and post-game press conferences.

Axient features that include Frequency Diversity and Interference Detection and Avoidance, as well as the ShowLink® Access Point were big selling points forDelker. The STAPLES Center audio team has also benefited from Axient’sSpectrum Manager and Shure rechargeable battery options. The Spectrum Manager provides detailed RF spectrum scans in rich visual displays, along with compatible frequency coordination for even the highest channel counts. Shure lithium-ion rechargeable batteries provide up to eight hours of battery life for extended performance, zero memory effect, and real-time metering of remaining charge and other battery status parameters.

Since Delker and his team began to operate Axient, it has performed as expected—flawlessly.