latest news headlines
Sennheiser Technology at the Eurovision Song Contest
Sennheiser suppled the microphone and monitoring systems, and a great deal of technical knowledge and support, for the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. Held in Istanbul's Abdi Ipecki stadium, the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 broke all previous records with an estimated 100 million viewers watching the TV coverage of the event, now in its 49th year.
Now that the number of participating nations has increased by around 50%, the Turkish television company TRT held a semi-final round ahead of the actual show on May 15, for the first time in the history of the contest. Sennheiser technology guaranteed perfect sound for both events - even under the difficult radio transmission conditions at the venue.
Wednesday May 12 was the first opportunity for 22 competing nations to show just what they have to offer in the field of popular music, and TRT broadcast the semi-final round live on TV. The 10 best songs then proceeded to the final on the following Saturday, where they were eagerly awaited by the 14 seeded nations.
For Sennheiser it was a very complex event, as the conditions for radio microphones in the Abdi Ipekci arena were far from ideal. As Klaus Willemsen, Sennheiser's expert for RF wireless technology, points out: "I've already provided technical support for a good many song contests, but the radio transmission situation was never as difficult as here in Istanbul. All TV stations are practically within sight of the show venue. More than 30 fully occupied TV channels mean that there are hardly any free frequencies left for the contestants' radio microphones and monitor systems."
It was up to Willemsen to use all his expert knowledge - and, of course, high-quality audio technology - to solve the problem. "The filters in our wireless systems are so good that the systems can basically concentrate on the music signal alone. Such a show also uses large numbers of computerized lighting systems, practically turning the stage into one big LED display. All this can cause interference to the microphone signal, but we managed to get round it with our sophisticated technology and by choosing the optimum positions for the antennas."
Altogether, a total of 48 wireless microphones and bodypack transmitters with 5000-Series clip-on microphones were used for the shows and 16 3000-Series wireless monitoring systems ensured that the artists and bands heard themselves loud and clear.
Two separate events meant twice as much work for the sound crew. "The rehearsals were much longer, of course," adds Willemsen. "We started on 2nd May, and when the concert went on air on Saturday 15th, we had been hard at work for two whole weeks, sometimes until well into the night."
The winner of Eurovision 2004 was Ukraine's Ruslana with her song Wild Dance. A successful singer, producer, dancer and composer in her home country, her song was inspired by the folk music and dances of highlanders in the Carpathian mountains and included traditional instruments, a fast dance routine mixed with acrobatic moves, as well as flamboyant costumes.
21st May 2004
HEADLINES
news archive
search stories
FOOTNOTE: Select the news type you require in the red band above; this will enable you to see the current news stories from that section
© 1999 - 2012 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories
