Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/683118
30 set locations. The antennas are unpatched at that location and the RTK is patched in. The gains are then adjusted until they meet the afore mentioned specifications, 8 dB below reference in the 500 MHz to 700 MHz range, 4 dB below reference in the 902 MHz to 928 MHz range and 2 dB below reference at the 944 MHz to 960 MHz range. The RTK is then unpatched and the antennas reconnected. This is repeated at all antenna locations. The same RTK is used throughout all of the antenna locations on the show. The RTK is also used to balance the intermediate cables between Stage 23 and 26. The specifications for these runs were reference plus 0 dB or minus 1 dB. Now we know that all of our lines are balanced but we still do not know how well the antennas are working. To qualify the performance of each antenna, we implement the LMS. This device is placed on the set well within the beam width of each antenna to be tested. Reference transmitters are mounted on the LMS where they are rotated continuously 360 degrees in a circle four inches in diameter. Utilizing the peak hold setting on my analyzer, I can determine if I am receiving the amplitude that I expect to see and if there is parity among all of the antennas in the system. Looking from more of a theatrical perspective, Stage 23 would be the location of the Frenchy's House, USO, Auto Shop, Lovers Lane, Drive In and Thunder Road sets. Rehearsals would begin on time and go well. Now it became a matter of installing the rest of the systems while staying ahead of the rehearsal schedule at the same time. Rehearsals would begin on Stage 26, the hub of the design wheel, on the 22nd. That gave two days to complete our work there. The installation of the satellite systems for the stage and the dressing rooms was fairly routine. Both systems were tuned and balanced to the exact same specifications as the system on Stage 23 had been. There were more antennas involved, thirty-one in all. But that was because both systems shared responsibility for the streets on the east and south sides of the building. The main system on Stage 26 was twelve arrays and twenty-four antennas, just like the on Stage 23. Our primary concern and top priority was the performance of Jessie J's ear monitors during her opening walk from Stage 26 to Rydell High. The walk wouldn't be rehearsed until the afternoon of the 27th, but the 25th and 26th were dark days. This meant that the system had to be performing to the satisfaction of the monitor audio boys by the end of the day of the 23rd. This way, if there were issues, we had the day of the 24th to fix them. There were no issues. The system worked seamlessly the time it was first tried and every time thereafter. We could now move onto the K building. The K building satellite system was the largest of the four systems. It covered the second half of the Jessie J walk (the first half was covered by the Stage 26 and Dressing Rooms systems), the Boys to Men vocals at the halfway point of the walk, the front of Rydell High, the interior hallway of Rydell High, the principal's office, the carnival set located beyond Rydell High on Midwest Street and Sandy's house where Sandy would perform "Hopelessly Devoted to You." The sys- tem and the seven hundred and fifty foot intermediate cable runs were balanced to the same specification as the system on Stage 23. On January 29, we learned that the plans for the finale of the show had been realized. The cast would exit the Carnival set on Stage 26 through the west elephant door singing live. They then would board three awaiting trams that would turn left and drive along the east side of the building, then turn right and drive along the same route as the Jessie J walk was taken, drive past the Rydell High set to the Carnival set on Midwest Street. There they would then step off the trams and dance their way to the center of the Carnival set. They would be singing live the entire way traveling a distance of more than one thousand feet. There were sound systems on each of the trams that were fed track by ear monitor receivers located on each tram. These receivers were set to the same frequency as the transmitter that was used for the Jessie J walk. The antenna system coverage for both the wireless microphones would have to be expanded but not very much. We knew that something would be happening on the east side of the building and we were already covered for that. This meant that only two receive antenna locations would need to be added on the south side of the building to cover the wireless microphones. There was already an ear monitor antenna in place at the southeast corner of the building which covered the south side of the building nicely, which meant that the ear monitor coverage would not need to be expanded. In the end, our balancing acts payed off. During the dress rehearsal and show, the receive antenna system worked beautifully, all four satellite systems performing in unison. In all, forty-eight filter sets, ten line amps, eighty-two anten- nas and twenty-two thousand feet of antenna cable were in use by the time the system was completed. It gets better. There were no complaints about the ear monitors, not one. Not bad when you consider that it took only six antennas and seventeen hundred and fifty feet of antenna needed to round out the system. In closing, I would like to say that Grease Live! was a very worthwhile project and all of us at Soundtronics Wireless would gladly do it again. In the end, our balancing acts payed off. During the dress rehearsal and show, the receive antenna system worked beautifully, all four satellite systems performing in unison. " "