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. Sennheiser technology promised perfect sound for both events - even under the difficult radio transmission conditions at the venue.
Wednesday 12 May 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 complex event, as the conditions for radio microphones in the Abdi Ipekci arena are 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. He continued: "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 technology and by choosing optimum positions for the antennas."
Altogether, a total of forty-eight 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 2 May, and when the concert went on air on 15 May we had been hard at work for two whole weeks, sometimes until well into the night."
Look out for our extended Eurovision feature in the June issue of L&SI Lighting&Sound International.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
