LeBron James’ dunks may be thunderous, but the reverberations from these megaton feats of physical prowess cause no problems for audio engineers.
Coordinating all the wireless microphones, intercoms, in-ear monitors, IFB systems and player microphones used at the 2013 NBA All-Star game, however, is something different.
For the seventh time, the NBA selected Professional Wireless Systems, a Masque Sound Company, to provide RF support for the NBA All-Star Game weekend. In addition to the nationally televised game, PWS helped out at the annual Jam Session, the Slam Dunk Contest, and the Three-Point Shootout event.
With little room for error, PWS had to manage nearly 500 frequencies at Houston’s Toyota Center, while Houston is a large television market with a heavily saturated spectrum. For the All-Star Game, the NBA provided an in-house 2.4GHZ Wi-Fi system. PWS was tasked with coordinating and managing the system — tracking down uncoordinated and rogue devices to help maintain good signal and data flow. Once located and identified, the individuals or clients who were out of compliance were asked to shut down or move to an acceptable Wi-Fi channel.
"The NBA is extremely proactive regarding RF communications and we work closely with them leading up to the All-Star weekend so we are well-prepared going in," says Brooks Schroeder of PWS. "Once we got on site we were able to move users around the spectrum as needed to ensure things operated smoothly without interruption."
More information about Masque Sound.
