LAS VEGAS and NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Shure technology played a critical role during the broadcast productions of the 59th Annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville and the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

At the CMA Awards, Shure microphones and wireless systems delivered clear, reliable audio. The country music event’s production team relied heavily on Shure Axient Digital Wireless and PSM 1000 in-ear monitoring systems to deliver pristine sound to the crowd, artists and those tuning into the ABC-produced event around the world.

ATK provided wireless support with 34 channels of Axient Digital and 24 channels of PSM 1000 powering 116 belt packs per side, the company said.

“I still continue to be amazed by the rock-solid performance, operating range and tolerance to interference [of Axient Digital],” James Stoffo, RF coordinator for the CMA Awards, said. “One diversity set of antennas upstage center covered an entire arena from the stage to the back of house. When the transmitters were anywhere in the arena, I had completely pegged RF indication at the receivers. Exactly what you want to see.”

The show featured Shure KSM11 microphones for host duties and standout performances, including Luke Combs, who also paired the KSM11 for his collaboration with BigXthaPlug.

“I have been using the KSM11 for over three years for both speech and performance applications,” said Paul Wittman, production sound mixer for the CMA Awards. “They have a smooth, natural response and are consistent across many voices.”

Other artists relying on Shure Axient Digital and mic capsules included: Old Dominion and Megan Moroney, using a Shure SM58; Chris Stapleton, using a wired SM58; Riley Green, using a Beta 58A; Zach Top, using KSM9; Little Big Town, using the KSM11 and SM58; Ella Langley using the SM58; and Patty Loveless, using the SM58.

Latin Grammy Awards
This year’s Latin Grammy Awards saw Shure play key roles from the opening number, featuring Carlos Santana, to performances by Aitana, Alejandro Sanz and Karol G. Artists and the production team relied upon Shure’s Axient Digital Wireless Microphone System and the Axient Digital PSM In-Ear Monitor System

In addition to the main show, the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Awards and Latin Grammy Premiere were both supported entirely by Shure wireless, including Axient Digital Wireless and Axient Digital PSM In-Ear Monitoring Systems.

“The Latin Grammy Awards were a big success,” Univision Technical Manager Michael Karsch said. ”I attribute this to the professional audio crew and the support of Shure. Due to frequency limitations in Las Vegas, our Shure representative loaned us the new Axient Digital PSM system, which enabled us to provide an interference-free monitoring system for the talent. The talent loved the sound as well as the smaller belt pack. This made life easier and delivered a stress-free production.”

Production teams deployed eight channels of Axient Digital PSM for Stage A, while the rest of the show featured the trusted Shure PSM 1000. Wireless podium audio was delivered flawlessly using Shure AD3 transmitters, and announcers Maluma and Roselyn relied on Axient Digital systems paired with Shure KSM11 Cardioid Condenser Vocal Microphone capsules, Shure said.

“We had the opportunity to implement multiple channels of Digital PSM In Ear monitor systems,” said James Stoffo, RF coordinator for the Latin Grammy Awards. “The analog PSM RF spectrum was full of back-to-back DTV so I requested that we add as many Digital PSM channels as we could get our hands on. Everything went off splendidly and the monitor technicians were happy. The wide RF tuning range and audio quality, even in low RF signal conditions, makes the RF tech’s job so much easier. My intention is to specify the Digital PSMs on all future live productions.”

More information is available on the Shure website.

Michael Pettersen

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—Anyone who has been in the television industry for more than a few months knows that getting good audio is much harder than getting good video. And poor audio will make even the best-looking video seem like the overall production is amateurish.

So it’s time to take a look at audio and examine the state-of-the-art in microphones. Good audio begins with a quality mic and the right technique, but there are always technical advances that can mean new mic designs and operating procedures.

Broadcast Engineering Extra talked with Michael Pettersen, the director of product technical support for Shure. Shure is one of the oldest and most-trusted names in the microphone business—for example, Shure supplies the two SM57 microphones used by the U.S. president at press conferences.

In addition to being Shure’s director of product technical support, Pettersen is also the company’s corporate historian. Throughout his 38 years of service with Shure, Pettersen has held multiple positions within sales, marketing and engineering. He created the Shure Consultant Liaison Program and co-authored the two-volume, 400-page Shure history book published in 2000.

BE Extra: Are there any new active technologies for improving the directionality of microphones? How do these work?

Pettersen: Yes. An array of multiple mics controlled by digital signal processing can produce different pick up patterns. These pickup patterns can be electronically aimed at desired sound sources and away from noise sources. Typical applications that could benefit from array mics are video conferences and talk shows.

BE Extra: Lavalier mics are available in both directional and omnidirectional varieties. When and why should one be chosen over another?

Pettersen: It is true that a directional lavalier will pick up less background noise than a similar-quality omnidirectional lavalier. However, an omni lavalier has these advantages over the directional lavalier: Less wind noise, no bass build up due to proximity effect, reduced handling and vibration noise, works no matter how it is oriented toward the talker’s mouth, impossible to talk outside of the polar pattern, and less P-popping from plosive sounds.

BE Extra: Often when listening to a news story on television, the reporter’s voice differs dramatically between when speaking on camera and off camera—clearly two different mics are used. What do you advise a broadcaster regarding this situation? Always use the best mic for the application? Or simply use the same quality mic to get both the on-camera and off-camera audio?

Pettersen: These differences are primarily a result of the acoustical conditions. Voice-overs are created in an acoustically treated (“dead”) room by using a mic optimized for an announcer. Meanwhile, the live broadcast is “on location,” with a mic optimized to minimize wind noise and handling noise; and the “location” is not acoustically treated. Place the location microphone in the acoustically treated room, and it will sound quite different because of the room acoustics. Choose the best mic for the job and accept the acoustical results.

The Shure QLXD124 is a digital wireless mic system.

BE Extra: There are a lot of unanswered questions regarding the upcoming spectrum auction, including its effect on wireless microphone systems. If a video producer needs to buy a wireless system today, are there any features/specs that will future-proof the product? What should the producer look for?

Pettersen: Unfortunately, no wireless system can be 100-percent future-proof, as the FCC is in control of the spectrum situation, not wireless mic manufacturers. However, some good advice for purchasing wireless systems in 2015 is to procure a digital UHF system that operates in the range of 470 MHz to 600 MHz band. And, a wireless system that offers battery rechargeability is a plus. A digital wireless system in this band should be useable for many years.

BE Extra: How many wireless systems can be running in one location at one time? How might this be affected by the spectrum auction?

Pettersen: The number of systems that can be used at one time is dependent on the wireless series selected. Shure offers many different systems at different price points, which results in a variance of this capability. As an example, the Shure ULX-D Series, in High Density mode, can support up to 100 systems in one venue. At this time, it is impossible to predict the impact the spectrum auction will have on this aspect of wireless use, but reduced available wireless spectrum may indeed reduce the number of systems that can operate simultaneously.

BE Extra: What else should we know about either wired or wireless mics? Is there new technology coming that promises to improve the quality/performance of microphones?

Pettersen: The audio quality of wired mics has been excellent dating back to the 1930s. I would say that the audio quality of microphones has been evolutionary, not revolutionary! Dynamic, condenser and ribbon transducer technologies are well established and will continue to be in use for many decades. In the wireless realm, the shift from analog to digital has been a major innovation, allowing for better audio quality, more simultaneous systems in operation and precise control of wireless parameters using computer networks.