Tag: Astral HH

New York, NY, November 12, 2025 ​ — Fashion giants Hugo BOSS launched their premier men’s fragrance BOSS Bottle Beyond at a dazzling, invite-only event staged at the Empire State Building. The highlight of the event was a live performance by Colombian singer/rapper and Hugo BOSS Brand Ambassador Maluma from atop the building’s 90th floor platform – the first time such a performance has ever been attempted. To ensure impeccable live audio for Maluma, as well as the event’s 600 attendees and fans watching on the live stream around the world, an elite audio production team from Clair Global utilized Sound Devices Astral Wireless.

‘Nothing less than 100% perfection’
​Although other artists have filmed videos and performances on top of the Empire State Building in the past, this was the first to be done completely live for an audience and supported by a worldwide livestream. With only one shot to get it right, the stakes could not have been higher, “There were so many aspects of it that made it special – the iconic location, the excitement around the launch, the place Maluma is in his career right now and him representing Colombia as an artist – we had to get to make sure we got it right,” explains Clair Global Live Sound Engineer and Mixer German Tarazona. “We worked with incredible dedication on every single detail of the pre-production to make sure we’d pull off a rock-solid performance befitting of his talent and skill.”

“We had to make sure we could deliver nothing less than 100% perfection.”

Tarazona, and his team which included Musical Director Miguel “Escobar” Marques, Playback Tech Camilo Fernandez, Production Manager Teo Echeverria, RF Engineer Matt Edminson, and Audio Tech Andrew Puccio, were tasked with a very specific set of requirements to ensure a top-quality mix for both the live and streaming audio, as well as the in-ear mix for Maluma and Marques. Given the limited space available, the team had to assemble a top-quality, compact setup that could account for all of these factors.

“Our musical director created a special arrangement for the show and mixed it live – around 86 channels with a unique orchestration to give the performance a special feel,” says Tarazona. “All of this had to be routed through a single console and be supported by a wireless system that was utterly foolproof. This is where DiGiCo and Sound Devices Astral Wireless were utterly essential to our process.”

Incredible stability and reliability
​Tarazona and his team utilized a DiGiCo Quantum 225 Digital Mixing Console and SD Mini Rack for mixing and audio routing. RF duties were handled by a Sound Devices ARX16 Digital Wireless Receiver, a pair of A20-Monarch Omnidirectional Antennae, and four Sound Devices Astral HH Digital Wireless Handheld Microphones. “We had to carefully evaluate every piece of gear we were taking for this project due to the limited space available for us on the 90th floor platform of the Empire State Building,” Tarazona explains. “RF was the biggest challenge we were facing up there so we knew we needed rock-solid signal quality and the ability to quickly evaluate frequency availability to get the job done.”

“The wide RF spectrum and reliability that the Sound Devices Astral gear provided was absolutely key – it gave us incredible stability throughout the entire performance. Also the fact that it works so seamlessly with the DiGiCo console made for a very easy setup and stress-free operation.”

With the gear in place and setup prepared, it was time for Maluma to take the stage. The Empire State Building was lit up in the colors of the Colombian flag as the global sensation stepped out onto the 90th Floor Platform to perform several of his most well-known hits to the assembled crowd. The production team couldn’t help but be swept up in the energy of the moment. “This was huge for Maluma and for Colombia in general,” Tarazona says. “12 intense minutes that delivered an incredible result for our artist – something we’re truly proud of as a production team.”

“Everything came together on the audio production side perfectly. We’re incredibly thankful for the support from Clair Global throughout pre-production, gear prep, and execution, and to Sound Devices and DiGiCo for designing rock-solid gear that can stand up to a high-stakes production situation like this. It was truly an unforgettable moment.”

To learn more about Clair Global, please visit: https://www.clairglobal.com/

TORONTO, CANADA, October 30, 2025 ​ — Since 2008, Canadian multi-hyphenate Lights has brought listeners on a unique musical journey through an ever-evolving blend of electropop, alternative rock, and dance music. 2025 proved to be one of her most ambitious touring circuits yet – headlining dates across North America as well as making appearances at several international music festivals in support of her critically-acclaimed release, A6. To ensure top-quality performances throughout the tour, Lights and her audio team, Monitor Sound Engineer Andrew ‘Slipper’ Brown, and FOH/PM Chris Kaplinski have invested in a versatile wireless infrastructure capable of delivering on any stage she sets foot – Sound Devices Astral. 

Fresh connections across the live circuit

A charismatic performer with a flair for rearranging material on-the-fly to suit the venue or audience, Lights is constantly finding fresh ways to connect in the live environment. A major part of the success of this approach has been an active, creative back-and-forth with Slipper and Kaplinski to ensure her ability to express herself anywhere in the venue without constraints on the monitoring environment or impact on the sonic output to FOH. “Our working relationship [with Lights] is very strong because she’s such an inspiration – she’s one of the most driven, creative artists I’ve ever worked for,” says Kaplinski. “It’s our goal to replicate the sound of the record while still leaving room for the performances to evolve or change as she sees fit.”

“We want a very adaptable, and most importantly scalable setup that can be equally effective in a large club as it is on a massive festival stage.”

The evolving nature of the performances also applies to the size and locations of the gigs. From intimate fan-pop ups, to the largest stages of her career. Being able to deliver on all stages at a high level is top priority, and Lights and her team have prepared accordingly. “I’ve had the privilege to witness this arc happen a few times, and Lights is at the point in her career where the opportunities are coming and we’re demonstrating our ability to match some very high level productions,” explains Slipper. “It’s all about being able to jump into any configuration or size of venue and deliver a flawless technical experience for the artist on all fronts.”

“We’ve made it our business to operate at that level already in terms of our expertise and experience, and we’ve made wise gear choices to guarantee the sort of high-quality audio and multiple fail-safes that are expected at this level,” he continues. “Sound Devices Astral has become a big part of that.”

‘Good, clean wireless every day without the stress’

Kaplinski and Slipper built the latest Lights wireless rig around a Sound Devices ARX16 True-Diversity Wireless Receiver with Spectraband after being introduced to the Astral product line by the team at GerrAudio Distribution early in 2025. The pairing proved perfect for the duo’s dream of a compact, wireless toolkit that could work on every stage the tour hit, and beyond. “It was immediately impressive in terms of form factor, but the thing that got us right away was how much of a full-featured toolbox it was in terms of features and technical specs,” says Slipper.

“We’re able to roll up to a show, scan and quickly with no other hardware required, deploy clean frequencies, and offer a consistent, quality wireless signal no matter where we’re playing that night. The wide bandwidth capability, 169MHz – 1500MHz offers so much flexibility and really is a massive stress relief entering hostile wireless environments.”

“We’re really hitting a diverse range of venues now, from massive festival stages, to 2500 cap rooms, to smaller places in more remote locations,” he continues. “Being able to maintain a super high level of consistency regardless of the situation is exactly what you want in that situation, and with Astral, we get that.”

“What’s incredible is that all that capability fits into a 1RU Rack Shelf that I can carry on the plane in a Pelican 1510 case! We can fly it anywhere, plug in, and have the confidence of knowing that we’ll be good to go no matter what.”

On the performance end, Lights sings through a customized Astral HH Digital Wireless Handheld Microphone with an SE V7 MC1 Capsule that was introduced during tour rehearsals. The improvement in fidelity showed an immediate impact in the artist’s performance. “Lights is very dialed into microphones and she notices the smallest details in terms of response,” Kaplinski says. “We knew it was a good sounding microphone when we tested it through a cheap mixer in the rehearsal space and it already sounded great. Things got even better when we customized a model for her and paired it with the DiGiCo Consoles that we used on the tour. That opened up the top end even more so, and then we knew we were winning.”

“We’re in a great position in this partnership,” Slipper adds. “The combination of our shared experience with having the tools to operate at that level means we can deliver a consistently great show and match the drive that Lights brings in every day.”

“Stepping out of North America and going International, we have to be able to set it all up in 30 minutes and deliver the highest quality production we can,” Kaplinski concludes. “Having the confidence of knowing you can run as such, makes all the difference, and Sound Devices Astral gives us that added guarantee.”

All photos by Veronique Giguere

Elite audio and RF team explores the finer points of audio fidelity and RF integrity on massive stages

LOS ANGELES, CA, September 17, 2025 ​ — The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn Tour has circled the globe multiple times since it officially kicked off in 2022. During that time, the four-time Grammy-Winning alternative R&B singer and producer has found himself performing at large stadiums to some of the biggest audiences of his career and embracing a level of audio and video production to match. To elevate the sonic fidelity of these performances and make an increasingly complex live machine easier and more reliable to operate, the elite team of live sound professionals behind this – led by Front of House engineer Derek Brener, monitor engineer Lewis Lowder, and RF technician Diego Correa – have made Sound Devices Astral ARX16 receiver and Astral HH Wireless Microphones the centerpiece of the Weeknd’s touring setup.

Teamwork, communication, and a bit of paranoia
​The key to any massive touring operation is the cooperation between the members of the backstage crew and a sense of unity on the level of quality to be delivered. This attention to detail is essential for the After Hours Til Dawn Tour, and its principals behind-the-scenes have united on possessing a healthy level of paranoia when it comes to making sure every box is ticked before showtime. “We’re only as good as the crew and we’ve got an incredible crew on this tour who share a sense of pride in what we’re able to achieve,” says Brener. “What I love about working with Lewis and Diego – and this extends to everyone else – is we’re all a little paranoid about ensuring every detail is right.”

“You gotta be paranoid on a gig like this because there’s no room for failure!”

Brener’s finely tuned ear and innate sense of caution is well-earned, given his experience working larger systems and having to diagnose unexpected points of failure at lightning speed. Given that, he and his team ultimately make upgrades gradually to ensure a smooth experience for the artist as well as their own workflows. “We’re all in this together and we’re constantly looking for ways to iron out even the smallest problems in the setup,” he explains. “It gets very tricky for the size of stages we’re working now, however, so that’s led us to explore new solutions”

“We’re always paying attention to changes in audio and wireless technology to ensure we’re delivering the best possible product for both the artist and the audience,” adds Lewis. “Ultimately, we’re trying to deliver something consistent, but sometimes something comes along that makes you want to rock the boat a little for the sake of getting an ‘extra gear’ of fidelity or RF range.”

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, but when the Astral devices started coming along, we saw an opportunity to make a smart upgrade that would positively impact the show without drastically changing anything for [The Weeknd]’s performance.”

Increased smoothness with a side of problem-solving
​The team initially started exploring Astral ARX16 and the Astral HH to address a long-standing ‘ghost in the machine’ that had made itself more noticeable as the shows had increased in size. A barely perceptible audio issue had begun to tweak Brener’s ears and he swore to track it down. The research started in Brener’s garage before the tour rehearsals kicked off. Brener explains:

“I’d been chasing this very subtle intermodulated distortion that had begun to manifest once the systems got larger. I drove everyone crazy with it because once I was the only one who noticed at first, but once I pointed it out to Diego and Lewis, we all heard it and wanted it gone. We came to realize that it was the result of the combination of [the Weeknd]’s unique vocal timbre and the hyping of compression and high-end. This being companded gave us this high-end ‘rizz’ in certain areas. After months of trying to figure this out and swapping things out multiple times for other brands, we were introduced to the Sound Devices Astral and the Astral HH product line and realized we finally had a solution.”

The then-new Astral HH handheld provided better headroom and fidelity for the audio overall, and its use of Sound Devices’ Gain Forward technology removed the need for companding. The results were immediate. “It really sounds like a wired microphone to me – not something you can say for most wireless units,” Brener says. “It’s a really flexible mic in terms of aesthetics and customization as well, so we tricked it out in a gold shell and used [The Weeknd]’s favored Sennheiser 5235 capsule and he took to it without saying anything – the ultimate compliment!”

“Most importantly – the ‘rizz’ was gone,” he adds. “It solved this big problem that had been plaguing us for years, and suddenly we had a lot more flexibility in the RF setup as well.”

Flexibility and reliability
​The RF end of the equation has Correa utilizing an Astral ARX16 receiver with another unit as a redundant backup. Managing RF on stages of this side presents its own unique challenges, which he was eager to tackle with the Astral-series increased range and flexibility of frequencies from 169-1525MHz with built in Real Time Spectrum Analyzer. “We were really excited when we first heard about Astral and its wide-band frequency capabilities,” Correa adds. “We’re on a monster stage here – long and wide – so we need our RF capabilities to be strong, reliable, and versatile to deal with any number of issues that can crop up in a production of this size.”

“We used to just throw voltage at the problem, anything to get another 50-100 feet out of the system, so realizing we wouldn’t have to do that anymore was a major help!”

“It gets tricky with these ranges so you do everything you can to make things efficient and stable,” he continues. “Having Astral gives us the ability to pivot in ways we never could before. We figure these issues out in minutes rather than hours, and account for all these variable ingredients that make the job challenging. It really helps with the paranoia, and has given the team one less thing to worry about!”

“It felt very smooth going to Astral HH and Astral ARX16 and we’re impressed,” concludes Brener. The Sound Devices guys really thought of everything.”

To learn more about Sound Devices Astral Wireless, please visit: https://www.sounddevices.com/astral/