The Super Bowl Halftime Show has become arguably the biggest live entertainment moment of the calendar year. And for a big show, you need a big rig.

A big rig was exactly what was powering Usher’s spectacular halftime show, run by California audio-visual equipment hire service ATK Audiotek at Super Bowl LVIII, held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on 11 February. The show saw an attendance of 70,000 and was watched by a whopping 123 million people. No pressure, then.

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The vast audio rig was shared recently by Focusrite, who interviewed ATK Audiotek’s Kirk Powell, Engineer-in-Charge at the Super Bowl.

In the revealing chat, he emphasises the significance of the Focusrite RedNet setup, stating, “This is our ninth year using Focusrite RedNet with our Dante Audio-over IP network at the Super Bowl. This year we are employing over 100 RedNet units, which is the largest Focusrite setup used on a Super Bowl to date.”

The extensive RedNet infrastructure, featuring components such as RedNet D16R MkII, RedNet A16R MkII, RedNet D64R, RedNet MP8R, and RedNet AM2 units, ensured fluid connectivity across a range of interfaces and made for effective clock management during the event.

Speaking to Focusrite, Powell highlights the challenges of designing and installing the audio system, particularly regarding rigging and cable management due to the unique ceiling structure of Allegiant Stadium. He explains, “Flying the P.A. Allegiant Stadium’s ceiling structure is cable-based, just like SoFi Stadium, which restricts options for placing clusters and similar components due to weight restrictions and rigging points.”

Despite these challenges, Powell notes, “The system worked out really well. Also, with renowned mixers Dave Natale and Alex Guessard handling FOH duties, the audio for the performances sounded great.”

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