A live performance by Colombian artist Maluma atop New York City’s Empire State Building was supported by Sound Devices Astral Wireless, delivering reliable audio for both in-person and global livestream audiences.
The event included a live performance by Colombian artist Maluma on the Empire State Building’s 90th-floor platform, a first for the landmark. Audio production company Clair Global managed the sound for the 600 on-site guests and the worldwide livestream, using Sound Devices’ Astral system to maintain stable wireless audio in the challenging RF environment.
“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,” said Clair Global Live Sound Engineer and Mixer German Tarazona.
“We had to make sure we could deliver nothing less than 100% perfection.”
The Clair Global 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, built a compact but high-performance rig around a DiGiCo Quantum 225 console and SD Mini Rack. Wireless duties were handled by a Sound Devices ARX16 digital wireless receiver, A20-Monarch omnidirectional antennas, and four Astral HH digital handheld microphones.
“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,” Tarazona said. “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.”
The performance, lasting 12 minutes, took place as the Empire State Building was illuminated in the colors of the Colombian flag. “This was huge for Maluma and for Colombia in general,” Tarazona said. “Everything came together on the audio production side perfectly.”
