One of the things that I like about working in the live sound industry is that I’m always learning something, whether it’s contractually related stuff, like a ticket sales bonus clause, or tech-y stuff, like how a P.A. system is deployed in a particular venue to optimize audience coverage.
We’re getting ready to do a run of dates in the UK and Europe in the fall, a tour which was postponed once from 2020 to 2021 and then again from 2021 to 2022 due to the pandemic. It appears that this year, it will actually happen. As I work on the arrangements, I’m reminded of how different our tours run in the UK and Europe as opposed to here in the States. On home turf, we almost never tour in a bus. The majority of our U.S. shows are weekend fly dates, with an occasional string of days when we’re on the ground in rental cars and have a truck carrying our backline. The last time we were on a tour bus was in 2019 when we played in the UK — so I’m recalling all the things that need to be worked out on a bus tour. You have to build in a lot of extra travel time, especially if you’re playing a major city, because getting around in a bus is slow. Load-in times have to be scheduled carefully, particularly when it’s a small venue and there are other bands that need to dump their trailers. Dragging a trailer full of gear behind a tour bus makes it more difficult and time consuming to maneuver into and out of venues and hotels.
One of the things on my checklist is making sure that our wireless gear can operate legally in the UK and Europe. Some of our wireless systems operate in the 2.4 GHz band, which (as in the States) is a double-edged sword. The good news is that the 2.4 GHz band is unregulated worldwide and can be used license-free for wireless mics and instruments systems. The bad news is that the 2.4 GHz band is unregulated worldwide and can be used license-free for a bunch of other wireless devices including Wi-Fi and drones! The coexistence of Wi-Fi in this band means that you probably won’t be able to run more than a half-dozen 2.4 GHz wireless systems simultaneously before you encounter interference. And as this frequency range has shorter wavelengths, operating range is reduced when compared to (for example) UHF systems. “Better watch out for that router in the box office.” Yikes.
UHF
If you’re planning to use RF gear that operates in the UHF band, don’t assume that you can use the same gear that you’ve been using here in the States. A bit of research will be required to find out if your system can be used legally in the destination country. Many manufacturers of wireless gear produce versions of the same system that operate in different frequency ranges and are intended for use in different geographic regions. For example, Sennheiser EW-DX wireless mics (see Fig. 1) are offered in versions designed for use in the EU, US, Canada, Middle East, and Japan (“Q1-9”), EU and the UK (“U1/5”), and China (“S4-10”) — among others.
Once you’ve got that sorted, you’ll need to consider how many wireless systems you need to do your show. If you’re only running one or two wireless systems, you might be able to squeeze into the band between 863.100 and 864.900 MHz (channel 70), which can be used indoors or outdoors license-free in the UK. Transmission power in this band is limited to 10mW. This narrow band only supports three or four RF devices and — as it’s available for use by other unregulated operators — you operate at your own risk. Channel 70 is also available for license-free use in most of Europe, but it’d be a wise idea to check the rules in each specific country you plan to visit.
If you’re running gear in the VHF band, you can operate license-free in the UK on any of seven frequencies ranging from 173.700 to 175.100 MHz at a maximum transmission power of 10mW (50mW if it’s a body-pack transmitter). Regulations throughout Europe for VHF vary: in Germany, 174.000 to 230.000 MHz is license-free, while in France 174.000 to 223.000 MHz is license-free. Luckily, the major manufacturers have online tools to help you keep track of this information.
As of this writing, the UK has set aside 606 to 614 MHz (channel 38) specifically for use with wireless mic, instrument and IEM systems. This range can be licensed for a fee on a non-protected basis for either one or two years, but the good news is that it’s not available for use by other types of wireless devices — so frequency coordination is somewhat simplified. This band, however, is also relatively narrow and will only support around a dozen RF systems. Similarly, frequencies in the VHF range from 175.250 to 209.800 MHz can be licensed on a non-protected basis for one year.
Full-blown productions requiring higher numbers of wireless systems will probably need to use the “interleaved spectrum” that spans a range from 470 to 694 MHz. Wireless mics, IEMs and instrument systems can operate in the “white spaces” (the gaps) between UK TV channels across this range. Licensing is based on a daily rate per-frequency, so if you needed to run 20 channels of wireless gear for a one-off show, you’d license 20 frequencies for a duration of 24 hours.
If you can’t legally use the RF gear that you own when touring internationally, then rent the systems locally. Most pro rental companies are familiar with the licensing process and are willing to secure the licensing on your behalf for a small fee if you’re renting the gear from them. It’s not as cost-effective as purchasing a one-or two-year license, but consider it part of the cost of doing business.
Steve “Woody” La Cerra is the tour manager and front of house engineer for Blue Öyster Cult.
