Walpole, MA, USA, June 17, 2025 — RF-Alliance is a Germany-based and internationally active consultancy firm specializing in radio spectrum management and wireless technologies for entertainment applications. Though a young company, its staff consists of highly qualified technicians with decades of experience in wireless audio for large events, including the planning and on-site implementation and operation of complex wireless microphone and IEM setups. Technologies from RF Venue, a global leading manufacturer of wireless audio essential accessories, are key tools for RF-Alliance co-founder and RF technician Dominik Feltes. Feltes recently selected RF Venue’s innovative new CP Stage compact, circularly-polarized antenna plus RF Venue’s 4 ZONE active antenna combiner to overcome the inherent RF challenges of a high-profile arena tour involving a Main and B-stage layout, roaming artists and 34 channels of wireless audio transmission.
RF Venue’s tools enabled a level of flexibility and control that made a major difference in maintaining management across 11 UK and European shows in February and March for Cyndi Lauper’s ongoing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour. “From gain staging each antenna zone independently to fine-tuning IEM coverage on both the main stage and B-stage, their gear was instrumental to our success,” said Feltes. “The 4 ZONE Combiner gave me precise control over multi-zone antenna management, especially with seamless transitions between the main stage and B-stage. And the CP Stage Antenna was a perfect fit for providing consistent IEM coverage across multiple onstage zones and backstage areas. Coverage was predictable across the tour’s IEM RF zones as the polar pattern in the specifications closely matches the real RF coverage.”
For distribution of 18 channels of Shure PSM1000 in-ear monitors, Feltes deployed three IEM combiners feeding three transmission antennas (two via a RF Venue 2X1SPLIT passive antenna splitter/combiner). The IP44 rated weather-resistant RF Venue CP Stage Antenna, selected for its tailored polar pattern and compact form factor, delivered clean, uninterrupted signal to the artist as she roamed the stage and downstage wings as well as the backstage area. “The CP Stage Antenna proved ideal for covering multiple planes of movement, from backstage to downstage side wings, without overreaching into the adjacent RF zones,” Feltes explained. “Its coverage footprint and physical design make it a smart middle-ground between a CP Beam and wider-field antennas.”
For the tour's 16 channels of Shure Axient Digital microphones, the antenna network included a pair each of paddle and helical directional antennas with in-line amplifiers feeding the 4 ZONE Combiner, which then fed the antenna distribution amps. Feltes implemented external HF filters to eliminate intermodulation issues caused by high-powered production radios operating near the system's frequency range and physically close to the antennas.
“We had zero RF issues during the entire leg of the tour,” Feltes continued. “RF Venue’s equipment contributed directly to that success, with consistently strong receiver levels and seamless handoffs between zones, even during complex roaming performances.”
Having worked internationally in wireless audio since 2012, Feltes notes that RF Venue products are a regular part of his touring toolkit: “We as RF-Alliance love working with RF Venue. The CP Beam is a classic, but I was particularly impressed by the performance of the CP Stage Antenna on this run as it fit all our requirements perfectly. It’s earned a permanent spot in my road case.”
Links:
RF Venue
CP Stage antenna
4 ZONE active antenna combiner
2X1SPLIT passive splitter/combiner
RF-Alliance
Photo file 1: CP_Stage.jpeg
Photo caption 1: RF Venue’s innovative new CP Stage compact circularly-polarized antenna “was a perfect fit for providing consistent IEM coverage across multiple onstage zones and backstage areas” across 11 stops of a high-profile European arena tour.
Photo file 2: Rack.jpeg
Photo caption 2: RF Venue’s 4 ZONE active antenna combiner, shown mounted in the wireless mic rack, delivered precise control over multi-zone antenna management to deliver seamless transitions between the tour’s stages.
Photo file 3: CP_Stage2.jpeg
Photo caption 3: RF Venue’s innovative new CP Stage compact circularly-polarized antenna “was a perfect fit for providing consistent IEM coverage across multiple onstage zones and backstage areas” across 11 stops of a high-profile European arena tour.
Photo file 4: CPStageAntenna.jpg
Photo caption 4: RF Venue’s latest addition to its comprehensive antenna line is the ground-breaking compact, ruggedized, IP-rated and portable, circularly polarized CP Stage antenna for wireless in-ear monitor and microphone systems.
About RF Venue®
RF Venue, Inc. is an innovative and fast-growing developer and manufacturer of patented antenna and RF communications products headquartered near Boston, Massachusetts, USA. For over 15 years, the company has designed and built specialized antennas and distribution to make wireless microphones and In-Ear Monitors (IEMs) work and sound better. Markets include houses of worship, schools, business venues and performance spaces, with tens of thousands of installations worldwide. RF Venue is known for its highly successful wireless mic essentials: Diversity Fin®, Diversity Architectural™, Diversity Omni™, and RF Spotlight™ antennas, the 4 ZONE™ active antenna combiner and HDR distribution, including the DISTRO5 HDR™ and DISTRO9 HDR™. It is also known for its wireless IEM essentials: CP Beam™ and CP Architectural™ antennas plus the new CP Stage™ antenna (suited for both microphone and IEM use), and the COMBINE6 HDR™ IEM transmitter combiner, along with other RF products. Visit rfvenue.com to learn more. |