Axient, from Shure, present in 2012 at major events such as the Olympic Games

Shure's revolutionary Axient wireless technology proved its worth at the London Olympics. Axient's efficiency in using the RF spectrum was also a deciding factor in choosing the system.

Axient wireless microphones Shure They were widely used in numerous events during 2012 but perhaps one of their most notable applications was their involvement in the opening and closing ceremonies of the last London Olympic Games. The organization of the event opted for Shure from the beginning of the systems design process for the ceremonies. These past games marked Axient's debut at an Olympic ceremony.

The choice of Axient was based on numerous features of these new systems such as audio quality, frequency diversity, and the unique battery charging technology developed for Axient.

Scott Willsallen, Audio Systems Designer London 2012, has highlighted that "we used mics with a Shure KSM9 capsule as a standard mic in these systems, with the possibility of changing to the Beta 58 if the artists involved were...let's say...loud! The Axient transmitter with the KSM9 capsule sounds as if we were using a wired KSM9; simply phenomenal. It's obviously as it should be, but it really is a great achievement."

Axient wireless devices offer the possibility of transmitting on two frequencies at the same time, if necessary. In this way, it is received in two or three receiver locations for each artist, due to redundancy issues. This feature is key when choosing wireless microphones. The technology used for the rechargeable elements also stands out, since it is possible to see at any time how much battery remains in the transmitters throughout the network in 5-minute intervals with great reliability, a totally innovative feature of this system that allows great savings in time and money, in addition to being sustainable. It is estimated that around 26,000 batteries were no longer used at the event thanks to rechargeable batteries.

Axient's efficiency in using the RF spectrum was also a deciding factor in choosing the system. Axient can operate over 20 wireless channels on a standard English TV channel of 8MHz. The radio spectrum plan was made to be used with UHF-R wireless microphones and adding Axient was like an “extra bonus” given the system's ability to have many more channels in the same spectrum.