Hand Held began by supplying the show with a total of 14 Shure hand-held systems featuring Beta 58 capsules which were for use on the live performances at the end of the week. For the rest of the time, the students were furnished with a Shure beltpack lavalier system using MKE2 capsules as the cameras followed their progress at work and play. Hand Held's Mick Shepherd pointed out a certain irony in the fact that as the show's ratings go up, the gear requirements go down. "As students are evicted at the end of each week, the wireless systems they've been using get sent back to us. Strangely, the fewer people left on the show, the more people want to watch - it doesn't seem right somehow!"
HHA has also supplied the Academy with four presenter systems from Sennheiser comprising SKM 5000 hand-held microphones using the new Neumann KMS 105 capsules, and SK50 lavaliers. This means that presenters Patrick Kielty and Cat Deeley have both a full system and a complete set of spares each. In fact, both Ronan Keating and previous week's guest Mariah Carey chose to use one of the spare presenter systems for their performances, but when Lionel Ritchie performed earlier in the series, HHA supplied a separate Shure inventory including a handheld vocal system, guitar and in-ear system.
(Lee Baldock)
