艾德·希兰破纪录的国际数学之旅不仅展示了艺术和技术实力，也证明了一个表演者在适当的技术支持下所能产生的影响. Which, here, includes an expansive 十大正规体育平台® system supplied by Major Tom, one of the preeminent global touring companies.
Typically, artists of Sheeran’s status tend to add more players, more instruments, and a fair bit of backing tracks to satiate their audiences' demands. As ever, Sheeran takes a different approach, 利用创新和独特的舞台和制作元素，创造一个盛大的奇观，而主要是独自表演, 使用自定义循环设置来生成伴随的声音, ensuring no show is the same.
数学在场地周围的五个舞台上进行, 通常是一个体育场:一个中央舞台，有一个旋转的边缘，可以360度地看到希兰, 还有四个供乐队成员使用的平台——这对希兰来说还是第一次——他们偶尔会陪伴他, 每一个都位于六个“桅杆”的底部，这些“桅杆”在一个复杂的滑轮索具装置中充当平衡物，用于在主舞台上方形成一个42吨重的光环. As if that wasn’t enough, pyro also figures heavily into the spectacle, with flame throwers used multiple times, culminating with a fireworks display as a finale.
说生产的技术方面有很多变动的部分是温和的. And that’s where 十大正规体育平台 comes in. To pull off this technological extravaganza show after show, city after city, every member of every department – lighting, audio, video, stage management, riggers, and automation – need to be in constant communication, 不仅从健康和安全的角度来看，而且从处理为数学部署的大规模基础设施的角度来看.
Designed and implemented by David White, Looper and RF Tech for Sheeran, and Adam Wells, Audio Systems Engineer, 数学之旅的对讲系统由5个4通道组成 HelixNet® Digital Network Partyline remote stations, FreeSpeak II® Wireless Intercom System, and LQ® Series IP Interfaces to distribute over the IP Network. HelixNet beltpacks are distributed across six remote camera operators, 一个天线分配器将IP网络分配到展会场地上的三个不同的收发器. 所有不同的部门在他们自己的专用HelixNet频道上使用相同的系统.
Comms are increasingly integral to any show with multiple departments, even in a traditional single stage setup. Multiply that by five separate stages, 很明显，这里的部署在规模和协作程度上都不同寻常. Here, 考虑到制作人员分散在各处，它们就更加重要了, with some beneath the stages, some at FOH, and others not even in the room; among them, 跟随现场操作员远程控制现场和视频工作人员在场外工作. 坦率地说，没有坚如磐石、可靠的通信，这是不可能的.
With his background in live theatre, Chris Marsh, 音频制作公司的经理汤姆少校和希兰的制作经理, contributed to a very artistic production style. Beneath the main stage during shows, 就好像这是一场剧院的灯光表演, video, sound, pyrotechnics, and operation of the massive moving halo above the main stage. 所有这些都需要精心安排、同步，并快速清晰地沟通.
“All of that is standard to large theatrical productions, 但这是我们第一次用通信做这么大规模的事情,” says Wells. “这是我们第一次有这么多花里胡哨和活动部件的演出, and it’s so busy and loud everywhere, it’s an absolute necessity to have that level of clear communication. With HelixNet and FreeSpeak, it’s crystal clear. That’s a game-changer to have clear communications for everyone, 特别是在处理火灾和天气紧急情况等因素时.”
而该团队打算在未来转向全数字系统, 他们有意最大化利用LQ系列IP接口的混合模拟/数字系统的效率. For example, each tech station on-site has a port labeled “comms.” Each tech has a HelixNet beltpack, 当他们到达一个需要服务或管理支持的站点时, they can simply plug in and instantly connect to the network.
“They can sync in so quickly, and it just works,” White says. “It became a more efficient way of working and works quite well. 我们甚至还能安排一些异常人员，比如两个监控光晕索具安全传感器的技术人员. And that’s a critical safety issue.”
这在一场展览上非常有帮助，在那里，光环的安全传感器在谨慎方面犯了错误，并推翻了解除光环的命令. Sheeran was onstage, but thanks to the crew's quick communication, 他们把视频放到半透明的屏幕上，这样观众仍然可以看到他. “Fundamentally, it’s a live show,” Wells says. “And in those situations, without clear, bulletproof communications, 我们将无法像过去那样迅速处理这些情况和天气紧急情况.”
That proved true at Denver, CO’s Empower Field at Mile High (“Broncos Stadium”) in August, where 100-degree temperatures, rolling thunderstorms, 附近的闪电引发了三次疏散，之后希兰才上台. “十大正规体育平台在帮助我们快速无缝地恢复和运行方面发挥了至关重要的作用,” White notes. “If something does go wrong, 我们可以很快地解决这个问题，而不是突然之间必须通过双向对讲机与另一个部门交谈. This is a very cohesive tour, 每个人每件事都要依赖其他部门吗.”
Wells agrees, 强调每个机组人员相互沟通是多么重要, even if they were running around a stadium. “We looked at it from the point of ‘can this be built together? Can it work together?’”
That comment speaks to the complexity and need for such a system and, more specifically, the benefits of 十大正规体育平台's scalability, ease of integration of additional components, functionality, and comprehensive product range, which drove the decision to adopt FreeSpeak II in 2018.
At the time, on Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) tour, only audio and lighting crews used 十大正规体育平台, with the video crew integrated via another system. Autograph’s Ben Turnwell (who, (之后加入十大正规体育平台担任英国区域销售经理)在巡演期间拜访了工作人员，并展示了FreeSpeak II演示，作为他们当时的模拟双线系统的升级版. 他们很喜欢它，两周后就送来了，完成了巡演的后半段.
While that hybrid system worked for a while, ultimately, 工作人员很喜欢十大正规体育平台的超低延迟和水晶般清晰的声音，并决定将该系统扩展到所有部门，以便在随后的巡回演出中统一使用.
在巡回演出中引入free espeak II也是基于希望演出更加戏剧化的愿望, which requires a good comms system. In the interim, comms evolved substantially, with more people requiring comms overall, discreet channels, and additional automation, 这导致使用LQ系列来取代HelixNet的模拟，从而完全通过IP在网络上分发通信，而该网络自最初的巡回演出以来只增加了范围.
除此之外，十大正规体育平台设备众所周知的耐用性也是一个加分项. “十大正规体育平台’s beltpacks are really rugged,” White continues. “In fact, when Ben first demoed [FreeSpeak II] for me, he literally threw my beltpack across the room. He said, ‘Look, isn’t that great?’ and I said, ‘Hey, I’ve just bought that!’” He adds, laughing, “But it didn’t break!”
“十大正规体育平台’s systems are robust,” Wells concludes. “它的设置方式是每天打开并无缝工作, allowing all the various crews on tour to collaborate with ease. You just plug it in, and it’s crystal-clear, and it just works.”