Sennheiser Spectera Powers 79th Tony Awards In Record US Broadcast Rollout

Bidirectional wideband system underpins P!NK’s hosting, performances and a high RF channel count at Radio City Music Hall in the largest US broadcast deployment of Spectera to date.

Sennheiser’s Spectera ecosystem took centre stage at the 79th Tony Awards on 7 June, delivering its biggest US broadcast deployment so far. Integrated by Firehouse Productions for the live show at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, the wideband, bidirectional platform helped carry Broadway’s biggest night to millions, with host P!NK relying on Spectera throughout.

The milestone builds on Spectera’s Tony Awards debut in 2025, when Cynthia Erivo used a single bodypack to transmit a lavalier microphone while simultaneously receiving stereo in-ear monitoring during a venue-wide entrance from an upper-level dressing room to the main stage — an early showcase of Spectera’s seamless coverage and two-way capability.

For 2026, Spectera supported handheld microphones, headsets, lavaliers, instrument wireless and in-ear monitoring across a fast-moving production where technical needs evolved in real time. P!NK used the system exclusively for her headset, lavalier, in-ear monitoring and a handheld fitted with a Neumann KK 204 capsule, handled by a single low-profile Spectera SEK bodypack. The setup covered her high-flying opening, a star-studded rendition of “Lady Marmalade” from Moulin Rouge! The Musical, audience interactions and links, and a tribute to Chicago marking the Broadway revival’s 30th anniversary. Spectera microphones were also deployed in performances from Schmigadoon! and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), with instrument wireless used during the In Memoriam segment.

“We recently used Spectera for in ear monitors at our show in San Diego. With the Tony’s being a combination of in-ears and a headset mic for some of the performances, it was a no brainer for us to use the transceiver,” comments Jon Lewis, Monitor Engineer for P!NK. “The functionally of the Spectera system allowed us to constantly monitor the bodypacks, make changes remotely and lock volumes to allow them to be placed inside costumes without the worry of volumes being knocked during complex dance sequences. Spectera is a gamechanger when it comes to system management and functionality.”

Two Spectera Base Stations provided venue-wide coverage, with the system carrying the equivalent of roughly 60 channels of audio within just 12 MHz of spectrum while operating alongside numerous conventional wireless systems on the same stage. Monitoring, frequency coordination and control were centralised through SoundBase across all brands, giving the RF team a single, unified view.

“Spectera is going to change the whole game,” said Justin Milner, RF Technician for the 79th Tony Awards. “It brings a completely different headspace. Everything from spectrum management to transmitter deployment to antenna deployment is easier, faster and more robust than narrowband systems.”

According to Scott Hoskins, RF Coordinator at Firehouse Productions, Spectera’s flexibility proved vital as requirements shifted right up to airtime. “We were able to adjust mic capacities and add more in-ear channels without having to worry about additional frequency management,” he said. “The ease and flexibility of EtherCON-based antennas greatly expands our ability to change areas of coverage on the fly, as well as reach remote areas where a traditional coax-based system would require additional hardware.”

Coverage remained solid through rehearsals and the live broadcast. “The Spectera carriers have been rock solid all week,” said Hoskins. “We deployed four antennas on the first base and three on the second and have had great coverage throughout Radio City.” Milner added, “with the limited spectrum available these days, this breaks open a door to letting productions go wild with their demands for more and more RF on every show.”

The production also took advantage of SoundBase Pro’s new Remote View feature, enabling tailored dashboards across phones, tablets and laptops anywhere in the venue without needing multiple software licences. Engineers monitored audio using Sennheiser HD 480 PRO headphones. As Milner noted, “It was a pleasure listening to every mic transmitted through Spectera on the HD 480 PRO headphones. Everything sounded great.”

With Spectera and traditional systems all visible within SoundBase, oversight remained streamlined. Hoskins emphasised, “the ability to see all our systems together regardless of brand has been a great advantage.”

The broadcast offered a preview of the forthcoming Spectera SKM handheld microphone, with pre-production units used by P!NK and other performers. Looking ahead, Hoskins said, “The amount of physical space and RF spectrum Spectera alleviates should help us keep up with how the shows are constantly increasing in their complexity,” while Greg Simon, Technical Applications Engineering Director at Sennheiser, added, “Spectera gives production teams the flexibility and scalability they need to meet the RF challenges of today while preparing for the demands of future broadcasts.”

The Spectera ecosystem — including bidirectional bodypack transmitters and receivers — is available now. The Spectera SKM handheld is available to pre-order ahead of shipments beginning this autumn.


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