Ingo Powitzer has been an integral part of the Scorpions crew for 22 years, ensuring smooth operations on and off stage as the backliner for lead guitarist Matthias Jabs. His responsibilities include executing the perfect transmission of wireless guitar signals, a job that Jabs and Powitzer have entrusted to Shure Axient Digital.
"With Scorpions, the backliner job is a bit broader, more full-service. That's why I also look after new equipment and regularly keep an eye out for suitable solutions on the market," said Powitzer. After more than 20 years, Powitzer precisely understands the band’s live sound requirements: "With Scorpions, just about everything is custom-made - from the guitars, to the amps, to the effects," he added.
Powitzer came across the Axient Digital system through colleagues and counterparts in US bands, like Whitesnake: "I had concerns at first because the system is digital, and I was unsure about the latencies and the 'analogue' feel. For Scorpions, it has to sound good and feel right. This concern simply did not come about with Axient Digital. Setting up and synchronising the packs with the calculated frequencies is much easier than before," he said.
In addition, the AD1 transmitters are glued directly to the guitars of the band's second guitarist, Rudolf Schenker, and have to withstand a lot during the show: "With other manufacturers' plastic cases, the packs would probably break after three songs," he continued.