Inauguration tech

bri4827

Member
I thought I would just post some interesting screen shots I grabbed from here

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I like the dueling 5d's and the sketchy phone in the pit - as well as all the robotic cameras stuck on that tower - Check out the link though it's fun to dig in for yourself
 
Remote cameras are PTZ, probably installed by/ for the security bodies to monitor the crowd.I'd assume the second 5D to be an active backup, given that audio loss at an event like this would be very not good...
 
The guy in the brown coat (and four arms) leaning over the 5D looks really familiar to me for some reason.
 
The sound from the Itzak Pearlman (sp?) quartet appeared to be from a recording. It was way too clean. The microphones on the group were more or less what I'd expect to see, like Neumann, Earthworks, B&K, but they were not pointed correctly at the instruments.

Chances are they used the recording because the cold, dry weather would have been very tough on the instruments and for keeping them in tune. A piano tuner's worst nightmare. Probably about as bad for a rare, multi-million $ violin, too.

Incidentally, the mics on the podium were the ubiquitous and inexpensive Shure SM-57, with a custom foam windscreen for outdoor use. They are the only mic used by every US President for at least the last couple of decades. There are certainly better mics, but they work well for that and must be rugged.

All in all, the inauguration was a huge event that was very well produced technically. Kudos to all involved.
 
By now everyone's heard about the quartet's performance being taped. Anyone who has even scant knowledge of roughly how much those instruments are worth should have realized that.

Honestly, would you take your priceless Stradivarius out in that weather and try and get sound out of it? If it were me I would have bought a $100 instrument and "played" with that to a tape. My good instrument would have stayed indoors.
 
Incidentally, the mics on the podium were the ubiquitous and inexpensive Shure SM-57, with a custom foam windscreen for outdoor use. They are the only mic used by every US President for at least the last couple of decades.
Thats actually not true.

Arthur Isaacs said:
One $2,000 Schoeps MK 41, wrapped up in black gaff tape and a big wind screen to keep people guessing why they'd use a 57 for a moment like this..... the other mic, that was the white house 57, so you're half right...

And here is the rest of the information on the mics if your interested:
Arthur Isaacs said:
33 channels for the Marine Band (includes several "y's")
2 Podium channels (Schoeps & 57)
2 shot gun mics to pickup the oath
2 RF lavs for the Justice's
1 RF for Ms. Franklin
1 back up hardwire for above
1 announce
1 emergency cop mic
12 choir mics
2 ch for choir keyboard
4 sea chanter choir mics
5 channels of mics (not used) for quartet
3 herald trumpet mics

Arthur Isaacs is the guy at FOH that appears to have 4 arms.
 
Well, I could certainly be wrong. I don't know who your source claims to be, but I can tell anodized metal from gaff tape. There was no tape on the casing of either of those mics visible in any photo I can find, and both mics appear to have a slightly tapered shaft. I suppose it could be the world's best camouflage job, but I doubt it. I will grant you that one mic appears slightly shorter than the other, and they are not precisely parallel, but that could be windscreen placement.

The White House department that does sound for the President is well known for replacing any mic on the podium with an SM-57. They want total consistency, day to day, year to year, and they want reliability above all. Some years ago (Clinton era) I recall reading a Radio World article on a live music broadcast by NPR, from the White House. The Neumann NPR had placed on the podium was replaced by White House audio staff.

Granted, for an event of that magnitude, a 57 might not be my first choice. But, I have used SM-57s on podiums, and it is actually well suited to that duty. The 57's polar pattern is broad, so they sound OK off axis, doesn't rely on phantom which can worsen noise in a marginal connection, no internal, active electronics to get hit by RF interference or static discharge, are quite rugged, don't mind temperature and humidity extremes, have a low frequency contour which doesn't need a high pass filter ahead of any splitting or at a console, etc. Sweet sound isn't the only consideration. In other words, the White House folks are not idiots for doing what they do.
 
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