Music Television Never Sounded So Good

Shure Captures 5.1 Audio For Soundstage HD Broadcasts

 

Launched in 1974, the PBS series Soundstage hosted hour-long concerts filmed in front of small studio audiences. With the likes of Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, The Doobie Brothers, Arlo Guthrie, and countless others all taking a turn under its spotlight, the program blazed a musical trail across the face of television, becoming, among other things, a pioneer in stereo broadcasting prior to the end of its run in 1985.

 

Reborn today unchanged in format and still a leader in technological innovation, the show is jointly produced by WTTW-TV, the Chicago-based affiliate of PBS, and HD Ready, LLC, a St. Charles, Illinois-based company specializing in bringing music to television in high-definition and Dolby surround audio.

 

"We never shoot in anything other than high-definition, and we always go after the highest quality audio," says Frank Pappalardo, chief audio engineer of HD Ready. "This is our third regular season with Soundstage doing 13 shows per year, plus we've done a number of special events associated with the program, including a Fleetwood Mac concert and Farm Aid."

 

Some of this year's Soundstage tapings included sessions with Chris Isaak, John Mayer with Buddy Guy, Martina McBride, Wall Flowers, Dave Matthews Band, Ringo Starr, and Trisha Yearwood, and Shure microphones were on stage for many of these.

 

"I've used Shure mics throughout my entire career, and I've been at this 25 years now," Pappalardo says, pointing to the hardwired SM58 on his video monitor. "Mixing in digital 5.1, they provide me with a smooth sound that's unrivaled. It's hard to put into words, but you can instantly hear the difference. When you're dealing with digital there's a certain loss of warmth. Shure mics have a way of putting all that back in."

 

For a recent taping with Robert Plant, Pappalardo created a stage blueprint including the aforementioned SM58 at lead vocals as well as an eclectic assortment of other mics torn from numerous pages in the current Shure catalog. Admitting to a fondness for large-diaphragm condensers like the KSM32, he also loves SM81s on high-hat and acoustic instruments, and regularly relies upon a stereo VP88, shotgun SM89s, and SM98As to capture the crowd.

 

"I've done over 44 TV shows in 5.1, and haven't mixed anything that isn't live in over three years," Pappalardo recalls for the record. "Live and in 5.1, you deal with myriad problems, extraneous noise and bleed being two of the most potentially vexing. That's another reason Shure mics are so important to me, because their rejection is so great. I don't want the drummer in the lead vocalist's mic, nor do I want all of the coughs in the audience in that channel. Shure mics are steadfast in capturing only what you want them too, and nothing else. Viewed as a whole, they are simply the best tools you can have for a show like this."


Release 38