On Stage Audio Elects JBL Loudspeakers For Audio Platform At 2008 Presidential Debates

With the United States presidential race heading into the home stretch, audio rental systems provider On Stage Audio has supplied JBL loudspeakers for use in all three presidential debates and the vice presidential debate. The presidential debates took place at the University of Mississippi in Oxford on September 26, Belmont University in Nashville on October 7, and Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York on October 15. Additionally, the vice presidential debate took place October 2 at Washington University in St. Louis.

With the exception of the “Town Hall”-style debate in Nashville, the audio system for each event remained relatively consistent across the different locations, with VRX932LA portable line arrays arranged in clusters of two each in left-center-right configurations, with two additional delay fills of two VRX932LA loudspeakers each. Larry Estrin served as Audio and Production Communications Director for the Commission on Presidential Debates, overseeing the audio/video systems for each event.

“Given the high viewership of these events—not to mention the significant role they play in the presidential election—reliable, clear and robust audio was obviously of the utmost importance,” Estrin noted. “The JBL loudspeakers performed to our expectations and enabled us to deliver high-quality sound to the live audience and to viewers across the country.”

While On Stage Audio’s Chicago-based facility provided similar audio system packages for each of these three locations, JBL’s ability to provide a variety of loudspeakers for different needs helped overcome any acoustical challenges that may have arose in each venue. “I’m very thankful for the variety of components that JBL provides for different applications,” said Michael Abbott, Audio Mixer for the Commission on Presidential Debates. “We were able to approach different environments with the same variety of componentry that allowed us to maintain a high level of consistency for each event.”

At the Nashville debate, the audience was seated approximately 50 yards from the candidates in a “horseshoe”-style arrangement. In this instance, On Stage Audio supplied numerous Control 25AV surface-mount loudspeakers for use as floor monitors (as seen in several live camera shots during the nationally televised broadcast), along with six VRX932LA loudspeakers distributed evenly to match the horseshoe-style seating.

“I like to use JBL speakers for both the on-air mix and the house mix,” said Michael Abbott, Audio Mixer for the Commission on Presidential Debates. “The tonality and linearity of JBL loudspeakers translate easily between the broadcast and PA mixes, so JBL is always my first choice and preference for these critical live-audience applications.”

On Stage Audio’s Chicago-area rental services facility can be reached in Wood Dale, IL at (630) 227-1008 or on the web at http://www.osacorp.com.