JBL LSR Series Monitors Bring Latin GRAMMY Awards Telecast To Life On The Univision Network

The 10th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on November 5, 2009 turned in the best television performance in the show’s history, honoring the top artists in Latino music. The event, which featured performances by stars including Alicia Keys, Daniela Mercury, Reik, Alejandro Sanz, Calle 13 and Ruben Blades, set a record for the telecast with over 12 million viewers. TV viewers heard a brilliant musical soundscape, embellished by layers of percussion, large horn sections and passionate vocals. GRAMMY and EMMY Award-winning music mixer Eric Schilling chose a pair of JBL LSR4328P bi-amplified studio monitors and an LSR4312SP powered subwoofer to create the music mix for the broadcast and he plans to expand the system for future 5.1 surround mixing projects, as well.

Schilling first became familiar with the LSR4328P and LSR4312SP monitors on another Univision music project in South Florida earlier this year, where they were installed in the remote audio truck. “I’m familiar with the JBL sound but this was a kind of new product for me,” said Schilling, who is acclaimed for his work with artists from Cachao and Babyface to Shakira and Madonna, and the recipient of four GRAMMYs and 10 Latin GRAMMYs, in addition to two EMMY Awards. “I worked with the LSR4300 Series studio monitors over the course of 10 weeks on that project and was impressed by their sound, their adaptability and their smooth linear response.” Schilling was so impressed he specified them for his station in the Remote Recording broadcast truck at the Latin GRAMMYs, and the LSR4300 Series monitors did not disappoint. “Latin music is very dense, with many components and tons of percussion and big horn sections – we had as many as 30 players on stage at one time – and there’s a lot to sort out,” Schilling explains. “The LSR monitors have tremendous definition, which is exactly what you need for a complex broadcast mix like this. There is no ear fatigue, and their linear response meant that I knew what to expect at any volume level. They’re simple and straightforward to use and highly adaptable in any environment. For all those reasons, I plan on using them in the future.”

The JBL LSR4300 Series are the first professional studio monitors with computer connectivity, digital inputs, networking, and JBL technologies that allow accurate mixes even in acoustically challenging workspaces. The LSR4328P is engineered using JBL's Linear Spatial Reference design criteria that optimize frequency response and imaging at the mix position. JBL's RMC™ Room Mode Correction system incorporates a powerful analyzer into each speaker that analyzes and automatically compensates for problems caused by problematic low frequency standing waves. Speaker tuning is simply accomplished with the push of a button using the supplied calibration microphone. The result is a calibrated listening environment in which the monitors work in harmony with the room, enabling mixes that translate reliably to the outside world. The LSR4312SP 12" Powered Subwoofer extends the low frequency response of the system into the 20Hz region and is networked with the main speakers for centralized control and tuning of the entire system.

The live sound component of the event featured JBL VERTEC® line arrays, along with products from fellow Harman Professional companies, including dbx 226 compressor/limiters and an AKG IVM4 wireless in-ear monitoring system. The main PA system, provided and manned by ATK Audiotek, included a total of 63 VERTEC® VT4889 full-size line array loudspeakers, with the main system featuring 22 on each side of the stage and three more attached to the bottom of eight VT4880 full-size arrayable subwoofers that made up the center cluster. Six VRX932 compact line array cabinets were used as front fills. Two rear delay clusters were comprised of eight VT4889 line array elements each.