Maryland Sound provided a combination of VTX and VerTec line arrays for President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.
Barack Obama was sworn in as President of the United States for a second term on January 21, 2013 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. As it has since 1996, Maryland Sound provided the main P.A. system for the inauguration, relying on a combination of Harman’s JBL VTX and VerTec line arrays, Crown amplifiers and Soundcraft digital consoles to provide clear sound quality to more than 1 million people in attendance.
The ceremonial program, which included President Obama’s oath of office and his inaugural address, took place on the Capitol grounds, and also included music from the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and the fifth grade chorus from P.S. 22 on Staten Island. The program also featured performances by James Taylor (“America the Beautiful”), Kelly Clarkson (“My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”) and Beyoncé (“The Star-Spangled Banner”).
At the Capitol, Maryland Sound provided an assortment of JBL VP7315, VP7215, Control 25AV and AE Series AC28/95 loudspeakers. For the audience that filled the Capitol Grounds and National Mall, Maryland Sound deployed 12 of its custom-built line array towers, each featuring 16 VerTec VT4889 full-size line array elements. Crown ITHD12000 amplifiers powered the system.
The program culminated with the Inaugural Parade, following President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and their families for 1.2 miles until they reached Lafayette Park. Maryland Sound supported the main parade route with nine loudspeaker towers, each ranging from 10 to 12 VerTec VT4889 full-size line array elements, powered by Crown ITHD12000 amplifiers, with Soundcraft Si Compact 24 digital consoles.
At Lafayette Park, Maryland Sound erected two towers, each containing four hangs of eight JBL VTX V25 full-size line array elements. Crown ITHD12000 amplifiers powered the audio, which was mixed on a Soundcraft Si Compact 24 digital console.
Audio at the Presidential viewing stand outside the White House featured 25 JBL Control 25 loudspeakers, powered by Crown ITHD12000 amplifiers.
The entire system was configured using JBL HiQnet Performance Manager software.
“It is always an honor to provide the audio system for the Presidential Inauguration, and the challenge is always to provide the best audio quality possible while giving consideration to the sight lines of the crowd at the Capitol and National Mall,” says Bob Goldstein, President of Maryland Sound. “As we always say, the audience matters, and never is that clearer than at the Inauguration. JBL’s VTX and VerTec line arrays, along with Crown amplifiers and Soundcraft consoles, once again played a crucial role in making this event a success.”
For more information on Maryland Sound, visit www.marylandsound.com.
Find information about Harman Professional companies and products at www.harmanpro.com.
