Donald Trump (left) shakes hands with his newest apprentice, Kelly Perdew
Audio engineer and sound designer Dan Gerhard recently designed the sound system for NBC’s The Apprentice during the live finale of the show’s second season at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in New York City. The show featured an 11-piece band and performances by the O’Jays. The system included Aviom Pro16 Monitor Mixing Systems provided by Masque Sound in East Rutherford, N.J.
“I specified the Aviom system because it fulfills a need that has existed for a long, long time in this business,” says Gerhard. “By eliminating the wedge monitors and having the drummer use Roland V-Drums, it allowed guest host Regis Philbin to be heard without being overpowered by the band playing in the foreground, in addition to not wiping out the audience reaction mics.”
Overall stage volume was kept to a minimum by using electronic drums and eliminating on-stage guitar and bass amplifiers. The musicians used IEMs connected to the Aviom Personal Mixers to allow them to hear a studio-quality stereo mix while performing.
“The use of the Aviom system combined with IEMs minimized multiple sound sources in the relatively live hall,” comments Gerhard. “If there is a musician trying to communicate with the monitor engineer by hand signals, it puts a pretty big psychological strain on their performance. With the Pro16 Mixer right in front of them, they are able to control what they hear. This is a very different mentality and helps keep the musicians focused.”
For more information on Aviom products, visit www.aviom.com.
To find out what’s happening on The Apprentice, visit www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Apprentice/.
