Sennheiser is providing extensive support for the first live national music broadcast from New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. National Public Radio’s 26th annual New Year’s Eve “Toast of the Nation” will be broadcast in 5.1 for the second straight year and will be hosted from the legendary Tipitina’s Uptown nightclub in the Crescent City.
Sennheiser and Neumann-provided mics include Sennheiser SKM5000 handheld transmitters outfitted with Neumann KK104 capsules, wireless SKM935G, and wired MD421-II, MKH50, MKH60 shotguns, MKH800s and Evolution Series E902, E905, E614 and E935 microphones backed by Sennheiser EM3532 and EM550G2 dual true-diversity transmitters. Wireless
monitoring systems include six Sennheiser EW300IEMG2 setups, SK500 G2 bodypack transmitters and an AC3000 antenna splitter. Neumann is providing the KU 100 binaural stereo microphone for surround applications, plus a number of KM 184, TLM 170, TLM 193s and TLM 127s.
Toast of the Nation, which is being broadcast from outside NPR’s Washington,
D.C., studios for the first time, is a co-production by NPR and member station WBGO Jazz 88/Newark in association with the Tipitina’s Foundation, an organization established to help New Orleans artists recover and preserve the city’s cultural traditions. NPR’s 12-hour, coast-to-coast special will feature local New Orleans jazz and blues musicians for the first time performing in their hometown since the hurricane in late August. Hosted by WBGO’s Rhonda Hamilton from a specially built “broadcast village” at Tipitina’s, the show will include local
musicians The Hot 8 Brass Band and funk band Galactic, plus performances from around the country.
The 5.1 broadcast is under the guidance of KUVO’s recording engineer, Mike Pappas. “Having this event broadcast to the entire network in 5.1 from New Orleans in makeshift facilities is a real challenge,” says Pappas. “My crew will be at Tipitina’s on the 27th of December setting up the sound system and outfitting the trucks. As we are working in basically uncharted territory, it’s comforting to know you can depend upon Sennheiser and Neumann product reliability and performance under extraordinary conditions. All of us involved in the broadcast from Tipitina’s feel that bringing this event to New Orleans is a necessary tribute to a city that has
endured so much. A special thanks to Sennheiser and Neumann for their support.”
