In Ohio, Mike Volkerding of Cincinnati-based Frequency City Sound, with the help of Thunderbolt Systems helped move Senator Obama through three different campaign stops in a single day in February. With the first set for a boardroom conference at Cincinnati's Museum Center at Union Terminal, the following two landed at the Fifth Third Arena across town and the Nutter Center in Dayton.
"It was a real foot race," Volkerding says, "with only an hour between each event. That put us in a place where we had to have three different systems in place ready to go at each stop, with crews in place. The boardroom speaking engagement used Shure lavs and podium mics, while the arenas required full-blown PA rigs flown in front of crowds numbering approximately 15,000 each."
For the Museum Center event, Volkerding chose Shure Microflex MX Series podium mics as well as WL51 lavaliers. Shure U4D wireless systems got the call for the arena stops, with Beta 87A-equipped handheld transmitters finding their way into Obama's hands at both places.
"Programme material was essentially vocals and some CDs played before and after each speech at the arenas," Volkerding further relates. "It was our call to select the mic, so I chose the Beta 87A. It's the microphone I always lead with because of its clarity and presence. You can use it in any situation and no one will turn it down. In this application it was punchy, cutting right across the crowd. It sounded great."
(Jim Evans)
