LOS ANGELES — This past November, Tony Bennett recorded a live performance at the L.A. Theatre for broadcast for a TV special, Tony Bennett: An American Classic, which aired November 21 on NBC. The concert featured the live vocals of Bennett, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Diana Krall, Michael Bublé and Barbra Streisand. Prepping for the show, the crew decided on bringing in Meyer self-powered UPA-1Ps for audio PA playback and monitoring on support stands, after a site survey of the theatre. Being that speakers were not to be seen in any camera shots, the speakers were moved and hidden depending on the performers' location. Tom Young, Bennett's live sound engineer, created mixes for monitoring upstage, mid-stage and downstage in stereo. The mixes were all set post-fader to vary the vocal levels with the dynamics of the tracks.
On-site generic PMs and wireless packs were made available, but no performers asked for them after hearing the stage sound.
The Neumann U 47, KMS 85, KMS 105 and the Sennheiser SKM 5000 wireless handheld, with a Neumann KK 105 capsule, all made appearances during the one-hour special.
Young also worked as an audio supervisor on the shoot.
The special, which aired on NBC on Tuesday, November 21, was filmed in HD and mixed in 5.1 by Dae Bennett, who recorded the album tracks at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, London's Abbey Road and Bennett Studios in New Jersey earlier this year. Also assisting the recording and playback were Joe Sidoti and John Nave.
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