As in years past, Harman Professional audio components played a crucial role in the live sound reinforcement system at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards, held February 12 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. ATK Audiotek provided live sound reinforcement at the venue, relying on JBL VERTEC line arrays and AKG microphones.
The annual GRAMMY Awards telecast, known as Music’s Biggest Night, is presented by The Recording Academy to honor outstanding achievements in the production and performance of recorded music. This year’s awards featured performances by some of the biggest names in the music industry and also featured performances by JBL “Hear the Truth” campaign artists Paul McCartney and Maroon 5, while Harman artist Kanye West won four awards.
ATK Audiotek provided the main PA system, which featured four arrays each containing 12 VERTEC VT4889 fullsize line array elements, plus two arrays of six VT4880A fullsize arrayable subwoofers each. An additional 12 VRX932 Constant Curvature loudspeakers were used for front fill.
The STAPLES Center also features a newly installed JBL VERTEC line array system, which ATK Audiotek utilized in addition to some temporary components. The STAPLES Center system features eight arrays each containing between 11 and 13 JBL VT4889DP-DA powered line array elements, plus two fill clusters each containing four VT4889DP-DA elements, which are specially positioned to cover the end seating areas. The system also features four subwoofer arrays, each containing six VT4880A fullsize arrayable subwoofers.
ATK Audiotek also equipped all three pianos on stage with three AKG C414 microphones each. The pianos were featured in multiple performances throughout the GRAMMY Awards, including performances by Diana Krall, Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys. Rusty Anderson, who played guitar during Paul McCartney’s performance, used an AKG DMS700 digital wireless system in his guitar setup, while Chris Brown used a Crown CM311 microphone for vocals.
“Providing live sound for the GRAMMY Awards is always a unique challenge, given the variety of performers and elaborate productions,” said Brett Valasek, General Manager, ATK Audiotek. “VERTEC line arrays consistently perform well for us and our system, combined with the new in-house PA system at the STAPLES Center, provided the necessary coverage and output to deliver high-quality sound to the live audience.”
