NEW ORLEANS – Production Resource Group's (PRG) Los Angeles office used an L-Acoustics KARA System for 15 episodes of the TV game show Wheel of Fortune, which was taped before a crowd of 3,000 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center over three days in mid-April – enough for three weeks of broadcasts.
For sound reinforcement, PRG flew an LCR system of three arrays each comprised of 10 KARA enclosures, with LF provided by a total of eight SB18 flown four per side. Out-fill areas were addressed by a pair of 12XT enclosures, while another two of the coaxials were located on the set for stage announce. The delay system consisted of two hangs of nine dV-DOSC positioned 110 feet out into the room. All L-Acoustics enclosures were powered by LA series amplified processors.
"When we go on location, we carry everything in with us," says PRG Audio System Design/FOH Mixer Bill Daly who has handled all of Wheel of Fortune's remote tapings for the past 15 years. "To transform the host environment into a full television studio, we have seven trucks of sets and draping, six lighting trucks, and a full 53-foot semi trailer solely dedicated to sound equipment – it's quite a production.
"I've typically specified dV-DOSC for Wheel in the past, but this time we had the opportunity to fly our new KARA arrays and I was extremely pleased with their performance. The distribution of sound throughout the hall was extremely even, and I felt that KARA's sound was smoother with better high-end coverage off-axis than our previous setup. Everyone that commented to me said they really enjoyed the listening experience."
Just two weeks prior to the Wheel of Fortune tapings, Daly and PRG used the same KARA enclosures at Universal CityWalk in Orlando to record two episodes of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in front of a crowd of more than 5,000. In addition to the KARAs on the main stage, PRG set up a V-DOSC/dV-DOSC side stage for the show's musical guests, which included Duran Duran and Kelly Clarkson.
For more information, please visit www.l-Acoustics.com and www.prg.com.
Photos by Wes Middleton and Jimmi Johnson, Creativity Center, 2cpro.com
