With joint production support from Special Event Services (SES) and On Stage Audio (OSA), „Oprah’s Surprise Spectacular“ (Harpo Productions) brought together NEXO’s new 45ºN-12 stage monitors and some of the biggest names in movies, music and television.
The United Center, which is home to the Chicago Blackhawks and Bulls, welcomed 13,000 “OPRAH” fans for the taping of the programme, a special one-off to celebrate the 25-year legacy of „The Oprah Winfrey Show.“
Harpo Studios’ audio production team chose 12x NEXO 45ºN-12 line monitors, powered by 7x NEXO NXAMP4x4s, for two reasons: audio quality and sensible industrial design. “Yamaha District Manager Mike Eiseman had been talking to me about the 45ºN-12s for months,” says Gerry Formicola, Audio Production Manager of Harpo Studios. “When this event came up, it seemed a natural fit to take advantage of the monitor’s low profile for television, as well as the exceptional sound of the units.”
Among the guests appearing on the broadcast and using the new NEXO line monitors included Rascal Flatts, Kristin Chenoweth, Rosie O’Donnell, Dr. Phil McGraw, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Nate Berkus, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Josh Groban, Jackie Evancho, Jamie Foxx and Stevie Wonder.
Jim Risgin, Vice President of On Stage Audio, said he found the NEXO wedges stable and more than able to handle all the requests from the various artists using them during show taping. They were able to scale coverage by adding more segments without making significant tonal changes, and not having to chase EQ’s, regardless of the quantity of cabinets deployed at any position.
