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From where I was, it sounded mono (no 5.1 except maybe some stadium sounds), and raw mic feeds - no f/x that I could detect.

Whoa this must be the future because auto tune doesn't count as an effect anymore. I guess I'll throw one on at my next medical conference.

I'd love to see the engineer willing to work in the wireless hell of the superbowl for free, maybe we just did?

[Jason Joseph]

I dont have any words.. 

[Jasen Jacobsen]

Whoa this must be the future because auto tune doesn't count as an effect anymore. I guess I'll throw one on at my next medical conference.

The vast majority of the audio I heard didn't sound auto tuned, but I haven't worked with it. I'm thinking specifically of Fergie's vocals; sounded like a straight mic feed to me.

- Jasen.

[Jonathan Novick]

I'd love to see the engineer willing to work in the wireless hell of the superbowl for free, maybe we just did?

I was told there were over 4000 requests for wireless at the game. Ouch!

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I agree there Jasen, she was raspy and raw to be sure... wonder why they didn't can her voice too.



♫ I got a feeling that tonight's gonna be a bad bad show♫

[Brad Weber]

I was told there were over 4000 requests for wireless at the game. Ouch!

RF coordination for one less than 15 minute performance at one venue with one broadcaster would seem likely to be easier than an Olympics with dozens of international broadcasters, multiple venues and events like the opening and closing ceremonies.

[Scott Hibbard]

Guys,

I'm going to take a little different angle on this and avoid focusing on the audio/production.

What I'd like to focus on is the artist chosen for the event.  Simply stated, I think the NFL producers have lost touch with their fans. I have no facts to support this claim, but I'll bet BEP's performance did very little to motivate, energize or entertain the crowd (in person or on TV).  I think the NFL lost site of the fact this was a football game..

I understand the NFL has been trying to "broaden its appeal" (i.e. team jerseys for women etc.(, and that's great!  However, I would suggest if the average NFL fan was polled, BEP would likely not be on their wish list for halftime entertainment.  For the record, this isn't a dig on BEP; I just think their music/show is less appropriate than many other choices the NFL could have had for this event.

Note to NFL: Go back to the basics.  Forget the neon dancers and backtracks galore.  Hire Ann and Nancy Wilson (aka Heart) live (no tracks) doing Barracuda, Crazy on You, Magic Man and maybe a song off their 2010 album Red Velvet Car. 

ScottH

[JasonCole]

I've said it almost every year, I don't care how much pressure, how difficult the situation is, there are people that deal in that kind world on a regular basis who can handle it.  Find them and pay them.  There is NO EXCUSE for missing a mic cue when you have 4 singers and a track running.  It just seems like every year there is some significant gaff on the broadcast side.  I'm not talking about the performance here.  I actually like BEP.  I think they can do some fun and entertaining music.  Its not my primary choice, but I like it for what it is.  This is about the technical aspects of the show and the artistic side of the mix itself.
I've done a good bit of broadcast audio in my career and yes, it can be very stressful and I have made mistakes as well.  However, this is the biggest live production show every year in terms of the number of people that see it.  Get people that can handle it.  Get 2 people for that matter.
Go back to 2002 and listen to the U2 show.  That's about as good as its going to get in that situation, but at least we do have some level of excellence that is a known possibility.

[Trevor Ludwig]

While totally understanding that it would not be the "perfect mix" why don't they run a matrix off of the live board? Its always the same... the SuperBowl Tonys ect. always missed mutes and a bad mixes...

if they want to be able to blend better then give the broadcast guy the VOX mix with FX on one channel BG trax on another...

I don't know... it just frustrates me to see the biggest broadcast shows suck so badly.

Tucker

Broadcast and live are COMPLETELY different ballgames.  It's much easier to make a simple mistake in broadcast and have it be extremely noticeable, and also reviewed, and scrutinized over and over again.  Live is more forgiving because there is more going on around you, and a little blip may be lost in the confusion, crowd noise and other happenings.  A live mix will vary based on crowd level, interaction, and general feel of the "room".  Broadcast has to be near flawless to even be considered acceptable.

That being said, i'm not making an excuse for the mix.  When there is that much money involved, and that high of a production budget, there is no excuse for what happened, even catastrophic equipment failure and a superhuman patch job.  Hell I did lights and sound for a small fashion show this weekend and had contingency plans for everything from equipment failure to power outages.  I may have unreasonably high expectations, but being a fan and a consumer, I helped pay for it, and I expect to be entertained, not embarrassed.

[William R. Conturo]

    I was hoping this discussion would pop up.

    I watched it on TV in HD, just stereo.  The second I started paying attention to it I realized that I probably still have a future in live sound.  If an engineer that can't whip up anything better than the mix that played through my living room's sound system last night, can get a job mixing the audio broadcast for the Super Bowl, I have total confidence I will be alright on my live sound journey up the ladder.
    I didn't catch the missed cue at the beginning because of the 20 loud ass people packed into my living room, but soon after it started and things quited down, I got a phone call from good friend of mine's dad, asking if I was mixing because that morning at one of the churches I do the live mix at that he also attends, I had missed a cue by a hair. I replied quickly, "keep listening and then let me know what you think", shortly after he says something along the lines of "so you coming over to have beer?" I guess he knew then, that I was certainly not the one in Dallas attempting (or not) to mix this suck fest of a half time show being watched by 111 million people.

I am convinced that a live feed from the live PA mix with a real sound engineer at the wheel and some finalized processing and added verb would have sounded better than what was heard. It would have been simpler too.

But it is all the same as the Steelers not winning and there not being riots all around my house (which there wasn't, major disappointment), shit happens.. on to the next one.

Peace!

[ProSoundWeb Community]