National rental and pro audio sales company, Audio Specialties Group, used three TRUE Systems Precision 8 mic preamps in their fixed control room for the recent taping of the 2009 “The Celebrity Apprentice” to be broadcast this January.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 2009: In the world of high-end video and audio rental, Bexel holds the prize not only for being the first full-service company on the block some thirty years ago, but also for setting and maintaining a level of service that consistently exceeds clients’ expectations. Finding the perfect match between a client’s needs and the usability and technical performance of the gear in its vast and diverse storehouse is one of the most critical responsibilities that Bexel shoulders. The company’s stock of TRUE Systems Precision 8 mic pres are just the ticket when clients require both phenomenal fidelity and small size, as each unit houses eight channels of ruler-flat, high-gain, mic pres in a single rack space.
On NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice,” twenty-four surveillance mics hidden all throughout Trump Towers in NYC capture orders barked by surly business magnate Donald Trump and the emotional reactions of the show’s ambitious contestants. Three TRUE Systems Precision 8s preamplify the mics and provide an important component of the show’s raw realism. During the season’s taping, the mics and preamps stay on 24/7 and are available to the show’s director at all times.
“The TRUE Systems mic pres really have two unique features that recommend them,” said Gary Vahling, rental manager in the audio specialties group at Bexel. “First, their input fidelity greatly exceeds that available on most stock consoles. As on “The Celebrity Apprentice,” we often rent them in combination with a Yamaha DM2000 mixer for improved sound quality and more dynamic headroom.
“Second, their form-factor and interconnect are dramatically more compact and efficient than what is available with standard outboard preamps. The show’s audio supervisor, Ronnie Ali, likes the fact that he gets all those channels in just three rack spaces and that they connect with the mixer via 25-pin connectors. It’s a tidy alternative to their TRS outputs, which are also available when necessary.”
Bexel also rented a TRUE Systems Precision 8 for the airing of the US Open tennis championships to provide courtside realism beyond what was available from the console. Eight Sennheiser MKH 416 shotgun microphones strategically located around the perimeter of the court captured every hit, grunt, and raw utterance of the sport’s star players. The Precision 8 preamplified the mic outputs courtside and conveyed them to captivated viewers around the country.
Vahling finds that his clients especially appreciate the TRUE Systems Precision 8’s huge number of inputs in a single rack space for high-pressure one-off events on location. For example, FOX’ culinary reality show “Hell’s Kitchen” recently filmed an episode in Atlantic City, and with so much to worry about and lug, the show’s audio supervisor was glad to whittle things down where he could without skimping on quality. To strain a metaphor, the TRUE Systems Precision 8 provided all the flavor for the show without all the calories!