For the past 80 years, the start of New York City’s Christmas season has been marked by the lighting of the Rockefeller Center tree. NBC broadcasts the lighting ceremony and the accompanying live concert. However, the marble bowl of the plaza and the surrounding brings serious acoustic problems…
‘It is our responsibility to provide sound for nearly ten city blocks,’ say Production Manager, Bruce Cameron. ‘With traffic, an ice rink, and a fountain that run throughout the show, we needed a sound system we could predict... d&b audiotechnik was perfect for the critical areas. The sound system worked straight out of the box.’
The Production Resource Group (PRG) was responsibel for the sound reinforcement for the event: ‘I had little experience of d&b before, but there is a tradition of quality with their sound systems,’ says PRG System Technician, David Chessman. ‘The V-Series was no different – it’s the best system we’ve used with this staging layout.’
The full event was televised nationally on NBC, with the live concert featuring performances by Rod Stewart, Cee Lo Green, Mariah Carey, Trace Adkins and Tony Bennett. As in years past, PRG aldso supplied a system of 24 JBL VerTec VT4887ADP powered compact line array elements, installed on lifts to cover 49th and 50th Streets on the east and west sides of Rockefeller Center.
On the night of the switch-on – more than 45,000 LED lights were strung on the tree – hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the streets surrounding Rockefeller Plaza. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg pressed the button and the plaza was bathed in the soft winter light. As onlookers exploded in applause, carols filled the air from the d&b V-Series, and the festive season officially began.
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