Production mixer Mike Stock chose Waves’ plug-ins and SuperRack SoundGrid for mixing the 2023 Super Bowl preshow, half-time commentary segments and post-show programme.
‘When Fox broadcasts the Super Bowl [it rotates every year between networks], we take the NFL on Fox studio show to the game and build a set in the stadium,’ he says, ‘This year, we built two sets, one inside and one outside the stadium. My responsibility is to mix the five-hour preshow leading into the game, the two short segments at half-time, the pre and post-music performance and the after-game post-show.’
‘I currently use three Waves systems,’ he explains. ‘I have one system installed on the Jennifer Hudson daytime talk show, I also have a system I s for Fox Sports LA and finally, I have an identical road system that I used at this year’s Super Bowl.
‘Every TV truck I have been in has Madi available via patch. This makes set-up a breeze, and I can be up and running and connected to the console in minutes. First off, with SuperRack, I have never had any issues with latency, and as far as customised operation goes, I just use a basic template and then adapt it to each gig. This has resulted in a smooth and confident workflow.
‘The Super Bowl this year consisted of a five-hour preshow, with multiple stage locations inside and outside the stadium: red carpet, two remotes from the teams’ hotels and stand-up correspondents in various locations. This was followed by half-time segment, not the music performance, and then the post-game celebration. The outside set had a total of 16 individual talents – each talent wore a Lavalier/Lapel RF microphone and at times, a handheld mic as well.
‘As a backup, we had eight hardline mics in case we lost RF. Inside the stadium set we had a duplicate of the outside set. We are talking about a total of 64 individual mic channels, all with an insert on the SuperRack.’
Stock’s SuperBowl set-up comprises a road case containing one Waves Extreme-C SoundGrid Server, a Lenovo ThinkStation, one DiGiGrid MGB Madi interface and two Dell 25-inch touchscreen monitors.
‘Some 20-plus years ago I got into television broadcast mixing, and the digital revolution was just starting,’ Stock recalls. ‘A good friend of mine, John Perez, turned me on to Waves plug-ins, and I have been using them since.
‘My must-have and most used plug-ins are as follows. On my main 5.1 bus, inserted is a L360 Surround Limiter with a WLM Plus Loudness Meter. The L360 does an amazing job of limiting without getting in the way. I’m never bothered by how it sounds, no matter how hard I hit it. The WLM keeps me honest on levels and has a great display (can’t irritate the FCC…). On my dialogue bus I always insert a WNS Noise Suppressor plug-in followed by an API 550 EQ and then a CLA-3A Compressor/Limiter. The WNS is a must-have tool for every problematic environment, and I could not mix without it. I use the API 550 EQ to help with anything the WNS has dug out, and the CLA-3A is just such a great-sounding compressor. Last, I have a Waves DeEsser inserted on every mic channel that I can quickly turn on when needed.
‘Having Waves SuperRack and all of my Waves plug-ins at this year’s Super Bowl made my job a whole lot easier,’ he adds. ‘With SuperRack within hands reach, it enables me to react confidently to all those scenarios. The show would not have sounded as good as it did without my Waves plug-ins and SuperRack.’
