U2's Bono and Edge.
USA - The HBO open signal presentation of 'We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration' at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC served as the nation's televised kickoff of the 56th Presidential Inauguration. Captured live at the National Mall, the event drew hundreds of thousands to see and hear a lineup including Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, U2, Sheryl Crow, Shakira, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, and others.

Sound reinforcement for the concert was courtesy of Clair Global and was mixed-for-air by veteran television production mixer Ed Greene. Wireless chosen for the event included 16 channels of Shure UR4D systems, using various combinations of bodypack and handheld transmitters, many of which sported SM58 capsules.

The Clair system spanned two miles from the Lincoln Memorial steps to the Capitol using a combination of the Lititz, Pennsylvania-based company's i5 and i3 enclosures in the main PA and delay towers. With video support travelling the entire distance as well, Clair RF systems engineer Kevin Kapler worked with wireless frequencies on-site, while Ralph Mastrangelo and Mike Wolf shared supervising duties, and Robert Kosloskie stepped-in as crew chief.

"In a town buzzing with the excitement of the inauguration, and awash with radio signals, our RF was rock-solid," Mastrangelo reports. "Our Shure wireless systems gave us a wider palette of frequencies to choose from, and that translated into more freedom in terms of locating the best channels of operation."

(Jim Evans)


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