Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1543098
34 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Spring 2026 Audio Supervisor Skip Kent & Broadcast Audio Mixer Larry Reed In the first week of November last year, an audio crew of more than forty were hard at work in the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles to get the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on its feet. Audio Supervisor Skip Kent explains, "Once I know who the bands are, then I start getting multiple emails and phone calls of who's playing and what instruments they're going to be using, and ultimately, what microphones we'll be putting where. Musically, I speak with Bob Clearmountain if there are microphone choices that are left up to the Broadcast Mixer, and he respectfully considers the needs of FOH and monitors in his choices." Two audio recording trucks are involved with A&B consoles (Bob and Carl) and after one band is finished, the next band is being preset on that recording truck. The Front of House Music, handled by Robert Scovill, and the Monitor Mix Music by Mike Bove were on one console as they had time to change things over. Then there is the Front of House Production Dan Gerhard, who mixes video packages, delivers Robert's music mix and mixes the award lectern microphones. You've seen this setup on just about every awards show, it's two Schoeps microphones made up of a hypercardiod and a cardioid. Skip continues, "This is no easy trick. After a loud full music mix, by Richard Lightstone CAS AMPS Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2025 and full band, you now have one person standing two feet away from a Schoeps microphone that you have to get loud enough that people don't complain. It's really a difficult thing to do." Dan got to use a new device that he's been introduced to, Alpha Labs De-Feedback. It's a standalone unit in a computer program that uses artificial intelligence, to sample the room, taking the room out of the mic, allowing to get a higher volume before feedback. The show is a mix of consoles, DigiCos, Studer Vista 10, Yamaha, and Avid. The show uses well over sixty IEM's and that's in the hands of Dave Ingels. "Band after band after band get a sound check," says Skip, "and there were a lot this year. It was very heavy. One of the other difficult things about this year, Soundgarden hasn't been touring, so you can't just call up the managers and say, "Send us over your stage plot and your input list." You have to make it up when they decide to add Nancy Wilson or Joe Perry,