Akon on stage at Hard Rock Café Times Square

See Mix Magazine, March 2007, pg. 82


"MTV Live:" Akon at Hard Rock Café
Times Square, Jan. 18
Photo Credit: Chris Marksbury, CM Photos

From L-to-R in front of CSP Mobile's Unit 6 digital audio truck: Rob Cowlyn
Series Producton Producer, "MTV Live:" Len Chase, CSP Mobile VP, technical manager for audio and video production; Nat Thompson, CSP Mobile President

CSP Mobile at the Hard Rock Times Square for MTV-Live

CSP Mobile (Saco, MI) with their Unit 6 digital audio and Unit 3 video trucks were on hand for Fearless Entertainment, executive producers of the first shows in the new "MTV-Live" series from the Hard Rock Café in Times Square.

Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes, Nas, and Akon played one-hour sets, Jan. 15 - 17, all of which were recorded by CSP Mobile, with audio engineer Lance Vardis (Musmix Recording) at the Unit 6 Yamaha PM--1D digital audio console.

Vardis commented on recording Akon's performance: "Akon uses a clever blend of turntables, replay, and live band. His rhythm section sits right in the groove pocket, and Akon's vocal sat right in the mix. I used a Shure Beta 87C vocal mic, which seems to give Akon a great presence, without a lot of additive equalization."

Though he often uses the onboard dynamics of the Yamaha PM-1D, he says, he went to outboard gear for different color. "I used a pair of Distressor EL8s with British EQ strapped across the drum bus, and two more on the bass group and lead vocal. I love using an Eventide H3000SE for vocal double, as well as a good old TC 2290 for slap."

"As always, it's fun to try different combinations of gear depending on your application, and this set up did the job just great."

In addition to Vardis and Fearless Entertainment (Brian Murphy, CEO and Christina Hull, Executive Producer), other CSP production partners included Rob Cowlyn, Series Production Producer for "MTV Live." CSP video technicians for the SDI 6-camera shoot to digi-Beta included: Lloyd Jacobsen, A2 on Unit 6, and Andrew MacVane, EIC on Unit 6.

"MTV Live" is a multi-platform program across MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV Tr3s, MTV.com, and MTV Mobile on Verizon Wireless' Vcast service. The new program premiered on MTV Feb. 6 with a commercial-free performance by Fall Out Boy.

Akon's Konvicted (SRC/Universal Motown) benefited from two huge singles, "I Wanna Love You" (featuring Snoop Dogg) and "Smack That" (featuring Eminem), both of which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.