Date: 25-April-2008 8:48 am
Just like
other morning shows all over the television airwaves, "Good Morning
America" makes good use of live music.
"So
many acts have been through here that it's easier for me to recall those I
haven't worked with as opposed to those I have," says veteran audio
engineer John "JC" Convertino, the man behind the music mix on ABC's
popular rise and shine program. "In the 10 years I've been doing this,
everyone from Bruce Springsteen and Rascal Flatts to Maroon 5 and Lenny Kravitz
have been on our stage at one time or another. The pace here is exceptionally
fast, with each artist essentially showing up just as they would for any other
tour stop. We have to do all the work required of a full-blown concert at
You'd be
hard pressed to find anyone better suited for this kind of challenge than
Convertino. In the business since 1974, he has logged countless hours in
recording studios on both coasts working with major label acts, and has an avowed
passion for what he describes as a “lost art” — recording live tracks without
the benefit of overdubs, sampling, or any other studio trickery.
"That's
how we used to do it back in the day," he recalls. "We'd just bring
everyone in, get them in the groove, and then capture everything on tape. A
show like this is one of the few places left where an audio engineer is
essentially faced with the same dynamic, except that the performance is live,
not taped. We get one chance to make it sound great. No excuses, no second
chances."
Production
for the show's musical segments either takes place inside the network’s Times
Square studios at 44th and Broadway, or, in good weather, outdoors…usually at
"When
we initially get here, we'll scan for open frequencies for our wireless systems
and get everything all dialed-in," he relates. "On many days
everything will remain fine until right around 7 A.M. when the show starts,
then we get rained on by all kinds of RF garbage coming in."
Surrounded
by a concrete canyon of high buildings and shunted by the disruptive bombast of
the RF Hell that is midtown
"There
is no time available for me to worry about my wireless," he adds.
"And with Shure, I don’t. Even despite all our preparation, we may take a
hit. If we do, we can simply change frequencies on the fly if we have to. With
UHF-R, I am ready for whatever comes our way right out of the box."
Off the
set, Convertino is always studying and listening to the records put out by
bands scheduled to appear on the show so that he can replicate their sound
accurately.
"I
think we do a pretty good job of it 99.9 percent of the time," he says,
commenting on the results. "Having the opportunity to work with bands like
this performing all together is the real reward of our efforts, however. There
is nothing like putting down tracks and getting a live mix that's designed to
be heard and enjoyed right then and there by such a huge audience."
