WASHINGTON DC, JANUARY 26, 2009—Because this year's inaugural festivities marked such an important moment in US history, all elements had to be performing at their best, including the audio equipment used by Musical Director Ray Chew at the leadoff Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. When Thom Pesa, monitor mixer for ATK Audiotek, a leading sound reinforcement provider for the professional audio and broadcast industry, began developing the audio setup for the event, he knew they would be including Aviom's Pro16® system as part of their personal monitoring and communications setup. 
"Audiotek has used Aviom in the past for large events such as the Democratic National Convention with excellent results, so the decision to use it for the Inaugural Ball was an easy one," says Andres Arango, staff engineer at Audiotek. "With the entire nation watching the celebration from home, missing a cue was not an option for Ray Chew and his band. With Aviom's Personal Mixers, Ray and his musicians were able to make sure they were receiving the communication and monitoring channels they required to keep the event running smoothly."
The signal flow for the ball consisted of two elements: communication and monitor mixing. All band members were fed audio stems from the music director and the program elements from a live broadcast truck that was covering the event for the major networks. Additionally, the on-air mix was also included so Chew could hear what the performance sounded like as well as communicate with the director of the event. With the Aviom system Chew and his band members could select which stems they would like to hear, providing each member with the appropriate mix for their role in the event.
Along with the Aviom gear, Chew used a Studio Technologies Model 233 Announcer's Console as the main intercom interface for the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, which included Shakira, Beyonce, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, and many others on its talent list. The Announcer Console's output was fed into the Aviom Pro16 system along with mix stems from the main console for the band's monitor system. Each instrument section had an Aviom A-16II Personal Mixer, which was able to drive wireless connections through Tweecomm OB-1 headset boxes that offered level control and a headset connection.
Aviom pioneered personal mixing with its Pro16® Monitor Mixing System and continues to break new ground with the revolutionary Pro64® Series of audio networking products. With tens of thousands of products in the field today, Aviom has set the standard for high performance, scalable digital solutions. All Aviom systems harness the power of A-Net®, Aviom's innovative digital audio technology that simplifies system design while enhancing flexibility and fidelity. All Aviom products are designed, tested, and manufactured in the USA.
