New PBS Series “Legends & Lyrics” Tapes Live With CTS Audio

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by Mike Taylor

Kris Kristofferson and Patty Griffin performing together on Legends & Lyrics

When the first episode of Legends & Lyrics, featuring Country Music Hall of Famers Kris Kristofferson and Randy Owen along with one of Nashville’s favorite singer-songwriter, Patty Griffin, aired May 8th on PBS, Mike Taylor, Director of Performance Audio for CTS Audio was elated.  Just 8 months earlier, CTS Audio worked alongside Paragon Studios to provide all audio ties between the live and recording environments. “It was a wonderful opportunity to work with some of the best in the business and create a truly remarkable show,” said Taylor. “CTS has certainly done our share of audio work for live television recordings but this was something really special.”

The taping was done before a Live Studio Audience at the Grand Masonic Lodge in Nashville, TN .

CTS Audio was brought in to ensure that every seat in the Grand Masonic Lodge, where the show was taped live, would experience the music crystal clear.  “The producers knew that the best way to have a near-perfect recording of a live show was to have even audio coverage across the entire auditorium, which is why they called on us,” Taylor commented.  “Since the Lodge doesn’t have an adequate space to fly a PA, the only place left for the main audio system was behind the artists. This presented a real challenge because artists playing in front of the PA in the center would have increased the potential for nasty feedback.  We were able to bring in our JBL VerTec 4887 and 4880 system  and strategically place it so that the speakers could be aimed around the artist and still cover every member of the audience.”

The second live taping of the show.

In April, CTS Audio provided audio for the second live taping of Legend and Lyrics.  Between the two live tapings, there are now eight episodes that will be airing soon. Already showing on some PBS stations, by late June, the show will be in a majority of American homes.  Much like the popular “Austin City Limits”, Legends & Lyrics is a unique musical performance series , which is driven by famous recording artists of all genres who write many of their own hit songs, blended with professional hit song poets, who write hit songs for the star recording artists.  The shows lineup includes Gavin Degraw, Marc Cohn, Dwight Yokum, Amy Lee, Peter Yarrow,  3 Doors Down, Charlie Daniels and many more.