Over the years, Pete has developed a reputation not only for excellent design, audio engineering, and communication systems skills, but also for his ability to rescue the show under the most adverse conditions and under great pressure.  He demonstrated this ability when he mixed the sound for the 1992 Presidential Debates between Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Ross Perot, when tensions virtually wafted through the air.    Pete Erskine has worked on debates in 1988, 1992, 1996 and now, in 2004, was in charge of the engineering for the communications systems, Riedel Digital intercom programming, the infamous timer buzzer and also operated the backup audio console.

Pete has been audio designer for countless industrial shows and installations.  In 1986, as sole designer for the new permanent sound system in Carnegie Hall, Pete was an integral member of the historic reopening of the hall.  He designed a speaker system that could easily be removed for acoustical events. 

In 1987, Pete collaborated with Peter Wexler, the designer and producer of "Search for Life". Pete designed and implemented the fully automated AV system exhibit incorporating hands off computer control for sound, lighting, projection and moving sets.   It operated automatically without fault for two years, when the exhibit closed.  The exhibit opened in the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. and was later installed at The Cold Spring Harbor Genetic Research Laboratories on  Long Island.

During his years with Erskine-Shapiro Theatre Technology, Pete co-designed Rental software with Production Arts Lighting.  It became known as "Rent control" and was the basis for the final incarnation written by Michael Rhodes for all rental scheduling and billing for Production Arts Lighting and Pro Mix, Production Resource Group companies until 1999 when they switched to Oracle.  Pete continues to consult on computer software.

In 1991, Pete began working with Select Productions as they created Fantasy in Lights, a spectacular Christmas light show at Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain Georgia. Callaway Gardens is a 2500-acre resort with miles of car, bike and walking paths. Select Productions annually provides a thematic light and sound drive through experience for visitors coming to Callaway for the Christmas Season. This annual event is recognized nationally as the first of its kind.

Pete's first collaboration with Larry Estrin initially began in the early 1980s when Pete worked with Larry on several major New York events, including the 50^th anniversary celebration of the NBC Television Network, the revitalization of Radio City Music Hall and the celebration commemorating the reopening of the Statute of Liberty and Ellis Island, Liberty Weekend.  In 1995, after 23 years of successful partnership with Lou, Pete retired from Theatre Technology to devote his time exclusively to BEST AUDIO to focus on the large, complex, high visibility international projects.

During the period of 1998 through 1999 Pete worked with BEXEL to develop their audio and communications rental facilities at their New York office. During that time he also worked as an account executive for the broadcast video department and greatly expanded his knowledge of professional video equipment.

In 1998, Pete and Laurence Estrin decided to make BEST AUDIO more of a consulting company. They sold or transferred a significant portion of their unique hardware rental inventory to two companies, Bexel and Pro Mix, a PRG Company. By this maneuver, Pete now has more quality time to devote to providing consultation and engineering design to BEST AUDIO clients.  BEST AUDIO has retained items that it has developed that are of a proprietary nature.  These items, available only through BEST AUDIO and the vast experience the company brings to the table has greatly enhanced its desirability with clients.

Each year from1991 through 1997, Pete was the principal sound designer for one of New York City's favorite seasonal events -- the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center which is broadcast live on NBC.  In 2003, he came back to the Tree Lighting with  Wireless First to supply the communications systems.  The Riedel Intercom system provided not only superior Computerized intercom matrix stations but was a key route of AES/EBU audio between the site and the TV truck over 2000' feet away by fiber.

In 1991, with Theatre Technology's purchase of the first Clear-Com Matrix Digital intercom system, Pete firmly established himself in the field of production communications. He designed and supervised its' use at such events as the Superbowl and the Barcelona Olympics and Paralympics. At the Barcelona Olympics, Best Audio laid down over nine pair-miles of cable and constructed the worlds' largest production intercom system for a single show. The system connected several venues as well provided communication for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. During the actual shows, the system interconnected over two hundred people in eighteen different departments, including the producers, the stage managers, and the technical crew. Afterwards, "Sound and Video Contractor" magazine published a highly acclaimed article written by Pete outlining the system and the highlights of the event. You can read a reprint of this article, here on this web site.  Pete has also given several seminars in the Digital intercom's use including at the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society in Brooklyn.

In 1994, when the world turned its attention for four weeks to the U.S.A. as it hosted The World Cup, BEST AUDIO managed the audio for the nine venues across the country. Pete was the general manager for the project and also venue manager for San Francisco.

Another annual event that Pete has worked on since 1984, is the "People For The American Way" Spirit of Liberty awards banquet. Working with the producer, Jules Fisher, Pete designs, coordinates and installs the sound for this dinner party.  It is usually held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel but occasionally tries other offbeat venues.  2004 marked the 18th anniversary of the event and it was held at Roseland on 52nd street. Pete has always donated his time and effort to the event.  The performers at the dinner on December 9, 2002 were Pete, Paul and Mary as well as The Smother's Brothers.  Usually there is only one musical act in the event and since the entire job, from load in to rehearsal to show to strike takes place in on day, proper and accurate audio mixing was imperative.   In order to facilitate the smoothest operation of this live event, Pete specified the Yamaha PM1D console, a totally recallable console, perfect for instantaneous changes in the show.  It was provided by Pro Mix and the operator was Mac Kerr.

One of Pete's primary projects since 1989 through Super Bowl XXXI, has been his annual involvement in the NFL Superbowl. He first worked with BEST AUDIO as audio supervisor, later as communications engineer, and then, as over all business manager, spending several months each year in the planning and managing of this national event.

In 1999, the National Football League and the Society of Broadcast Engineers began a pro-active program in every NFL venue to coordinate radio frequencies. For the first four years of the program, Pete was the primary NFL Frequency Coordinator for the NY Giants or NY Jets.  He still is a backup coordinator.   In the process, he has developed a series of RF coordination tools which can be downloaded on the Best Audio website.

At the Olympics in Sydney Australia during the fall of 2000, Best Audio, was in charge of the communications systems for the opening and closing ceremonies.  Pete designed, specified and operated a massive intercom system for the event as well as an optical and cat-5 data infrastructure system.   The CST Group, a sound and AV contractor in Australia, was tapped to provide the equipment and purchased the first Clear-Com Matrix in the country Clear-com showcased the installation in an article.

Pete has been the co-designer, with Laurence Estrin, and principal installer on several "electric parades" in Asian amusement parks.   The parades all had multi track audio playback with music background and base line played through the park sound system and specific float oriented melodies transmitted via multi-channel RF to the parade floats.  Pictures of the installation in Seoul, South Korea at the Lotte World amusement park can be seen here on this website.  Other installations were at Farmland in South Korea and Discovery World in Taichung, Taiwan.

In May of 2002, Pete designed and installed the audio and radio transmission equipment for a synchronized music parade at Discovery World in Taichung, Taiwan.  The parade has 12 floats with sound systems.  Each of the floats gets its audio from a radio receiver.   All 12 floats and the park sound system have synchronized music for the parade.   Over 80 dancers and actors work on the parade every day.

At the Paralympics, in Salt Lake City during 2002, Pete was in charge of the communications system for the Opening Ceremonies.  The intercom system was a hold over from the Olympics and was supplied by Keith Hall from Audio Specialties Group.  The main component was a digital Matrix intercom system made by Riedel intercom from Germany.  During the Paralympic Closing Ceremonies, Pete Was Technical Director of TV Audio and also provided the TV mix for the event.

In September of 2002, Pete was hired to program a massive Peavey Media Matrix system at the Nan Shan Insurance company training center in Taichung, Taiwan.  Best Audio was the equipment supplier to the contractor, Linfair Engineering and Trading, LTD.  The system had three mainframes and controlled portions of the audio for 7 theatres and a master AV control room.

During 2003, Pete designed and setup the intercom communications systems for Wireless First, the pre-eminent RF microphone and, now, intercom equipment supplier in the US.  Central in their rental stock is the Riedel Digital intercom system and a custom 2-wire dial-up system.

In 2004, Pete was the engineer for communication and Riedel digital matrix intercom system operation on the CPD's debates between the Bush / Cheney and Kerry / Edwards candidates.  After weeks of planning, the debates started loading in  September 30th  and had the last of 4 debates on October 13th, 2004.  The primary transport of audio was Pete's main job with the all digital Artist S system.  The candidate's and moderator microphones and the infamous Buzzer audio were carried digitally on the system's single mode fiber.  Check out the system drawing HERE.

At the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics, Pete setup and managed the 3-node Riedel Sports intercom system for the Olympic Stadium.  This picture contains all of the stage management, audio, announcers and sporting spotters who were using the system.  Not shown are the Swatch timing crew, the NBC Graphics coordinators and the event coordinators who also used Riedel digital intercom system.

Since the introduction of the new Riedel digital matrix intercom system, Pete has been conducting training sessions in it's use and programming.  Atlantic Video's studios in Washington DC and their Manhattan center studios in New York have new Artist intercom systems and have had several training sessions.  The hardware is not only a sophisticated digital intercom system but provides full AES/EBU audio transport within each facility and soon between them via fiber.

Sitting at the controls of a five-node intercom system with over 300 ports in use, Pete was the head communications technician for Riedel  in Torino, Italy for the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies and the Paralympic opening  ceremony.

From March to September 2006 Pete worked on the Soul 2 Soul tour with Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.  He was the RF coordinator for the 39 RF mics, ears and instrument systems.  The RF system was assembled by the staff of the tour before Pete joined them.  Rick Lehman from Clair Brothers Audio directed the development of the system with Sennheiser. When I started on the tour, Martin "Tike" Santos got me up to speed with the very tricky RF situation.  The stage is almost entirely made up of Hi def LED panels and it raises the entire RF noise floor between 500 to 750 mHz.  Careful antenna placement and particular attention to minimum intermodulation coordination made it work.  In the end it came down to testing each instrument and ear wireless on the stage and trying different frequencies until the best combination was found.

Musical tours were a new experience for Pete.  At 58 years old when When Peter started the 2006 tour, he was among the oldest of the crew.  His job in 2007 was the same.  This year, however, he was involved in advance to split up the system frequency bands to separate the 40 frequencies across the available spectrum. 

One of the many industrial shows Pete works on is the GM Car show held in Las Vegas each October.  He coordinates wireless frequencies (About 70) and programs the Riedel Digital intercom system.  The challenge for the comms is to give consistent levels between rehearsals and actual shows when the ambient noise is greater.  The only way is to mix the comms just the way you would mix PA.  The PA company is On Stage Audio and the system design is by Kelly Epperson of Easy Live Audio.

In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI came to visit New York.  Best audio was in charge of all communications and media coordination.  This not only included the production comm systems by Riedel and RTS and the production radios but also the 500+ Sprint Nextels which were used for city wide communications.  Peter designed the comm systems for Ground 0 site, the St. Joseph Youth rally and the Yankee stadium Mass by the Pope.  Wireless First supplied the comms and Production radio Rentals the radios.  Read more about it  and see some pictures HERE.

  2008-04-28 07:17 AM