Welcome back to the Manhattan Center’s Talk With An Expert blog series!
In the heart of Midtown on 34th Street, sits a landmark that has defined the New York City entertainment industry since 1906. But the Manhattan Center’s true power lies behind its iconic facade. Beyond the gold-leafed ceilings of our ballrooms exists one of the most sophisticated, interconnected audio and video production ecosystems in the world.
From the massive HD soundstages of TV-1 and TV-2—homes to broadcast giants like HBO and Comedy Central—to the intimate, legendary warmth of The Log Cabin and the sprawling, acoustically perfect environment of Studio 7, Manhattan Center is a playground for creators. Our facility offers a rare synergy: the ability to host a 2,500-person live event in the Hammerstein Ballroom while simultaneously broadcasting in 4K and capturing a 100-piece orchestral score in the Grand Ballroom, all mixed and mastered through a seamless, fiber-optic backbone.
At the helm of this technical powerhouse is OBie O’Brien, Director of Audio and Video Production. With a career that bridges the gap between rock-and-roll history and future-forward digital innovation, OBie oversees the daily marriage of heritage and technology that makes this building hum.
In this installment of our “Talk with an Expert” series, we sit down with OBie to pull back the curtain on the technical wizardry of Manhattan Center and all that it offers from an audio and video standpoint.
Part 1: The Origin Story
How did you get started in the audio and video production industry, and what was that “spark” moment for you?
It wasn’t so much of a spark as it was an opportunity that came my way. I was hired as a receptionist at Mayfair Recording Studios which was located at 47th and Broadway when the studio manager was abruptly fired. They asked me to fill in until they could find a replacement, which they never did. So I was thrown into the deep end and learned to swim.
What was it like to work in the recording studio industry when you started?
When I started, there was a recording studio practically on every block in midtown Manhattan and everyone was busy all day and all night. During the day we did jingles for Coke, Pepsi, L’Oreal, etc. and at night we did records. What was so great back then was all the session players were all the same. The greatest guitar players, drummers, keyboard players and background singers; Luther Vandross, Patti Austin, etc. were working on jingles during the day, because the pay was great and there were residuals, and at night they played and sang for the top record labels and iconic record producers.
What drew you specifically to the Manhattan Center, given its unique history as both a performance venue and a broadcast hub?
I was working at Clinton Recording at the time (another amazing recording studio) when the Manhattan Center was in need of someone to help manage their two recording studios. What intrigued me was that it was so much more than recording studios. The Manhattan Center, including the Hammerstein and Grand Ballrooms, had different avenues to make money and the flexibility to change with the times. Proof of that is there aren’t any of the great studios left in NYC, they’re all gone except for the Manhattan Center. When the studios are slow, the venues are busy and when the venues and studios are slow, the TV studios are busy. The Manhattan Center has multiple revenue streams ensuring a healthy and resilient organization available to serve the needs of our corporate and private clientele.
Part 2: The Role & The Rhythm
Could you describe a typical day in the life of the Director of Audio and Video Production at Manhattan Center?
There are days when it’s just chill, but because we are so interconnected and can pretty much serve all client production needs, when there is an event or concert that needs or wants to be filmed or video taped or live streamed, every department is humming. There have been days when I’ve walked 8 miles worth of steps and never left the building. It can be stressful, but a fun kind of stress.
With a facility that houses TV studios (TV-1, TV-2) and audio suites (Studio 7, The Log Cabin), how do you balance the needs of a broadcast client with those of a recording artist?
They are different animals and with our connectivity from Studio 7 to the Hammerstein Ballroom we can offer the concerts that want to live stream a great music mix instead of just the mix from the FOH, which sounds great in the Hammerstein, but doesn’t necessarily transfer to stereo speakers on someone’s computer sitting at home. Balancing the needs for broadcast clients and recording artists is very easy because everything we’ve built was with both clients in mind.
What is the most rewarding—and most challenging—part of overseeing the technical “handshake” between the historic Ballrooms and the modern control rooms?
The handshake is easy because we have incredibly smart people who work here. Every department is highly capable and loves what they do. I don’t need to know all of the technical aspects of what our studios can do as I have a great support team (thank you Josh!).
Part 3: The Technical Ecosystem
Manhattan Center is known for its incredible connectivity. How does the fiber-optic infrastructure allow a client to utilize the entire building as a single production tool?
This is where I would yell the magic name “Josh”, lol. We do have connectivity throughout the facility. Our video control room is tied to both venue spaces; The Hammerstein and The Grand. So any production taking place in either space can be live broadcast or taped with ease and without the hassle of pulling up a truck.
While Studio 7 is a legendary audio space, how does it interact with the video capabilities of TV-1 and TV-2 for major broadcast specials?
Here again is the advantage of the connectivity of all the spaces. For a TV broadcast, if there isn’t a musical component then the audio suite in TV1 with its Rivage PM5 console is perfect for the audio needs. TV2 is in the process of being converted to podcast studios and they too will have their own audio independent of Studio 7 or the Cabin.
Can you explain the advantage of having a facility that can handle everything from a Broadway cast recording to a live global telecast under one roof?
First of all, we are the largest recording facility in NYC, if not on the entire east coast. We can fit a 150 piece orchestra comfortably. It’s unfortunate, but there are no big rooms left in NYC except the Manhattan Center. But the real advantage of recording here is the acoustics of the room. There are many composers who have come into our scoring stage and fell in love with it. John Williams was visiting while we were recording West Side Story and loved the sound of the room so much that he came back months later to record his CD John Williams, A Gathering of Friends. And in some of the music videos from that project, you can see the visual beauty of the room as well as the amazing sound. There truly is nothing like it anywhere.
Part 4: The Industry & The Future
How has the rise of 4K/8K video and immersive audio (like Dolby Atmos) changed the way you approach the technical setup of Manhattan Center?
Whatever we don’t have in-house we bring in from the outside and it works perfectly. The technology changes at such a fast pace these days that to completely convert to a specific format no longer makes sense. As long as you can deliver what the client needs or wants, and we can, it works.
What is a recent project that utilized the full breadth of the Manhattan Center’s audio and video capabilities that you are particularly proud of and where do you see the future of “live-to-tape” and hybrid events heading over the next few years?
Live to tape seems like an oxymoron, right? Live streaming is what is most requested these days. And it seems like Podcasts are the new TV talk shows. We just did one recently called Men in Blazers which was for the world cup. That was a live podcast, 5 camera shoot. Audio handled through Studio 7, shot in the Grand Ballroom and TV1 control room used as well. It was a huge success!
Part 5: Passing the Torch
What advice would you give to young people interested in pursuing a career in audio and video production today?
I think you have to wear many different hats. That is a main advantage that Manhattan Center offers young people just starting out. Our audio assistants also have a chance to learn the video end of things. They not only learn to become recording engineers, but they also learn A1 work for video and live broadcasting. They learn comms and setting up cameras. You can’t just do one thing really well anymore. You have to be able to jump into any roll that might be open. If you want to just be an engineer, then find a band and become their engineer. Work for hire as a recording engineer is becoming more and more scarce these days.
Beyond technical knowledge, what are the soft skills or “studio etiquette” rules that you believe are essential for a long-lasting career in this business?
You have to be flexible and willing to learn more than just what you want to learn. You have to be willing to go the extra mile, work the extra hour and clients really respond to people who look like they are enjoying themselves. No attitude! And always know that you don’t know everything. There is always something to learn.
If you could go back to your first day in the industry, what is the one thing you wish you knew then that you know now?
I’m glad I didn’t know anything. It has been an adventure. And all the surprises along the way is what kept me here for so long. Having a 40+ year career in one industry is pretty impossible these days so I feel very lucky and grateful. Even on it’s bad days it’s a whole lot better than being in politics!