SKB Studio Flyer Hits the Road for Presidential Debates - News

SKB Studio Flyer Hits the Road for Presidential Debates

October 16, 2008
SKB Cases has their Studio Flyer 4U model on the road with Michael Abbott, Audio Mixer for The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). The 1SKB19-RSF4U Studio Flyer case (based on the original 2U Studio Flyer Carry-on case) enables Abbott not only to safely store and transport the recording equipment of his mixing rig, but to use the Studio Flyer as an integral part of the audio archive system when it is in use. “The timing and scheduling of the installation of the Audio System on the Presidential Debates is incredibly tight and there is no margin for error,” says Abbott, who was the audio engineer for all three 2008 presidential debates. This year, Abbott had to transport his equipment between the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi; Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee; and Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, in a period of three weeks, amidst the tightest of security environments and complex logistics. Having built-in TSA locks on the case has allowed Michael to get through airport security faster with added confidence that his equipment is safe in transport. “We need a quick load-in and load-out, and it needs to be a turnkey proposition that lets us put the equipment and the cases together quickly,” Abbott explains. To meet these requirements, SKB provided its Studio Flyer case, the removable lid of which acts as a platform for Abbott’s Apple Macbook 13" laptop computer and a FireWire hub. Through openings in the top laptop platform, cabling runs from the Macbook to a Digidesign® Digi 002 Pro Tools® system, a MOTU® MIDI Timepiece and a MOTU Traveler®, all held securely in the Studio Flyer case. “The Studio Flyer is sturdy and holds everything I need in a small footprint,” says Abbott. “But the best part is that it converts to a work station very quickly and easily”. All the cabling and connectivity is already in place. It’s been in aircraft cargo holds and on 53-foot tractor-trailers and there’s never been any problem with the equipment. When the case arrives and you open it up, you find everything inside exactly as you packed it. It’s made my life a lot easier. When you’re working on something of this magnitude, it’s all about how fast you can get up and running.” On a related note, Larry Estrin, of Studio City, CA-based Best Audio, serves as Audio and Production Communications Director for the CPD, and he also has been using SKB products for this debate series. “Best Audio is a loyal SKB user, and we used SKB cases for the 2000 and 2004 debates,” stated Estrin. “This year, we are transporting our radio repeaters in SKB cases.”