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5-Minute Interview: Michael Descoteau

Director of Broadcast Services, Masque Sound. Descoteau was recently appointed to his position at Masque Sound, an East Rutherford, NJ-based audio systems provider that offers turnkey sound reinforcement solutions for television productions, sporting event shows, corporate events, special events, live concerts, and conventions.

5-Minute Interview: Michael Descoteau

Director of Broadcast Services, Masque Sound. Descoteau was recently appointed to his position at Masque Sound, an East Rutherford, NJ-based audio systems provider that offers turnkey sound reinforcement solutions for television productions, sporting event shows, corporate events, special events, live concerts, and conventions.

Michael Descoteau is Director of Broadcast Services at Masque Sound.

Descoteau was recently appointed to his position at Masque Sound, an East Rutherford, NJ-based audio systems provider that offers turnkey sound reinforcement solutions for television productions, sporting event shows, corporate events, special events, live concerts, and conventions.

Pro AV:Masque Sound has a long history in live performance audio. What new business areas will Masque be getting into with your new position and the new facilities in East Rutherford, NJ?

Descoteau: The two biggest things are that we’re opening a DVD production division that will address theatrical, live sound (touring sound), broadcast, and industrial commercial accounts so we can make DVDs for any client in any of those areas, whether it be a live performance DVD, something for a TV show or TV series, or a DVD of a Microsoft three-day meeting. Number two, we’re re-emphasizing and throwing many more resources at broadcast special event work. We recently did the finale for the NBC program The Apprentice at Alice Tulley Hall at the Julliard School of Music at Lincoln Center.

Pro AV:How long has your company performed permanent installations? Is that a growing part of your business?

Descoteau: It is a growing part of our business. We have been doing permanent installations for roughly 15 years. We specialize in high-end wireless microphone and wireless communication installations.

Pro AV:What are some of the biggest technical challenges your customers are facing?

Descoteau: I think that production requirements are growing exponentially. In other words, what it takes to do a Super Bowl halftime show or what it takes to do the finale of The Apprentice is much more than it was three years ago. The production requirements for live events have just exploded. With the coming online of more and more TV stations with DTV signal, there are more and more challenges as far as finding wireless that will work within the spectrum. That is one of our biggest challenges that we’re assisting people with the most. This is why a number of broadcast and industrial clients come to us to help them “plan out the frequencies” — the new equipment.

Pro AV:Most AV companies today are doing both audio and video systems, yet Masque Sound has traditionally been an “audio-only” company. Do you see that changing?

Descoteau: With the expansion of DVD production, we’re definitely getting into video. We are also at present looking at a couple different facets of video technology that we may include in the packages we offer clients. Primarily large-screen displays and transportation of video signals via fiber. So, yes, while our core business is audio, it’s also in the process of expanding into video.

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