Sports Broadcast Hall of Famer Fred Aldous Instructs CRAS Students During Live NASCAR Phoenix Race

Avondale, Ariz., March 22, 2018 – When he isn’t mixing the Super Bowl, Fred Aldous shares his insights and methodology with the next generation of pro audio engineers.

Three CRAS Teams, Each Comprised of 10-12 Broadcast Engineering Students Apiece, Trained During the Three Days FOX SPORTS Broadcasted the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at ISM Raceway in Avondale, Ariz.

Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS; www.cras.edu) students recently had the opportunity to practice mixing live audio and video feeds from FOX SPORTS in the school’s 42-ft. remote-production mobile broadcast trailer with Aldous, a Sports Broadcast Hall of Fame inductee, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at ISM Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. from March 9-11.

“The exposure that the students get out of a large sporting event like NASCAR is an eye opener that has a lifelong effect…most are not aware of the complexity of live sporting event,” explained Aldous, an audio consultant for FOX Sports. “For the most part, they are overwhelmed at first. But once we start to dissect what they are listening to and how to approach it, they start to understand what is going on. Most everyone is amazed at the number of people it takes to put a production together and the amount of time and equipment it takes.”

Kirt Hamm, CRAS administrator, explained that the CRAS students received the raw feed from FOX, and the feeds included all the behind-the-scenes audio discussions and directions between the directors, broadcast crews, producers, engineers, and videographers. “With all the background streaming in simultaneously, our students had the opportunity to experience what a broadcast is really like and to practice mixing the audio and follow directions amidst the chaos of a live broadcast. This opportunity was devised in an effort to boost potential careers in broadcast audio in a real-world setting.”