Winners of the 55th Grammy Awards, hosted by LL Cool J, will be revealed Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. You can enhance your 3-hour TV viewing experience with our digestible list of three ways to get more from tonight’s Grammys.
Among the performers this year are Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Fun, Mumford Sons, Black Keys, Lumineers, Frank Ocean, Maroon 5, Carrie Underwood, Elton John, Sting, Bruno Mars, Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, Ed Sheeran and more.
1. Watch the Action at Grammy Live
You can tune into Grammy Live video streams for VIP and backstage events before and during the televised ceremony at Grammy.com, CBS.com and on the Grammy app.
You’ll see red-carpet coverage, backstage interviews, pressroom question-and-answer sessions and winners’ portrait sessions, among other intimate moments.
2. Follow and Interact With Celebrities on Twitter
Fifty percent of all active Twitter users follow at least one musician, and many of the most-followed Twitter users are musicians, so you can anticipate a significant spike in tweets tonight. The stars have already been busy tweeting in the hours before the show:
The Recording Academy encourages viewers to tweet using hashtags #Grammys and #TheWorldIsListening before, during and after the ceremony.
Twitter created a special Grammy Awards page, where you’ll find celebrity live tweeters. Notable accounts to follow throughout the show include @TheGRAMMYS, @CBS, @TwitterMusic, @TwitterTV, @MashEntertain and Mashable‘s @BAHjournalist.
3. Predict the Winners in Every Major Category
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You can lock in your last-minute predictions using the Grammys’ Android and iOS apps, which also let you listen to the nominees via Grammy Radio, see photos and view videos.
Justin Timberlake’s Drums
This is a drum kit that will used during Justin Timberlake’s performance Sunday night. The drum kit already has microphones on it, and is on a riser that can be wheeled on and off stage.
Rehearsals Not in Order
Rehearsals take place from Thursday to Saturday, and are not done in the order they will be performed on Sunday. The first time the show is done in order is during dress rehearsal, just hours before it goes live.
Plug it Up
Each riser has a plug where it is connected to the main show audio once it’s on stage.
Two of a Kind
The Horizon and Eclipse trucks are parked beside each other outside the Staples Center and house identical audio equipment.
Once the artist’s rehearsal is complete, everyone in the truck heads to an identical vehicle parked beside the original to spend a little more time tweaking the audio for the performance while the other sound engineer moves into truck number one to start on the next group’s rehearsal.
Identical
The Horizon and Eclipse trucks are identical down to the paint job.
Inside Eclipse
Audio engineers have hundreds of controls in the Eclipse and Horizon trucks.
Bob Marley Tribute
This drum set will be used during a tribute to Bob Marley Sunday evening. The performance will include Sting, Bruno Mars, and Rihanna.
Bruno Mars Gear
Some of Bruno Mars’ Gear is stored beside the drum kit for the Marley tribute.
Black Keys
The Black Keys are one of the performers during Sunday’s show.
Rock and Roll
Guitar manufacturers will donate guitars to have on hand in case performers have issues or need a backup.
Room of Music
By Friday afternoon the room was already becoming full of instruments and equipment.
Solitary Confinement
All of the performer’s microphones are stored in individual trays which help prevent the signals from the microphones from interfering. No other wireless mics are allowed in the Staples Center Sunday, including news crews.
Wireless Word
The area where the microphones are stored is dubbed “Wireless World.” Each tray is numbered for the performer, making it easy to locate.
Backup Mics
There are backup microphones for every mic being used during the Grammys, ensuring they’ll never be an issue.
Split World
Split World is the sound system hub for the broadcast.
Constantly Monitored
Sound quality is monitored at a number of different locations, including this area where an engineer monitors the signal coming through some of the show’s many Aphex devices.
Protools
The Protools audio editing set up for the Grammys includes two identical computers and a fail-safe switcher that will work even if the power goes out.
Denali Truck
In the Denali truck the audio and video for the show is combined, creating the final feed that is then sent out to CBS in NYC to be broadcast.
Still on Tape
Digital tape is still the most efficient way to record the show. The performance will be eventually moved over to a tapeless digital format.
Tape Decks
Here are a few of the tape decks in the Denali truck where the Grammys will be recorded.
Front of House
This is the front of house set up on the floor level of the Staples Center.
Off to NYC
After it passes through all the trucks, the final broadcast is sent to CBS in NYC using this satellite.
Walk of Fame
The 2012 Grammy winners had their names engraved on this record on the sidewalk near the Staples Center.
Images via Kevin Winter/Getty Images and Grammy.com
Source:
http://www.deondesigns.ca/blog/3-ways-to-enjoy-the-grammys-online/