POWERHOUSE AUDIO TEAM CREATES CUSTOM MIC SOLUTION FOR CANADA'S INTERIM HOUSE OF COMMONS
01/12/2020
As longtime audio solutions providers for the Canadian government, GerrAudio and Engineering Harmonics have a steady grasp on the needs of its officials. When the companies' principals were presented with the challenge of creating a custom podium microphone solution for the interim House of Commons, they reached out to DPA Microphones. The custom solution is based off DPA's 4081 mics along with a DPA TSM 4001 shock-mount, which fit into the cutouts of the Parliament's existing podium units.
When you're working with such a high-level client, there are no compromises, explains Martin Van Dijk, Senior Consultant/Partner at Engineering Harmonics, Inc. There were really specific requirements for how the microphones worked, how they picked up the sources and, obviously, for their sound quality. Given the need for a clean aesthetic and simple solution, body-worn and standard gooseneck podium microphones were both out of the question.
Additional challenges were presented by the space itself; a glass-roofed structure built into a courtyard in the Parliament's West Block was not ideal for capturing speech. Also, the mics were to be used not only so the members of Parliament (MP) could hear each other, but also to capture Parliamentary proceedings for interpretation, broadcast and archival purposes. Adding to the complexity of the project, the podiums had already been constructed and had existing cutouts for the mics made in their millwork.
There also couldn't be anything sticking up from the podiums and MPs don't (and won't) wear lavalier mics, adds Geoff Maurice, Technical Sales Manager of GerrAudio. Given the need for clarity and intelligibility, and for a product invisible to cameras in the House, Martin was searching for a very specific type of microphone in a form factor that wasn't publicly available; and he wanted it to be a DPA solution.
Van Dijk knew his specific mic needs required a high degree of cooperation from the manufacturer to create a truly custom solution that met the performance requirements. That prompted me go to a brand with a proven ability to build something that provided studio-grade performance in terms of noise floor, he says. I knew DPA also wouldn't just put one of its existing products in a different housing. The company really put effort into engineering this microphone, and GerrAudio helped facilitate that.
The initial stages of the custom mic began with Maurice creating a prototype. We started with a DPA TSM 4001 shock mount, which fits the existing cutouts in the millwork, he explains. I took one apart, cut some bits and pieces out of it, hot glued an existing DPA 4081 microphone inside of it, and added foam for dampening. The 4081 reduces the noise floor and increases rejection, which helped get the pattern we were looking for. Initially, I was concerned about changing the cardioid pattern by placing that element against a boundary element. But, after significant testing, we discovered that, rather than break apart, the pattern shifted upward off the surface, which worked to our advantage.
To ensure all the Commons' requirements were met, GerrAudio built a rough mock-up of the podiums to test the prototypes. MPs typically speak from between the podiums, not from directly behind their own, continues Maurice. For redundancy, we mounted two microphones at the outer corners of each podium and turned them towards the outside of the podium to catch the speaker in the middle. After mounting the prototypes in the appropriate configuration, we ran the signal to a mixing console and recorded speech from different angles and heights before sending the recordings to Engineering Harmonics for further review.
Once Maurice and Van Dijk were satisfied with the prototype, they reached out to DPA directly, to work with the brand's product development team. With DPA's direct involvement, Van Dijk had confidence that we'd end up with a solution that met all of the requirements; and that's what happened. Once they developed the solution, they sent technical details and recordings for us to review, until they refined it to a perfect prototype.
Van Dijk and Maurice then flew to DPA's headquarters in Denmark to establish final proof-of-concept. There, DPA Product Manager Ren M rch and his team continued testing in the company's studio and other internal test areas. The team built a mock-up of the podiums and had some competitors' microphones there so we could do some comparisons in situ and really listen critically to the results, Van Dijk notes.
For this project, DPA delivered over 400 new custom elements for installation in the Commons. The installation was handled by Ottawa-based engineering firm, Applied Electronics. They used a standard DPA capsule, integrated it with a better acoustic guide, and made a beautiful new model of microphone for the House of Commons, Maurice says. Inevitably, they made it more robust, controlled, quiet, and much sleeker looking, too. We're extremely happy with the result. The government has been using the system for months now and, even though the interim space is acoustically challenging, they have a high-quality microphone with great speech pickup.
The broadcast team on the Hill are also very happy with the consistency and quality, Van Dijk adds, but the best compliment I received was from one of our American counterparts working on the project someone who's also worked for the U.S. Government. He emailed me to ask how we got such pristine sound and was flabbergasted to find out we used a mic in the podium, rather than a lavalier.
While this ushers in a new era of high-end audio pickup in one of Can
LINK: | https://www.dpamicrophones.com/news/powerhouse-audio-team-creates-cust... |
See more stories from dpa |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
09/05/2024
Join Calrec at MPTS 2024
Join Calrec at MPTS 2024 | May 15 -16 | Booth A40 | Olympia, London We're looking forward to meeting up with customers and partners at this year's Media...
09/05/2024
NHL Draft to be First Live Televised Event from Vegas' Sphere
The 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held at Sphere in Las Vegas on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29, marking the first time the event will be held in Las...
09/05/2024
WBD Nears 100M Streaming Subs, Streaming Profits Up
NEW YORK In its Q1 2024 earnings report, Warner Bros. Discovery continued to see growth in its streaming operations, adding 2 million streaming subs in Q1 2024 ...
09/05/2024
Custom Consoles Unveils M-Desk Refinements
LEIGHTON BUZZARD, U.K. Custom Consoles has announced refinements to its M-Desk Technical HA heavy duty height-adjustable desk workstation....
09/05/2024
Veritone Rolls Out AI Consulting, Services Group
DENVER Veritone has launched a consulting and services group focused on bridging the marketplace gap it says exists for seamless artificial intelligence (AI) im...
09/05/2024
How sound (and the technology behind it) can set the tone and enhance emotions in film and TV
Sefi Carmel, CEO and founder of SphereTrax, talks about the importance of the so...
09/05/2024
Yale University's Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM) Cultivates Creativity with Blackmagic Design
Yale University's Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM) Cultivates ...
09/05/2024
Blender: Awesome Rack Focus Rig
Blender: Awesome Rack Focus Rig Simon Ubsdell May 9, 2024 0 Comments In which we build a focusing rig in the Blender compositor to enable selective fo...
09/05/2024
Peacock Orders The Office' Offshoot
Peacock has picked up a series from Greg Daniels, who developed The Office for NBC, that is set in the same universe, according to the network, as the NBC hit...
09/05/2024
Sinclair Net Income Drops To $23 Million in First Quarter
Sinclair reported lower net income in the first quarter as distribution revenues rose and ad revenue excluding political spending dipped....
09/05/2024
Vizio Reports $12.1 Million Loss for First Quarter
Vizio Holding Corp., which has agreed to be acquired by Walmart, reported a loss in the first quarter despite growth in its advertising and data businesses....
09/05/2024
Kathleen Keefe, Broadcasting Exec, Dies at 68
Kathleen Keefe, who served as VP of sales for both Hearst Television and Post-Newsweek Stations, died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Roxbury, Connecticu...
09/05/2024
Future Today Adds Movies From Warner Bros Discovery to Fawesome
Streaming company Future Today said it made a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery that will bring 46 movies to Future Today's Fawesome channel....
09/05/2024
Warner Bros. Discovery Reports $966 Million First-Quarter Loss
Despite reporting a profit for its direct-to-consumer business, Warner Bros. Discovery reported a big loss as it took huge write-downs in the first quarter....
09/05/2024
Nexstar Reports Higher Net Income in First Quarter
Nexstar Media Group reported higher first-quarter earnings and said that it cut losses at The CW by $50 million year-over-year....
09/05/2024
Fubo Grabs Viewer Attention, According to TVision Study
Fubo, the sports-focused streaming service, scored high in getting its viewers attention, according to a study conducted by measurement and analytics company TV...
09/05/2024
SailGP Expanding LiveLineFX Graphics Platform to Other Sports
LONDON SailGP, which sponsors high-speed boat racing events worldwide says it is developing its LiveLineFX sports graphics platform for use in other sports....
09/05/2024
Disney, WBD to Offer Streaming Bundle Starting this Summer
BURBANK, Calif. Starting this summer, U.S. consumers will be able to purchase a new streaming bundle offered by Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery that includes ...
09/05/2024
Sony and Apollo plan to break up Paramount'
Companies are expected to sell off Paramounts linear channels as well as close Paramount Plus By Jenny Priestley Published: May 9, 2024 Companies are expe...
09/05/2024
Paramount Global Selects Amdocs Vubiquity to Provide Mana...
Amdocs (NASDAQ:DOX), a leading provider of software and services to communications and media companies, today announced that Vubiquity, an Amdocs company, has b...
09/05/2024
CueScript Awarded Best of Show for CueFlip at NAB 2024
CueScript, the leading developer of professional teleprompting solutions, has announced that its CueFlip screen-to-screen folding field prompter has won in this...
09/05/2024
Mother's Day Ideas from CBC
Capitol Broadcasting has a myriad of ways to celebrate Mom! In honor of Mother's Day, here are a few ideas CBC divisions have to help you honor, or remember...
09/05/2024
Scripps Appoints New President and CEO of the Scripps Howard Fund
CINCINNATI Meredith Delaney has been appointed president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Fund, the philanthropic arm of The E.W. Scripps Company....
09/05/2024
Walmart Launches the Onn. 4K Streaming Device
Following leaks earlier this month of Walmart's plans to launch a new 4K streaming box, Walmart has officially unveiled the Onn. 4K Pro, a hybrid streaming ...
09/05/2024
DirecTV Adds More CW Stations
DirecTV continues to add CW affiliates to its streaming line-up, with the addition of four stations owned by Gray Television....
09/05/2024
Takeshi Kitano's film KUBI graded with DaVinci Resolve
Takeshi Kitano's film KUBI graded with DaVinci Resolve Brie Clayton May 8, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design today announced that DaVinci Resolve ...
09/05/2024
zweiB updates to latest version of R&S CLIPSTER
zweiB updates to latest version of R&S CLIPSTER Brie Clayton May 8, 2024 0 Comments Specialist in deliverables for cinema, events and trade shows Ro...
09/05/2024
Simplify Your Filmmaking with Portable Lights
Simplify Your Filmmaking with Portable Lights Sean Alami May 8, 2024 0 Comments Discover the sleek, mobile Zhiyun lights that enhance cinematic scenes...
09/05/2024
The Benefits of using an Audio Interface
The Benefits of using an Audio Interface Colin Smith May 8, 2024 0 Comments This tutorial takes you through the hardware and software benefits of usin...
09/05/2024
Mother's Day Idea from CBC
Capitol Broadcasting has a myriad of ways to celebrate Mom! In honor of Mother's Day, here are a few ideas CBC divisions have to help you honor, or remember...
09/05/2024
Lachlan Murdoch Sees Progress Toward Sports Streaming Product
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said his company, The Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros. Discovery are in a two-minute drill to get their streaming sports joint venture t...
09/05/2024
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joins Prime Video's NASCAR Team
NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. is joining the Prime Video broadcast booth when the streaming network begins NASCAR Cup Series coverage next year. Earnhardt Jr...
09/05/2024
Nexstar Pitches Sports on The CW, Extra Reach Via Stations (Upfronts)
If upfront advertisers are looking for reach, Nexstar Media Group believes its base of local stations gives it a unique way to achieve that goal....
09/05/2024
Pluto TV Debuts NBCUniversal Local Streaming News Channels
NBCUniversal Local's 15 NBC and Telemundo local and regional streaming news channels begin launching on Pluto TV this month, starting May 8 with five channe...
09/05/2024
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead' Debuts on BET Plus May 16
BET Plus said it has set May 16 as the premiere date for its original movie Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead....
09/05/2024
Disney's Rita Ferro Is Banking on Sports, Streaming, Tech (Upfronts)
Heading into the upfront, the advertising market is noticeably healthier than it was a year ago, Rita Ferro, president of global advertising sales at The Walt D...
09/05/2024
Exhibition Schedule 2024
It's exhibition season again, and dB will be at several major shows, eager to meet as many visitors as possible. At The Media Production & Technology Show ...
09/05/2024
Prison Journalism: Challenges of foreign citizens' imprisonment in South Africa
Prison Journalism: Challenges of foreign citizens' imprisonment in South Afr...
09/05/2024
Prison Journalism: Pray for liberation and healing
Prison Journalism: Pray for liberation and healingThabo Mthembu was incarcerated in Pollsmoor Prison from 2014 to 2019. Read Thabo's story by Thabo Mthemb...
09/05/2024
Taylor Swift's European Eras tour kicks off in Paris TONIGHT
Taylor Swift's European Eras tour kicks off in Paris TONIGHTThe highest-grossing tour in history has finally arrived in Europe as Taylor Swift kicks off her...
09/05/2024
Tonight on Scandal: MaHilda and Phakamile are forced into navigating a tense truce
Tonight on Scandal: MaHilda and Phakamile are forced into navigating a tense tru...
09/05/2024
RT Supporting the Arts: What's On this May
RT Supporting the Arts: What's On this May Watch our YouTube promo here This May RT is delighted to support Dublin Dance Festival along with 20 other ar...
09/05/2024
Honkai: Star Rail' Blasts Off on GeForce NOW
Gear up, Trailblazers - Honkai: Star Rail lands on GeForce NOW this week, along with an in-game reward for members to celebrate the title's launch in the cl...
09/05/2024
Rohde & Schwarz showcases operational efficiency at MPTS
Rohde & Schwarz showcases operational efficiency at MPTS Uncompromised quality and reliability coupled with simplicity and efficiency Rohde & Schwarz will ...
08/05/2024
Saved! and Rudo y Cursi Among Films With May Anniversaries
Diego Luna's character Beto aims to play professional soccer in Carlos Cuar n's film Rudo y Cursi....
08/05/2024
SGL Carbon: Focus on global growth trends pays off
SGL Carbon had a solid start to the first quarter of 2024. Despite the slight decline in sales of 3.9% to 272.6 million (Q1 2023: 283.7 million), adjusted EBI...
08/05/2024
The results are in from Malm Arena as Semi Final 1 participants move through to the Grand Final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest
The results are in from Malm Arena as Semi Final 1 participants move through to...
08/05/2024
Powerful NITV documentary Kindred to premiere during Reconciliation Week
Powerful NITV documentary Kindred to premiere during Reconciliation Week Media releases A journey of family, friendship and home *Watch the trailer here* ...