Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Small Changes Make Substantial Differences in NFL Audio

05/10/2022

Small Changes Make Substantial Differences in NFL Audio Nimble parabs, additional A2s help the sound keep up this season By Dan Daley, Audio Editor

Wednesday, October 5, 2022 - 7:00 am

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

The NFL stadium crowds are back everywhere, all the time now, in a sports milieu that demands more sound, louder sound, and more sources than ever. Broadcasters' football A1s understand that the sport may be the most restrictive when it comes to access to sound sources - the league has always retained control of and access to the two player microphones on the field, a cornerstone of the sport's audio on television for a decade - but that has only made their pursuit of the rest of gridiron sound that much more intense and interesting. That has certainly continued this season.

Parabs to the Rescue At Fox Sports, lead A1 Jamie McCombs, like all football mixers, is still dealing with the loss of 20 yards of sideline real estate for his parab operators: a COVID protocol put in place by the league last year limits the movements of up to two operators per side to the area from the end zone to the 25-yard line, instead of to the 35-yard line. To compensate, he notes, submixer Eddie Verstraete has been experimenting with new microphones in the parabolic collectors - currently, a Neumann - attached to the new crossbars that parab manufacturer Klover came up with this year for its Mik 26 model. (The updated unit, currently in a beta-type stage, has stronger handles, and parts are modular to better facilitate field repairs. According to Klover President Paul Terpstra, the modification was first tested by Fox Sports during the USFL season and will be evaluated this NFL season by CBS Sports.)

A1 Jamie McCombs: It's loud, but we're really enjoying the noise.

Losing those extra sideline yards last year was tough, says McCombs. What helps is experimenting with the reach of the parabs themselves, and the NFL's enhanced audio from the microphones on the players, which is still great sound.

As per the collective-bargaining agreement between the league and the NFLPA, microphones can be placed on either a guard or the starting and backup center for each game. Fox Sports is going with six parabs this season: four on the sidelines, two in the end zones.

McCombs also notes the growing amount of Dante signal transport at games. The network is used for all RF sources, including the Shure Axient wireless microphones and the RF mics in the parabs. Most recently, its use has been extended to bringing in the voice of rules analyst Mike Pereira from Fox Sports' Los Angeles studios to any game he's needed on. His intercom and IFB are on a Unity IT-based comms system to production and from there on Dante to distribution.

We've been using Dante for two years now, and [Game Creek Video] Encore just upgraded to accommodate more Dante capability to the console, McCombs explains. We're still using Hydra networking, such as to the announce booth, but less and less of it over time as more and more Dante goes out into the field.

A2s Bring Experience to Parabolic Mics ESPN implemented a subtle but significant audio change this season when it agreed to supply two A2s as parab operators, replacing two of the four utility personnel previously assigned to four parabs per game. Jonathan Freed - one of two A1s, along with Scott Pray, for the broadcaster's flagship Monday Night Football production - says addition of the more experienced and technically capable A2s helps improve the overall audio experience with technicians who are better aware of game nuances and can better leverage the capabilities and potential of the parabs. Utility workers, as their rubric suggests, are usually relied on for such tasks as cable management behind cameras and other semi-technical jobs.

A good, experienced A2 can anticipate action on the field, which helps the production flow, he says, noting that the new A2s are working the sideline parabs, the mics most affected by the loss of sideline space. They know how the equipment works and what it can do. From my perspective, the parab operator is as important to the A1 as the camera operator is to the director. We're very happy that we were able to help make this happen.

Skycam to the Rescue The loss of sideline real estate for parabs has put an even greater premium on the Skycam, with Freed and other A1s increasingly relying on it for audio-gathering. Starting several years ago, Freed worked with the Skycam team on integrating the Schoeps SuperCMIT digital microphone aboard the unit. The mic's integrated DSP detects discrete sound from different directions while also recognizing diffuse field sound from all directions, similar to the effect produced by a shotgun mic. The algorithm is designed to suppress diffuse sound and to focus on discrete sound, giving it the capability of covering as much of the field as the camera itself while rejecting crowd noise.

But, adds Freed, the mic's digital nature means A1s can remotely access parameters - capsule gain, filtering - from the console through the SuperCMIT's digital phantom-power infrastructure. In addition, the audio signal is embedded as an AES-3 format with that of the camera and can be de-embedded and sent discretely over fiber to the A1 console.

He says, It's a fantastic improvement over the RF microphones that we used to pair with the Skycam.

Back to Loud What all NFL A1s are sharing this season is volume, with the stadiums returning to full capacity for every game. At Seattle's open-top Lumen Field, Freed measured the Broncos-Seahawks game in Week 1 at 104 dB. He notes that, to prevent overloads, he has been lowering the input gain slightly on crowd mics. It's not unexpected, and it can be challenging trying to capture all the
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2022/10/05/small-changes-make-substantial-...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

09/10/2026

Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026

September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026 New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

15/09/2026

IBC 2026: Pixitmedia by DataCore to Showcase Cloud and Connected Production Workflows

At IBC2026, Pixitmedia by DataCore will showcase its latest capabilities designe...

15/09/2026

IBC 2026: Quantum Introduces Autonomous Data Management, Dramatically Reducing Storage Costs While Increasing Efficiency and Availability

Quantum Corp. today announced the release of Quantum Autonomous Data Management ...

15/09/2026

PGA Tour Taps Mike Mahar as Chief Technology Officer to Drive Digital, Data, AI Strategy

Former Wyndham Hotels & Resorts technology executive will focus on fan engagemen...

15/09/2026

Creator Sports Network and FAN.live Launch 3D NFL Watch Party for Creators

Creator Sports Network (CSN) and FAN.live have announced a partnership giving CSN's network of more than 2,000 vetted creators access to live 3D NFL broadca...

15/09/2026

IBC 2026 In Review: Our Complete Collection of Video Interviews with Industry Thought Leaders

SVG and SVG Europewere all over the IBC 2026 show floor out in Amsterdam, bringi...

15/09/2026

Rise Announces 2026 Awards Shortlist

Rise WIB has announced the shortlist for the Rise Awards 2026, returning to Troxy in London on Tuesday, November 17. The awards recognize outstanding women, adv...

15/09/2026

Major League Table Tennis Announces 2026-27 Media Distribution Lineup

Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) has announced its media distribution lineup for the 2026-27 season, beginning September 11. Every match will stream live on the...

15/09/2026

Willow Sports to Air 700 Hours of Free Asian Games Coverage for U.S. and Canadian Viewers

Willow Sports has announced it will serve as the exclusive U.S. and Canadian hom...

15/09/2026

Gravity Media to Broadcast MXGP of Australia Championship Finale

Gravity Media has announced it will provide outside broadcast production and technical services for the MXGP of Australia, the finale of the 2026 FIM World Moto...

15/09/2026

Scott Coker and Peter Y. Levin Launch Ki MMA Global MMA Promotion

Co-founders Scott Coker and Peter Y. Levin have unveiled Ki MMA, a new global mixed martial arts promotion launching in the first quarter of 2027. The announcem...

15/09/2026

Sony Announces FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS and FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS Super-Telephoto Lenses

Sony Electronics has announced two new G Master super-telephoto prime lenses for...

15/09/2026

Former NEP Group Exec Saeed Izadi Opens The Matrix, Next-Gen Remote Production Center in Singapore

GlobeCast provides facility for AI-power automated production core...

15/09/2026

Gravity Media Set to Deliver 2026 FIM World Motorcross Championship

Gravity Media, a leading global provider of production and content, and media services and facilities, is empowering Tourism and Events Northern Territory (NT) ...

15/09/2026

Audient unveil flagship Horizon interfaces

New Thunderbolt audio interfaces aimed at pro studios Audient's latest announcement sees the company introduce three new high-end audio interfaces desig...

15/09/2026

Sennheiser launch the Spectera SKM handheld

Completes core wireless system line-up The latest addition to Sennheiser's Spectera range is now shipping, completing the core elements of the company&#...

15/09/2026

Schwabe Digital reveal HiFAL 2

High-frequency dynamics plug-in upgraded Schwabe Digital have just released a major free update for their acclaimed high-frequency dynamics processing plug-...

15/09/2026

LUNA 3.0 & UAD Spark Studio from Universal Audio

DAW update launched alongside all-in-one subscription bundle The latest version of Universal Audio's DAW software has just arrived, and has been release...

15/09/2026

Rupert Neve Designs introduce three plug-ins

Three popular hardware units go virtual Rupert Neve Designs are entering the software market in style, with not one, but three of their sought-after hardwar...

15/09/2026

Argo M Powers Cloudbass' Next Generation OB Fleet

When longstanding OB specialist Cloudbass made the decision to expand its fleet to accommodate remote production facilities for a leading UK sports broadcaster&...

15/09/2026

Study: 3 in 4 U.S. TV Viewers Use Smartphones While Watching TV

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Agent TiVo Will Help Track Down Your Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Nielsen Marketing Cloud Launches Data Enrichment Capabilities

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Six Berklee Alumni Win at 2026 Emmy Awards

Six Berklee Alumni Win at 2026 Emmy Awards The recipients were recognized for their contributions to Widow's Bay, Beef, South Park, and Bad Bunny's Su...

15/09/2026

OWC Announces Acquisition of OpenDrives, Expanding Software-Defined Video and Rich Media Storage Management Capabilities

OWC Announces Acquisition of OpenDrives, Expanding Software-Defined Video and Ri...

15/09/2026

Podcast The Vertical Buzz Shot with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro

Podcast The Vertical Buzz Shot with Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro Brie Clayton September 14, 2026 0 Comments Production team builds premium p...

15/09/2026

Grass Valley Launches AVORA at IBC2026

Grass Valley Launches AVORA at IBC2026 Brie Clayton September 14, 2026 0 Comments New standalone solution gives production teams everything they need ...

15/09/2026

Brandon Woody Joins Berklee Student Ensemble for Signature Series Concert

Brandon Woody Joins Berklee Student Ensemble for Signature Series Concert The acclaimed trumpeter, composer, and bandleader will lead a Berklee student ensemb...

15/09/2026

IBC2026 Announces IBC Innovation Award Winners

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

IEEE BTS to Host Broadcast Technology Forum at NAB Headquarters

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Huw Mills Joins Technetix as SVP, Global Operations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

TiVo Introduces Agent TiVo

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Study: Younger Fans Are Watching More Sports Than Ever

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

NFL Melbourne Game Scores 18.5 Million U.S. Viewers on Netflix

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/09/2026

Applications open for Future Leaders Delegation to BitSummit 2027

Applications open for Future Leaders Delegation to BitSummit 2027 15 September 2026 Applications are open for Screen Australia's annual Future Leaders Dele...

15/09/2026

Red Seat Ventures' Supercast Launches Live Streaming, Bringing Real-Time Video and Community to Subscribers

Red Seat Ventures' Supercast Launches Live Streaming, Bringing Real-Time Vid...

15/09/2026

Arqiva recognised with Armed Forces Covenant Silver Award

Arqiva recognised with Armed Forces Covenant Silver AwardPresented to organisations that demonstrate outstanding support for the Armed Forces community -- Sh...

14/09/2026

ESPNs MNF Gets in Tune With Apple Music, Adds Ludacris to In the Air Tonight Open

Lil Baby's Dead Fresh kicks off ESPN's Week 1 Monday Night Football, ...

14/09/2026

ESPN's Monday Night Football Begins Its Super Bowl Run With Year 2 of Flagship, New Tech, and 4K HDR Distribution

With Super Bowl LXI waiting in Los Angeles, ESPN will use the regular season to ...

14/09/2026

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Padraic McKinley, the Director of The Weight

By Bailey Pennick One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. ...

14/09/2026

Sony expand WH headphone line-up

Three new models introduced Sony have just announced the launch of three new pairs of headphones that span their premium, mid-range and entry-level line-ups...

14/09/2026

Audient unveil Horizon interfaces

New flagship Thunderbolt units aimed at pro studios Audient's latest announcement sees the company introduce three new high-end audio interfaces designe...

14/09/2026

Cobalt Digital to Bring New and Enhanced Practical Solutions to Evolving Broadcast Workflows at IBC2026

Cobalt Digital IBC Stand 8.F90 // Journalists: Click to visit Cobalt Highlights...

14/09/2026

TV Tech Unveils Best of Show Winners at IBC2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/09/2026

TV Skyline Becomes 'World's First Ultrix FR30 Customer

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

14/09/2026

Bitmovin AI Scene Analysis Selected by Nine to Enhance it...

Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, has announced that Australia's largest media company, Nine Entertainment (Nine), has deployed Bit...

14/09/2026

Creativepool Annual 2026 Winners Announced

Creativepool Annual 2026 Winners Announced Brie Clayton September 13, 2026 0 Comments The creative industry's Most' awards celebrates another...

14/09/2026

Inside DPA's N-Series at IBC2026: Wireless audio without compromise

At IBC2026, Ren M rch explains how the N-Series combines DPA's renowned microphone technology with a high-performance wireless platform, offering a wide tu...