Audio revolution: MotoGP's Sergi Sendra on the evolution of the top two-wheeled motorsport's sound By Heather McLean
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 - 08:49
Print This Story
MotoGP is now entering the third generation of its audio evolution, which will mean riders listening to safety messages from Race Direction, then potentially rider discussions with their teams making it to air live from the race track as the bikes hit phenomenal speeds
MotoGP was the first motorsport world championship when it was born in 1949, with a first season comprising only six Grands Prix. Since then, the sport has grown to a calendar of more than 22 Grands Prix across five continents, and its popularity has soared to a global fanbase of over 500 million. Its live TV coverage has equally expanded into a global, high-octane show reaching more than 200 territories.
In the beginning, MotoGP focused on the visual aspects of its broadcast production rather than the audio, which remained a missing piece for some time, given the sheer volume of sound these prototype machines are able to generate. Yet in 2013 it discovered a partner in audio with Lawo, which took MotoGP from analogue to digital sound.
Sergi Sendra, head of global technology at MotoGP, tells the story: We spent so much effort on the video developing the cameras, developing a methodology for directing, and graphics. There were a lot of things and audio was there, but we didn't have a partner for many years and we were looking for somebody.
The first audio partner [we found was] Lawo in 2013 and 2014, and it's important for me to remember what we achieved with them, thanks to Philipp Lawo and his agreement with us then.
On what those achievements were, he says: That was a way to mix signals, mixing voices, and sound from the track because we were on an analogue system before going digital with them; 2013 was the preparation and we went digital in 2014. But when we made this effort to start producing in surround sound and multichannel sound in 2014, the reality was the audio was still not yet good enough. We realised to make any kind of approach to 5.1 was really, really a big challenge.
The new MotoGP logo, which launched in November 2024
New audio partner
MotoGP then began to look for a new audio partner that could evolve the sound of the sport further. That is when Audio-Technica appeared on the scene, says Sendra. One day in 2018, Audio-Technica approached us to ask if we would be interested in working together. That was in Valencia in 2018.
Rodrigo Thomaz [project manager for broadcast partnerships, Audio-Technica Europe] from Audio-Technica visited us, then he communicated to Robert [Morgan-Males, CEO at Audio-Technica] and we set up a very special meeting in Barcelona, reminisces Sendra.
It was close to Christmas but we had to make it happen. They were interested, but they needed more information. So Robert came to Barcelona and I remember we spent three hours together, and we said, okay, we'll do it .
Audio-Technica was prepared to work with MotoGP to bring the true sound of the sport the bikes themselves to viewers at home. Continues Sendra: The reason [we went for it with Audio-Technica] was somebody for the first time was going to provide audio tools touching the ground for capture. Because at the end of the day, capturing MotoGP is the most complex thing. We're talking about huge spaces; you could fit more than 100 football pitches in a MotoGP circuit, like Austin or Silverstone. I mean, there's so much space to cover.
The roar of those bikes is anything but simple to capture, with a high level of audio contamination that makes focussing on a single subject detail difficult. Says Sendra: And again, it's easier to put a camera in and envision a one kilometre [area of track] than listening to the progression of speed and changes between that point that you see that original point to the end point where the camera will be able to still give you a shot, he explains.
We are talking about sound that's related to bikes, which is kind of a special sound. I don't want to call it noise. It's pure sound. And we didn't have a proper audio system installed on the bikes. We didn't have a proper audio system installed in the garages. We didn't have proper audio system installed on the track side.
Concept for sound
Audio-Technica then set about developing a concept for sound that turned into specialist microphones specifically designed for the unique and challenging MotoGP race track.
The first generation of sound for MotoGP was micing up the overall audio of the track itself. The second generation was about immersive sound, micing the pitlane, the paddock, the crowd, and capturing the atmosphere on the straight, as well as getting microphones on the bikes to accompany the cameras.
Now, the third generation comes from a sporting area request; providing sound from Race Direction to riders as a further safety measure and way to connect them. And this adds also a new chance for MotoGP to mic the riders themselves to capture what they say as they hurtle around the track, as well as any possible conversations with their teams, all of which is set to be no easy task.
Says Sendra: It's now been six years non-stop, developing the concept, the microphones, the capsules, everything related to the way you want to transmit a real environment where there are people, there is noise, there are sounds, there are voices, there's silence. When the bike stops on the track and you want to hear the marshals shouting, and we achieve it.
On the bike microphones, Sendra says: On the bikes we are now able to install up to eight microphones, which is crazy. And why eight microphones? Because we have four cameras. That was an agreement between Sony and Audio-Technica. Each
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
08/09/2026
Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has announced a multi-year agreement with A E...
08/09/2026
Spectra Logic today announced the availability of Media Insight, a new capabilit...
08/09/2026
Rogers Communications and Quebecor have announced a 12-year sublicensing agreement for French-language national NHL games beginning with the 2026-27 season. TVA...
08/09/2026
Skyline Communications and Bridge Technologies will demonstrate two integrations...
08/09/2026
Boland Communications will make the European debut of its 4K55HDR7SNB 55-inch super-narrow-bezel monitor at IBC2026 (Stand 12.C57, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-1...
08/09/2026
Ateme and Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) have announced a collaboration comb...
08/09/2026
Haivision has joined the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme as part of t...
08/09/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced price reductions on its PYXIS 6K and Cinema Camera 6K models, effective immediately through Blackmagic Design resellers worldwid...
08/09/2026
AI-Media will demonstrate its LEXI Suite at IBC2026 (Booth 5.C34, September 11-1...
08/09/2026
Bitmovin and Ad Insertion Platform (AIP) have announced the first live deploymen...
08/09/2026
Grass Valley will demonstrate story-centric media workflows at IBC2026 (Booth 9.A01, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14), connecting newsroom production, content ma...
08/09/2026
M2A Media and Ateme have announced a partnership integrating Ateme's video processing solutions into M2A Media's MediaToAnywhere platform for live sport...
08/09/2026
Ikegami will exhibit at IBC2026 (Stand 12.A31, RAI Amsterdam, September 11-14), including a Day 1 introduction of new cameras in the UNICAM XE series. Additiona...
08/09/2026
Broadcast industry analysts will be gathering plenty of insights at the 2026 IBC Show this weekend in Amsterdam, but Caretta Research has offered up some though...
08/09/2026
SENSHI and DAZN have announced a global broadcast partnership that will bring SENSHI's live events free to viewers in more than 200 markets. The partnership...
08/09/2026
New architecture built with Evertz will bring 4K HDR to Monday Night Football, N...
08/09/2026
Built for rap producers, by rap producers
Sauceware Audio, the independent plug-in company founded by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob (Travis Scott, 21 Sava...
08/09/2026
Classic Sound Techniques design revived
Warm Audio's latest release delivers a meticulous recreation of the preamp circuitry employed by the Sound Techn...
08/09/2026
Latest soft synth inspired by the Memorymoog
XILS Lab have just launched a software instrument that draws its inspiration from Moog's iconic Memorymoog,...
08/09/2026
The Airport Chaplain takes off as SBS's biggest launch of 2026
8 September, 2026
Media releases
1.67 million viewers on National Total TV to date
Best...
08/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/09/2026
Mo-Sys, the world-leading developer of virtual production, camera robotics and image tracking technology, has completed a business restructuring, which has incl...
08/09/2026
New York, September 8, 2026 The TSAmediaHUB audiovisual contribution and distribution infrastructure developed by Telef nica's Audiovisual Services area re...
08/09/2026
Expanded Riyadh operation brings Asharq and Thmanyah services together on a resilient on-premises Pebble platform.
Pebble, the leading automation, content mana...
08/09/2026
Techex, a pioneering leader in live video workflows, will showcase its broadest software feature set to date at IBC 2026 (Stand 2.B45), extending its lead in so...
08/09/2026
Visitors to Grass Valley's booth at IBC2026 will be introduced to new Framelight X capabilities that connect content acquisition, management, editing and pu...
08/09/2026
BCNEXXT will showcase the latest evolution of Vipe at IBC2026 (Stand 2.B09), introducing a series of innovations designed to deliver higher-quality audience exp...
08/09/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Ad Insertion Platform (AIP), a leading innovator in advanced ad insertion technologies, to...
08/09/2026
Brainstorm, a leading manufacturer of real-time graphics and augmented and virtual production, is announcing a major package of enhancements to its Suite 7 soft...
08/09/2026
Big Blue Marble is supporting TDF, French infrastructure and network operator, broadcasting Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and radio services, as a techno...
08/09/2026
Agents work inside a single production environment, from incoming wire copy to a live studio show...
08/09/2026
Building on their strategic partnership, Ceeblue and Layercake make the unthinkable possible: scalable sub-second streaming over standard DRM, SSAI, and CDN wor...
08/09/2026
Brainstorm, a leading manufacturer of real-time graphics, augmented and virtual production, is completing the environment for fast-paced broadcast production wi...
08/09/2026
A SaaS portfolio built to work together, helping operators grow audiences, monetise smarter and run leaner, on their own terms
At IBC 2026 (stand 1.B49) Synam...
08/09/2026
Accedo, global provider of video streaming software and services, has been selected by PlayOn Sports, a national leader in high school sports technology, to exp...
08/09/2026
LiveU, the leader in live IP-video solutions, is enabling The Associated Press to take global newsgathering to the next stage with intelligent connectivity and ...
08/09/2026
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, today announced the latest evolution of it...
08/09/2026
Compact, power-efficient X Platform performance brings broadcast-grade reliability and ultra-low latency to space-constrained remote production (REMI) workflows...
08/09/2026
Zixi, the leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, and Kiloview, a leading provider of professional IP video encoding and decoding solutions, t...
08/09/2026
Collaboration gives content owners scalable CDN capacity and broadcasters enhanced flexibility, including for C-band transition planning
Quortex today announce...
08/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/09/2026
Telos Alliance and Pluxbox Announce Dynamic Media Facility Integration Partnersh...
08/09/2026
J nger Audio Showcases Industry-First S-ADM Cloud Workflow at IBC 2026
Search
Dolby, MainConcept, Techex and J nger Audio will showcase the industry's ...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Sky Go gets a major upgrade for Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers
Today, Sky launches a new version of the Sky Go app for Sky Glass ...
08/09/2026
Documentary thriller simulating a Russian attack on UK soil will culminate in a live final episode reuniting the playersTuesday 8 September 2026
Trailer releas...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Jamie Demetriou and Amelia Dimoldenberg to host next t...
08/09/2026
Wuppertal September 8, 2026
Riedel Introduces New OnAir Headset PlatformRiedel Communications today announced the launch of its new OnAir headset platform, a...
Audio revolution: MotoGP's Sergi Sendra on the evolution of the top two-wheeled motorsport's sound By Heather McLean 
