
Audio Teams Look Forward to a Naturally Noisy NFL Season Both A1s and management welcome a return to the old' normal By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Friday, October 1, 2021 - 9:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The NFL is back, and the cheers you hear are real. That shift from prerecorded audience noise to the real thing is the main change in the sport's sound this season, and it's a welcome return.
It's great to hear the real thing again, says Phil Adler, who is entering his third decade of mixing NFL on CBS. I haven't changed how that sound is captured, though. When we were using prerecorded noise, I just subbed out my low crowd mics for the prerecord feed. Now I just put those low mics back in.
A1 Phil Adler notes the return of mixers to their usual locations in NFL stadiums.
There are other tweaks, with the effects of the pandemic still quite evident. For instance, for pre/postgame interviews, instead of CBS Sports sideline reporter Melanie Collins's moving her handheld back and forth, which would necessitate her standing close to her interview subject, there are two mics involved - for instance, a headset for the athlete postgame or a boom mic on the field pregame - to comply with COVID distancing protocols. On the other hand, mixers for the NFL's enhanced feed (the quarterback's line calls that the league's stadium mixer sends to network A1s) are back in their nearby locations in the stadiums, which Adler says adds to the renewed sense of normalcy this season.
Adler, who has worked with his submix partner, Gordon Gilliam, for most of the past 20 years, says the Game Creek Columbia mobile unit is also a work in progress.
It was pretty much where I'd left it at the end of last season, he explains. But, in the meantime, they had done some updates to the video router. It's my third year on this truck, and I'm still dialing it in.
A1 Dave Grundtvig The [venues] are full, and the fans are enthusiastic.
Dave Grundtvig, another A1 for NFL on CBS this season, notes that he didn't mix the sport last season but was deeply involved in building the infrastructure for the NBA's augmented-crowd-sound systems. This year's football audio will be refreshingly normal, he says.
That's a good word to use: normal, he adds. The [venues] are full, and the fans are enthusiastic. Week 1 was a good start for what we hope will be a very normal-sounding season.
Fox Ponders Other Ways To Capture Crowd Sound Fox Sports SVP, Field and Technical Operations, Michael Davies considers returning crowds a welcome addition to the NFL soundscape. Echoing what Fox Sports VP, Field Operations and Engineering, Kevin Callahan told SVG earlier - We really want to make sure that viewers at home are feeling that energy in the stands, so we're doing everything we can do to help our mixers - Davies notes that a number of tactics are under consideration, including dedicated crowd submixes, a technique the network has been testing but has not yet decided on (the network has experimented with a third mixer on some international soccer games as part of that process). Additional microphones might also be on the agenda, but he warns that they can be counterproductive, adding to an already complex sound mix. Fox will deploy at least four parabolics for each NFL game, six on the bigger games.
Fox Sports' Michael Davies: We are attempting to rebalance that three-legged stool, such that it conveys the excitement of the crowd, enhances the effects on the field, and does the announcers justice.
It's more about sound management than adding capture devices, Davies contends, comparing the broadcast-sports soundscape to a three-legged stool - crowd sound, field effects, and announcers - for which achieving a balance is broadcast-sports audio's holy grail. We are attempting to rebalance that three-legged stool, such that it conveys the excitement of the crowd, that it enhances the effects on the field, and it does the announcers justice in allowing them to not only be just over the game [but also] a part of the game and fighting against the crowd. I think any announcer would say it's part of their job. I think they like it. If it's an exciting play and they're yelling about it, they're fighting the crowd, and the crowd's loud. It's an exciting situation.
New Faces The post-pandemic broadcast-sports landscape has seen several changes in personnel behind the audio console. At Fox Sports, Jamie McCombs, who has mixed NFL, XFL, and other sports for the network, takes the seat this year as A-game A1, following Fred Aldous's retirement from active mixing (Aldous remains available on a consulting emeritus basis, says Davies). Citing other veterans on Fox's roster - including Shawn Peacock, Jamie McCombs, Jeff Cohen, Kevin McClosky, Tim Dunn, Mark Butler, and Joe Carpenter - who mix NFL and other sports, Davies notes that the broadcaster's talent pool is substantial. Via Home Run, Fox Sports' version of the REMI/at-home workflow, he adds, the broadcaster increasingly relies on studio-based audio mixers in its Charlotte, NC, and Los Angeles facilities.
One day, he says, they might be doing Iowa and the next day West Virginia, while never leaving the [studio]. Eighty percent of our college football at the moment is done this way, though all NFL [mixing] is still done onsite.
Fox Sports' Joe Carpenter notes a challenge this season: reduced sideline space will limit parab mics' ability to capture mid-field sound.
Fox Sports Senior Audio Mixer Joe Carpenter, who both mixes and supervises NFL audio, cites a new challenge this season. The league has widened the coaches' sideline boxes, which in turn has reduced the range of sideline personnel, including parabolic-
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
15/09/2025
Steve Zahn, Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Janeane Garofalo star in Ben Stiller&...
15/09/2025
Global K-Pop sensation aespa is redefining what it means to be rich with the r...
15/09/2025
Every day, millions of people around the world turn to Spotify to enjoy the audi...
15/09/2025
After months of intensive planning and implementation, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic...
15/09/2025
A U.S. Marine launches a Javelin shoulder-fired anti-tank missile during a training exercise. (Photo credit: U.S. Marine Corps)...
15/09/2025
AMSTERDAM TV Tech has named its Best of Show Awards winners for IBC2025, which wraps up today. Entrants were judged by a panel of industry experts on the criter...
15/09/2025
Unique sports content orchestration platform builds momentum among SES's cus...
15/09/2025
Paris, France - September 15, 2025 -- Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-p...
15/09/2025
Back to All News
The Great Flood' Teaser Trailer Previews A Gripping Struggle for Survival
Entertainment
15 September 2025
GlobalSouth Korea
Link copi...
15/09/2025
Back to All News
From Hardship to Hope: Typhoon Family' Presents a Tale of...
15/09/2025
Back to All News
Gloom Goes Global as Wednesday's' The Doom Tour Hit...
15/09/2025
-- Opens door to growth in renewable energy New Delhi, India - 15th September -- Global business and industry leaders from around the world are joining technol...
14/09/2025
Partnership to address business and technical challenges of DMF adoption
he Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU...
14/09/2025
WARNER BROS. TELEVISION'S THE PITT (HBO MAX) WINS FIVE EMMY AWARDS, INCLU...
14/09/2025
Back to All News
Mantis' Trailer Previews High-Stakes Rivalries to Be No. ...
13/09/2025
ATLANTA Cox Media Group has announced that the company's vice president of news, Misty Turnbull has been inducted into the National Academy of Television Ar...
13/09/2025
AMSTERDAM Shotoku Broadcast Systems, a major developer of robotic systems, has announced plans to take studio robotics to the next level at IBC2025 by debuting ...
13/09/2025
At IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero Mini, the company's lightest and flattest wireless intercom beltpack to date. Designed to del...
13/09/2025
Shotoku Broadcast Systems, the international developer of dependable, userfriendly robotic systems, is taking studio robotics to the next level at IBC 2025 with...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, today released the 9th annual Video Developer Report 2025/26, offering an in-depth look at the evolvi...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, the leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with StreamShark, the trusted video platform for enterprise...
13/09/2025
Ikegami has chosen IBC 2025 in Amsterdam as the launch venue for a major addition to its range of viewfinders. The new VFE-P711AD is a 7-inch high resolution OL...
13/09/2025
Founder-led Merger to Fast Track R&D, Asset Library Upgrades, Tools and More; No Disruption to Pricing or Support for Users
Today, KitBash3D, a pioneer in 3D a...
13/09/2025
With NDI certification, Atomos integration, Grass Valley collaboration, and a new Monitor app, at this year's IBC, Mavis is showcasing a series of powerful...
13/09/2025
Creamsource, maker of artisan LED lighting for film and television, has unveiled the Vortex24 Soft (V24S), a 1950W native soft light and the largest soft source...
13/09/2025
When international sports streaming service DAZN secured the global rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup football tournament, it set out to deliver an unmatch...
13/09/2025
Riedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface from Broadcast Solutions, bringing a powerful, vendor-agnostic control system to it...
13/09/2025
Building on its long-term relationship with audio metering specialist RTW, Calrec has integrated the company's brand new TMxCore metering platform across it...
13/09/2025
Calrec is expanding its family of future-ready self-contained Argo M control surfaces at IBC2025, with the addition of a brand new powerful 48-fader console. Co...
13/09/2025
Celtic languages - including Cornish, Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh - are the U.K.'s oldest living languages. To empower their speakers, the UK-LLM sover...
13/09/2025
Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Provides Unparalleled Efficiency and Unlocks New Business Models SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 13, 2025 -...
13/09/2025
Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking Study by Scripps Research scientists shows how the brain learns to seek alcohol for relief, not jus...
12/09/2025
College Football Kickoff 2025: Fox Sports Ups Look as Canon, Sony Power Shallow ...
12/09/2025
ABC/ESPN Excited For WNBA Postseason Coverage In Revamped FormatThe Finals moves to a best-of-seven series in 2025By Mark J Burns, SVG Contributor
Friday, Sep...
12/09/2025
(L-R) Jade Croot, Rosy McEwen, and Bryn Chainey attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Rabbit Trap at Eccles Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park ...
12/09/2025
For fans, we know how important it is to stay plugged into music culture and dis...
12/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden and Shipley, United Kingdom, September 12, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability and analytics for service quality and customer expe...
12/09/2025
IBC2025 began on Sept. 12, with exhibits and conferences running through Sept. 15 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center. Explore the full TV Tech coverage of t...
12/09/2025
The Best Fictional Bands (and the Artists Who Make Them Great) With Spinal Tap II: The End Continues hitting theaters and songs from KPop Demon Hunters ruling...
12/09/2025
Industry veteran Tom Baldassare has joined Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, as a Se...
12/09/2025
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, and more, today announced a...
12/09/2025
PlayBox Neo, a leading provider of media playout solutions, has partnered with AI-Media, pioneering developers of AI-powered captioning technology, to integrate...
12/09/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
12/09/2025
New alliance strengthens the IT channel in Germany and Switzerland in protecting business-critical SaaS data.
Keepit, the world s only independent, cloud-nativ...
12/09/2025
Fincons Group, an international IT business consultancy and systems integrator company with more than 40 years of experience in the market, is proud to announce...
12/09/2025
Following its acquisition of Telemetrics, EVS continues its push into robotics with an announcement at IBC2025 that it is acquiring XD motion....
12/09/2025
TORONTO The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) has announced the appointment of Eduardo Ruiz Sanchez, deputy director, broadcast operations at Telev...
12/09/2025
Ed Miller, a longtime broadcast engineer in Ohio and a former national president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, has died....