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
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...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
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 
