
Doreen Greaton discovers how shotgun microphones and in-ear monitors helped Formula Es sound team make sure everything was crystal clear
By Contributor
Published: September 24, 2020
Doreen Greaton discovers how shotgun microphones and in-ear monitors helped Formula E's sound team make sure everything was crystal clear
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Doreen Greaton discovers how shotgun microphones and in-ear monitors helped Formula E's sound team make sure everything was crystal clear
https://www.tvbeurope.com/audio/boom-how-formula-e-used-shotgun-mics-to-maintain-social-distancing title=Share via Email class=share-email>
As live sports return to TV screens, the industry is making a massive effort to ensure people stay safe and protected from Covid-19. Many new protocols have been introduced that extend right across the board, covering everyone from talent and presenters to behind the scenes crews and technicians. Working in bubbles is the new norm, with crews often isolating for days before the start of a project just to ensure everyone is virus-free.
From the viewers' point of view, there have also been changes. The lack of fans and crowd noise at sports venues, for example, has taken a bit of getting used to, and some programmes look quite different with pundits sitting far apart in studios or only participating through video links. But for the most part audiences have been very accommodating because everyone understands the constraints imposed by this strange new world.
One change many viewers have noticed is the prevalence of the boom microphone, which are now visible in places where they were never allowed before. In pre-Covid times getting a boom in shot was a major blooper, but these days safety dictates that they are much better suited to certain situations and therefore compromises have to be made.
The sound recordists responsible for delivering this year's ABB FIA Formula E coverage are among those who have embraced boom mics, particularly for behind the scenes interviews.
Like so many sports, Formula E faced challenges because the Covid-19 pandemic threatened to scupper its 2019/2020 season. Normally Formula E's fully electric, single seater cars race around major city centres, but because of the high population density in these locations the usual format was deemed unsafe. After months of deliberation a novel solution was found - namely to complete the season by holding six races over nine days, behind closed doors, at Berlin's iconic Templehoff airport. Live TV coverage was provided by host broadcasters Aurora Media Worldwide and North One TV, known as Formula E TV, who supply the world feed to channels such as the BBC, Eurosport and Mediaset.
Formula E TV's sound supervisor Paul Halstead heads a dedicated crew of sound engineers, many with extensive live broadcast experience. Paul, who has been involved in Formula E since its first season six years ago, says: We work as a team but we have very distinct roles. My colleague Scott Morton looks after ENG crews and is involved with the live presentation element, while I handle mic allocation around the track and mixing the international feed, along with any additional race support presentation.
For the Berlin races, Scott and Paul had to contend with the German government's social distancing rules, which meant making changes to how the audio was captured. Handheld microphones shared between interviewers and drivers were obviously out, so they switched to boom microphones and used Bubblebee Industries' Spacer Bubble to get the right balance between wind protection and audio transparency.
Switching to boom mics was a major safety protocol and we used them for more than 80 per cent of our ENG and live presentation audio, Scott Morton explains. In this new landscape, presenters can't get close enough to the drivers to share a handheld mic, and our sound engineers are not allowed to touch the talent so we can't easily fit lavaliers. Our solution was to give presenters their own stick mic and couple them with a sound engineer who would use a boom mic to capture the interviewee's responses.
Morton adds that the three piece Spacer Bubble windshield system proved a real winner during the event because it could be adapted to suit the weather and ambient noise levels.
Unlike other systems that are full on fur or nothing, Spacer Bubble's modular nature allowed us to get variations in the shielding and adapt more quickly to changing weather conditions, he says. We used them with various R de and Sennheiser shotgun microphones and got excellent results. As so much of the audio for the Berlin event was captured on boom mics, we didn't worry about them being in shot during interviews because there was very little we could do about it.
Since its inception, Formula E broadcasters have had various audio challenges to overcome - not least the fact that electric cars don't sound anything like a Formula 1 sports car, something that viewers initially found disconcerting.
For the first two seasons, our sound department was under the microscope because we couldn't make the races sound like Formula 1, Halstead says. People often asked why we didn't add pre-recorded sounds but that wasn't the solution because you can't lie to the public. The cars sound how they sound and it is up to us to capture that as realistically as possible. Fans have now got used to it and accept that Formula E simply sounds different.
Another challenge - at least in a normal season - are the race venues. Because Formula E is held on public roads, the sound crew has to leave it until the 11th hour to position microphones to capture the sound of the cars.
On a public road you can't leave anything in place before the race or it may
Europe Stories
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
01/07/2025
The launch of Code of Silence, coupled with the Britains Got Talent semi final, gave ITV its best Sunday night of 2025.
The first episode of the new crime dr...
01/07/2025
ITV and Mammoth Screen have announced the start of filming for Betrayal, a gripp...
01/07/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
01/07/2025
Vocal-processing plug-in joins NOIZ Hub series
Launched in 2024, KIT Plugins' NOIZ Hub series was created with the aim of providing a range of professio...
01/07/2025
New self-paced learning programme announced
Mastering.com have announced the availability of a new online course designed to cover the fundamentals of maste...
01/07/2025
cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for the verification of...
01/07/2025
RT has announced that Teresa Smith has been appointed Commissioning Editor with responsibility for Factual Entertainment following a public competition. This s...
01/07/2025
This July, RT is delighted to support Galway International Arts Festival, Earagail Arts Festival in Donegal, Belfast TradFest and 23 other arts and cultural ev...
30/06/2025
There's nothing quite like the magic of finding music that feels made just f...
30/06/2025
When it comes to new music, Spotify's team of editors across North America is always on the hunt for songs that make them feel, think, and move. They're...
30/06/2025
Star Studded Ensemble Cast Are Joined by Richard Rankin as Filming Begins on the Second Season
[June 12, 2025 - Boston, MA]: The Forsytes, Debbie Horsfield...
30/06/2025
Eurorack sequencer module reimagined
California-based modular synth innovators Qu-Bit have announced the launch of a new module that offers a fresh new take...
30/06/2025
Improved dynamic behaviour, improved audio quality & more
Techivation have announced the release of an upgraded edition of their very first premium plug-in,...
30/06/2025
German premiere with live flight demonstration: German industry team showcases e...
30/06/2025
The Focusrite Summer Sale is now on Don't miss unbeatable deals on Scarlett, Vocaster, and more.
Whether you're an artist, a producer, or a podcaste...
30/06/2025
All 8 episodes of Season 1 of 1923 will be available on RT Player from Tuesday ...
30/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
52% report AI security spending is displacing tr...
30/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Cannes, June 30th, 2025 - Thales Alenia Space, t...
29/06/2025
Handpan-inspired instrument announced
Roland have announced the launch of the Mood Pan, a unique electronic hand percussion instrument that has been designe...
28/06/2025
Music theory plug-in updated
Three months on from the release of the latest version of their renowned music theory plug in, Scaler Music have launched an up...
27/06/2025
K-Pop remains one of the biggest genres globally, and many fans just can't get enough of it. That's why Spotify has launched a new series of K-Pop perf...
27/06/2025
In our latest blog post, Rafael Rivera highlights the rising threat of online scams, and the important role cybersecurity plays in protecting families across ge...
27/06/2025
From grounded realism to bending, impossible geometries
Klevgrand have announced the release of a new algorithmic reverb plug-in which they say deconstruct...
27/06/2025
Learn to use REW for room analysis
Acoustic treatment is one of the most important factors in any studio, and with the extensive range of products available...
27/06/2025
Second edition of parallel clipper plug-in announced
Soundtheory have announced the launch of Kraftur Focus, a new edition of their parallel clipper plug-in...
27/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales, a global high-tech leader, and Kongsberg...
27/06/2025
Friday 27 June 2025
Combination of RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) to create a unique proposition in entertainment, sports ...
26/06/2025
Bilbao Linz, June 26th 2025 - AgileTV, a European leader in TV and video technology solutions, has signed an agreement this week with the Austrian telco LIWES...
26/06/2025
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has resolved, based on the decisions ma...
26/06/2025
Three new entry-level models introduced
Catering to everything from casual listening to professional content creation, KRK's new Kreate Series monitors ...
26/06/2025
Registration closes on 8 July 2025
The deadline for entires into the fifth annual MIDI Innovation Awards is now just two weeks away. Product submissions are...
26/06/2025
Entire plug-in range updated
Waves have announced the launch of Waves V16, the latest version of their extensive plug-ins collection. Along with compatibili...
26/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Madrid, June 26, 2025 - The European Space Agenc...
26/06/2025
UKTV and Talented People are delighted to announce the renewal of their successf...
26/06/2025
THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF MAGYAR TELEKOM DECIDES ON THE SEPARATION OF...
26/06/2025
Keeper Pictures, the Dublin-based scripted production company whose credits include The Gone and Striking Out, has optioned the exclusive TV adaptation rights t...
26/06/2025
This July, RT presents The Phone Box Babies, a documentary revealing new insigh...
25/06/2025
Last week, content creators from all over the world flocked to Anaheim for VidCon 2025, one of the largest creator conferences in the U.S. As an official sponso...
25/06/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
25/06/2025
Sales proceeds from 25 - 26 June 2025 donated to Lambda Legal
Soundtoys have announced that 100% of all sales made on 25 and 26 June 2025 will be donated to...
25/06/2025
No Apollo or UAD hardware required
Universal Audio have announced that their software recreation of Dolby's renowned multiband enhancer - which was laun...
25/06/2025
Recreates AKGs sought-after C24
Warm Audio have announced the launch of a new stereo valve microphone that offers a modern take on AKG's sought-after C2...
25/06/2025
Save up to 50% on Kontakt instruments
Emergence Audio have announced that their Infinite Summer Sale promotion is now live, with savings of up to 50% applie...
25/06/2025
Rohde & Schwarz selected by Collins Aerospace to upgrade oceanic communications ...
25/06/2025
Arqiva will engage with fellow members to explore the latest developments in sensor innovation, environmental monitoring and data analytics
Arqiva is proud to ...
25/06/2025
Continuing its commitment to creating technology that enriches users' lives while helping them stay safe online and protect their privacy, Apple today share...
25/06/2025
Apple Sports - the free app for iPhone that gives sports fans access to real-time scores, stats, and more, delivered with speed and simplicity - today added ten...
25/06/2025
RT has confirmed its Monday night television series, Upfront with Katie Hannon has come to an end and will not be returning in September following three season...