
A freelance audio engineer (A1) for Dome Productions in Canada, John Hunter first discovered his passion for audio with live music.
Eventually, his path led him to mix live sports and he (in normal times) mixes every Toronto Raptors home game on TSN and Sportsnet and has travelled with the production team to work every playoff game, including the 2019 NBA Finals.
He worked as an A1 for the famous 2018 NBA Raptors/Pelicans game in 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos surround sound, which was the first to be produced in those formats and distributed live to North American households
We know you've been mixing audio for the NBA Toronto Raptors for quite some time now, but that music was your first passion. How did you get into professional audio and to where you are now?
My path to professional audio evolved from a passion for performing live music. After completing audio training at O.I.A.R.T. (1999), I furthered my education at the University of Toronto (Hon. B.A. 2006), while playing guitar in a band and signed to a record label in New York City. Recording an album and doing select tours in support of the album opened my eyes to different opportunities available in music and the live production industry.
During this period, I was mixing live music at the Distillery Historic District in Toronto and I believe this really gave me the chops to make amplified signals sound good. I was also working as a freelance audio-visual technician in hotels and conference centres and this taught me a great deal about building temporary AV systems from the ground up.
In fall 2006, I was hired as a freelance audio technician by Courtney Ross, Senior Audio Engineer at Toronto's busiest sports venue (now known as Scotiabank Arena) where the Maple Leafs and Raptors play. From 2010 to 2019 I worked as a full-time A1 for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). I currently work as a freelance A1 for Dome Productions, continuing my work with the Raptors, along with other live sporting events and projects.
My love of performing translates directly to mixing because ultimately, I see my job as one that connects people through technology. If I can translate the excitement of a live sporting event to fans watching the broadcast - if they can feel that excitement through the audio - then I have done my job successfully. I believe that mixing is similar to playing an instrument; there is a rhythm and creativity involved that requires critical listening, intense focus and great attention to detail.
In more detail, what does your current role as the Home Show A1 for the Raptors entail?
In November of 2013, I began mixing the Toronto Raptors broadcasts on TSN and Sportsnet and haven't missed a home game since. I believe mixing is a subjective process that makes every A1's style unique. My aim is to bring continuity and cohesion to the audio brand of the Raptors home broadcasts. With viewership and resources expanded during playoffs, I have been fortunate to mix every Raptors playoff game, home and away, since 2014.
My role is to ensure all external audio sources, commentator mics, field of play (FX) mics, crowd/ambience mics, as well as internal sources (EVS, Spotbox, Chyron, etc.), are tested and working properly prior to the broadcast. Our broadcasts are somewhat unique compared to most regional NBA shows because of the number of commentators; during the playoffs, our shows can have up to 12 different commentators in various positions, inside and outside the venue. (The watch party outside Scotiabank Arena is often referred to as Jurassic Park .)
I am responsible for all communications for talent and crew. We employ a point-to-point RTS intercom system that I have programmed in AZEdit. Over the years I have refined and improved comms files for each mobile facility that we have used. Our broadcast produces news hits as well as a pre-game show for the networks we air on. Once the game begins, I am following the game action visually and listening intently to the director and producer's cues so that I can deliver an audio experience that matches the compelling images on the screen.
Can you describe a typical broadcast audio workflow that you use?
To me, a successful audio workflow starts with great paperwork, which is a road map for the A2s and the A1. I try to include all of the venue patching as well as internal truck patching (i.e. console I/O, IFB and comms ports). It's crucial that the EIC (Engineer-in-Charge) and the A1 are on the same page; I always provide an audio routing list with offline recordings for EVS operators, main transmission paths (M1 & M2) and various clean feeds as required by the NBA.
The vast majority of Raptors home games on TSN and Sportsnet are broadcast in 4K video which requires a secondary pair of main audio paths (M3 & M4) which are delayed (by approx. 50 ms) so that any packaged items recorded by EVS through the switcher have audio and video in sync. Select games require NBA clean feeds where I employ a third transmission path (M5 & M6).
We currently use analog audio (DT12s) to connect to the venue's I/O patch room and I typically feed the visiting broadcast A1 individual FX mics over MADI (using a Calrec JM series device). Again, I make sure to provide paperwork for the visiting A1 so they know exactly what mics I will be sending them.
In terms of microphone placement, I use Sennheiser MKH 416 shotgun mics placed strategically around the court, with each mic picking up a different but important area of action on the court. My goal is to highlight the bounce of the ball whenever possible since the eyes naturally follow the ball handler. The squeak of the sneakers on the court is another key sound that gets picked up by the shotgun mics. I use Sennheiser MKE 2 lav microphones taped under the basket rims to pick up the swish sound of a 3-point shot or an
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...
07/05/2026
At this year's Broadcast Asia, PlayBox Neo is set to unveil recent innovations across its PlayBox Neo Suite and integrated range of broadcast media solution...