Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court

14/02/2025

NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan Daley, Audio Editor

Friday, February 14, 2025 - 7:00 am

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

Almost everything about the NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco on Sunday (Chase Center, 8 p.m. ET, TNT, TruTV, and MAX) will be different. The game will take the form of a mini-tournament, with four teams and three games. Two teams of eight players each will meet in one semifinal; the remaining two teams, in the other semifinal. The winning teams from the matches - the first to reach or surpass 40 points in each game - will advance to face each other in the championship game.

The format may be unconventional, but the sound will be quite familiar, with all the sneaker squeaks, ball thumps, and hoop clangs that NBA viewers have come to expect and enjoy.

That's largely due to the presence of Dave Grundtvig, senior audio supervisor, remote operations, Turner Sports. The longtime audio guru has been fine-tuning the sound and its capture for TNT Sports for much of the broadcaster's 35 years as the NBA's TV home, a run that ends with this season. (Disney's ABC and ESPN, Comcast's NBA and Peacock, and Amazon will be airing all NBA nationally televised games from the 2025-26 season through the 2035-36 season, an 11-year deal worth an estimated $76 billion.)

Submixer Alex Rohr (left) with the MXA901 mic array and Audio Supervisor Dave Grundtvig holding a Shure KSM313/NE bi-directional ribbon microphone used to create TNT Sports' NBA All-Star Game broadcast's 5.1 ambience channels

The [All-Star] format has changed to these mini games and four teams, but that doesn't necessarily affect our coverage, he says. We're trying to capture basketball sounds, and we're trying to capture audience reaction. That is front and center. And foremost, the formula hasn't changed for the tools we use to capture all that.

Standard and Bespoke Mics Those tools include the usual microphones in the broadcast-sports arsenal - long shotguns to pick up crowd noise, short shotguns aimed around the court floor for close-in sound - as well as more-specialized ones for basketball. Among the last are the custom-made contact microphones that Grundtvig developed to capture court effects during the NBA's COVID bubble in Orlando in 2020 and '21 and places under floor openings to pick up the action near each basket.

He has been deploying one other specialty transducer for NBA games, one originally developed for a very different application: microphone arrays designed for use in corporate conference rooms. Specifically, Shure's MXA710 linear microphone array, which he deployed initially for the 2022 NBA Summer League and has since deployed for NBA regular-season games and other events on TNT Sports. For the 2023 and 2024 Summer League, Grundtvig moved up to the MXA910, a planar array with more lobes and a wider pickup range, covering as much as a 20- x 20-ft. space around it. As with the 710 model, he uses Shure's firmware and software enabling the output to be grouped into separate lobes and controlled wirelessly and remotely. A pair of the units mounted vertically on the basket stanchion picks up sounds around the goal and as much as another fifth of a 94- x 50-ft. NBA court.

It's like a parabolic, but on steroids, he quips. A parabolic gives you one [microphone] output; this gives you eight. Take just the three-point [shot] arc: everything inside that three-point circle I can designate a lobe for, and it can be automixed and manipulated to capture squeaks and bounces.

Both MXA units integrate Shure's IntelliMix digital-signal processing for such applications as acoustic echo cancellation, noise reduction, automatic mixing, automatic gain control (AGC), compression, delay, and equalization. The software can also look for steady-state noise and remove it. Audio routing is controlled through a remote device on a Dante or AES67 network, and digital-signal processing is controllable from any computer on the network.

Conventional microphones are much more narrowly focused, he explains. You pick your spots where you think the action is going to be and get pretty good coverage, but you don't get the coverage that the array gives you. The auto-mix output is much faster than the human can open a mic: essentially, the array constantly has a lobe open and ready versus a human trying to open four or five microphones. The mix is definitely smoother.

Sound and Safety In addition to the extra range, the array units offer a player-safety benefit: their location about 9 ft. above the goal area and back from the basket itself means that Grundtvig can capture a of close-up sound without putting any hardware near lunging ballplayers.

That same reasoning is behind the use of Q5X's PlayerMics at the All-Star Game. Their small, padded form factors are designed to minimize injury in case of falls. They will be worn by a total of eight players during the various games, and the company's RefMics and CoachMics will be worn by two officials and two coaches.

Cue the Music Some audio novelties will be deployed. Increasingly, the emphasis at All-Star Weekend is on entertainment, and this edition will feature music performances by hip-hop artists Too $hort and Saweetie, multi-platinum vocal group En Vogue, five-time Grammy winner H.E.R., and rapper LiAngelo GELO Ball on the arena stage and Noah Kahan, The Chainsmokers, Zedd and 2 Chainz, and Flo Rida at Pier 48 throughout the weekend as part of the NBA All-Star Concert Series. Grundtvig, A1s Jason Blood (Friday and Sunday) and Jeff Walker (Saturday), submixer Alex Rohr, audio guarantee Dave Bjornson, and A2s Shaun Studevent and Jay Davis will ha
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2025/02/14/nba-all-star-more-games-more-te...
See more stories from svg

North America Stories

31/03/2026

Boland Communications Introduces New QD-OLED Series Monitors

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

31/03/2026

Carr Warns NFL Over Streaming Rights, Consumer Costs

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

31/03/2026

Farhan Khan Appointed FCC Chief Information Officer

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

31/03/2026

Federal Judge Pauses Nexstar/Tegna Merger

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

31/03/2026

Boris FX Acquires Vegas Pro, Sound Forge, and Acid Pro

Boris FX Acquires Vegas Pro, Sound Forge, and Acid Pro Jessie Electa Petrov March 30, 2026 0 Comments The acclaimed VFX developer bolsters its award-w...

31/03/2026

Berklee India Exchange Presents Anirudh Varma Collective

Berklee India Exchange Presents Anirudh Varma Collective The collective will present a workshop on Hindustani classical music and a concert in collaboration w...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: Manifold to Demonstrate 400GbE COTS FPGA Support

Manifold Technologies, a Germany-based provider of cloud infrastructure for live broadcast production, will demonstrate support for 400GbE COTS FPGA accelerator...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: Boland Communications Introduces QD-OLED Series Monitors

Boland Communications will introduce its QD4K315HDR10, a 31.5-inch QD-OLED monitor, at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C3519, April 18-22). The company is also introducing...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: PTZOptics to Showcase Move 4K and Horizon Platform

PTZOptics will demonstrate its Move 4K PTZ cameras and Horizon web-based control platform at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N1902). Move 4K with Horizon is now available...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: Net Insight to Showcase Updated Nimbra Edge

Net Insight will demonstrate the next version of Nimbra Edge, its orchestration and control layer for live media services across multi-domain environments, at N...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: Appear to Showcase Live Production Processing

Appear ASA will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W1531, April 19-22, Las Vegas). The company completed an IPO in November 2025. Our customer-first approach is ...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: Harmonic Announces New Live Sports Streaming Capabilities

Harmonic has announced new capabilities for its sports streaming platform, covering multiview, programmatic advertising, in-stream advertising, and content wate...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: Ateme to Showcase GenAI, Agentic AI, and Streaming

Ateme (Booth W1723) will demonstrate broadcast, streaming, and AI-driven media workflow solutions at NAB Show 2026. GenAI and Agentic AI Ateme will demonstrat...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: Bitmovin's Player Web X Adds Advertising Support, Vertical Video, and Proprietary ABR Algorithm

Bitmovin has announced new capabilities for Player Web X, its web video player, ...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: Brazil's Minister of Communications and FCC Commissioner To Speak

The 2026 NAB Show (April 18-22, exhibits April 19-22, Las Vegas Convention Center) will host Brazil's Minister of Communications, Frederico de Siqueira Filh...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: EVS To Showcase Expanded Live Production Ecosystem

EVS will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N1841), highlighting new products and updates across its live production portfolio, including the debut of T-Motion med...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: Solid State Logic To Demonstrate Expanded Virtual System T Platform

Solid State Logic will demonstrate its virtualized System T platform at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C6907). Demonstrations will include the VTE1 virtual DSP engine, ne...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: Globecast To Showcase Managed Media Services Approach

Globecast will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W3335), highlighting its hybrid service model spanning satellite, IP, fiber, and cloud. The company will demonst...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: IP Showcase Returns as IPMX Moves to Deployment

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), and the Video Services Forum (VSF) have announced that the IP Showcase w...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: BBright To Demonstrate Single-Stream ST 2110 Playout

At NAB Show 2026 BBright will present a demonstration of its One Stream for the World concept, showing how a single ST 2110 playout stream can simultaneously ...

30/03/2026

NAB 2026: OpenDrives To Demonstrate New Storage and Edge Products

OpenDrives will demonstrate new products at NAB Show 2026, with two locations in the West Hall: a pod (W3443-E) in the Sports Business Hub and a cabana at W1158...

30/03/2026

Behind the Mic: Amazon Prime Hosts 90th Master Tournament With Host Terry Gannon

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...

30/03/2026

Op-Ed: Preparing for Agentic AI in Live Sports

The economics of live sports streaming have changed. New rights models, cloud production tools, and lower-cost distribution have made it possible for high schoo...

30/03/2026

Government of Canada Selects MAS for Strategic Tanker Fleet Sustainment

CC-330 Husky. 2024 Eric Desbiens Photography. Used with permission for the announcement and related communications. No residual rights....

30/03/2026

L3Harris Included in MDA Space Solution for RCN ISTAR Program

L3Harris Technologies will provide WESCAM CMX -8 sensor systems for integration on new Uncrewed Aircraft Systems from MDA Space, enhancing the Royal Canadian Na...

30/03/2026

EVS to Debut T-Motion Robotics at 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/03/2026

SDVI To Feature New Rally Media Supply Chain Management Enhancements

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/03/2026

Boland Communications Introduces QD4K315HDR10 QD-OLED Series Monitors

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

30/03/2026

Mileto Tecnologia accelerates streaming growth with Synam...

Synamedia today announced that Mileto Tecnologia, one of Brazil's largest pay-TV operators, has chosen the Synamedia Go platform to support its rapid OTT ex...

30/03/2026

FOR-A's Software-Defined, AI-Powered Development Advances with Nippon TV and NVIDIA Technology

FOR-A's Software-Defined, AI-Powered Development Advances with Nippon TV and...

30/03/2026

Give Your Astrophotography REAL Depth - After Effects Tutorial

Give Your Astrophotography REAL Depth - After Effects Tutorial Graham Quince March 30, 2026 0 Comments In this tutorial, I talk you through the full w...

30/03/2026

Alfalite returns to NAB Show alongside FOR-A, showcasing LED solutions for broadcast and mission-critical environments

Alfalite returns to NAB Show alongside FOR-A, showcasing LED solutions for broad...

30/03/2026

WideOrbit Announces New Name, New Features for Flagship Radio Automation Software

Introducing WO Aurora WideOrbit is pleased to introduce WO Aurora, a new name fo...

30/03/2026

Netflix Announces the Reunion for Love is Blind: Sweden Season 3 - Premiering April 2

Back to All News Netflix Announces the Reunion for Love is Blind: Sweden Season...

30/03/2026

Netflix unveils new images from the second season of 'Gangs of Galicia'

Back to All News Netflix unveils new images from the second season of Gangs of Galicia Entertainment 30 March 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Do...

30/03/2026

The Latest on Netflix Anime, Unveiled at AnimeJapan 2026

Back to All News The Latest on Netflix Anime, Unveiled at AnimeJapan 2026 Entertainment 30 March 2026 GlobalJapan Link copied to clipboard From romance an...

30/03/2026

Top 10 Reasons Government Meetings Need Transcriptions (and Why It Matters More Than Ever)

Tyngsboro, Mass., March 30, 2026 - City councils, county commissions, school boa...

29/03/2026

Victory+ Turns to Creator Economy, Bringing In Popular Women's Sports Influencer Coach Jackie J to Host Live NWSL Alt-Cast

Cloud-based production, real-time engagement, and creator-driven storytelling ai...

28/03/2026

Globecast Reimagines Managed Media Services for a Hybrid...

Globecast, the leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will showcase its reimagined approach to media operations at the 2026 NA...

28/03/2026

Fubo Inks Deals for More Baseball RSNs

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

27/03/2026

SVG GameDay, Ep. 9: Chicago Cubs' Chris Simonson - Flying the W at Wrigley Field

In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...

27/03/2026

Comcast Business Powers 2026 THE PLAYERS Championship Network and Broadcast Infrastructure

Comcast Business deployed network infrastructure for the 2026 PLAYERS Championsh...

27/03/2026

CS live Equips New OB Van With Riedel MediorNet, hi Control System, and Artist Intercom

Czech production company CS live has equipped its newest outside broadcast van w...

27/03/2026

Edith Cowan University Installs Lawo VSM, HOME, and mc36 in New Broadcast Facility

Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Western Australia has developed new broad...

27/03/2026

Deltatre Appoints Marc Watson as CEO; Andrea Marini Transitions to Deputy Chairman

Deltatre has announced that CEO Andrea Marini will step down after five years in...

27/03/2026

DAZN to Launch Inflight and Onboard Live Sports Service in 2027

DAZN has announced plans to launch DAZN Inflight, a live sports service for airline and maritime passengers, slated for 2027. Aviv Giladi, President of DAZN Par...

27/03/2026

Grass Valley and NVP Deploy Camera Systems for LALIGA Broadcast Production

Grass Valley has announced the completion of a live production deployment with NVP, a European media company specializing in live sports production, for LALIGA ...

27/03/2026

The Masters, Prime Video Will Debut Inside Amen Corner' Stat-Enhanced Viewing Experience

The Masters and Prime Video will debut Inside Amen Corner, a dedicated feed that...

27/03/2026

ESPN and World Series of Poker Reach Multi-Year Agreement

ESPN and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) have reached a multi-year agreement to bring the WSOP Main Event back to ESPN platforms. Coverage will include a three...

27/03/2026

USSI Global Opens Media Transport Solutions Lab Ahead of C-Band Transition

USSI Global has opened its Media Transport Solutions Lab on its Melbourne campus. The engineering center provides a platform-agnostic environment for testing al...