Live From the US Open: ESPN Audio Team Unfazed by Sonic Challenges Noisy spectators, RF reallocation are just part of a day's work By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Friday, September 1, 2017 - 8:30 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
The US Open and sound - or noise, depending on your frame of reference - are once again intertwined. The two-week event at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center has long featured a range of sonic incidents, from chattering spectators, whose sound is amplified by the retractable metal roof installed at Arthur Ashe Stadium last year and has already drawn comment from ESPN's announce team this year, to malfunctions of the audio systems, such as the faulty audio processor that disrupted Andy Murray's play last year.
But, to the network's audio team, led by Audio Supervisors Leonard Fisher and Florian Brown, any noise is just part of the soundscape.
Even open, the retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium creates issues for the ESPN audio team. Photo: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images
Anytime I hear an announcer talk about sound on the air, I'm happy, says Brown.
The ESPN team is rounded out by effects mixers Tim Bishof and Tim Dunn. They're working closely with equipment supplier Gearhouse and its staff: main engineer Nick Bowey and technicians Ken Fryer and Andy Williams.
They're all focused on an audio engine that has grown year to year, giving the US Open some of the most comprehensive audio coverage in sports. A pair of Lawo mc256 digital mix cores provide a staggering 8,000 I/O points, virtually all of which are being used, says Brown, by a wide range of sources: from the additional microphones around the umpires' chairs - snoop and argue Sennheiser MKH 416 short shotguns aimed at players' seats to pick up discourse between players and officials - to sound from press feeds, the PA system, and other broadcast feeds.
The Tennis Center is miked as thoroughly as a reality-show set and shares a similar philosophy: don't miss anything, no matter how many moving parts there are to the narrative.
We've got more microphone locations this year, including more mics hanging from the roof, Brown explains. The umpires' chairs are turning into Christmas trees with all the mics. We never stop adjusting: as new opportunities for mic placements come up because of changes [to the venue], we take advantage of them.
New RF Landscape
This year's US Open is the first in the wake of substantial RF reallocation. RF is being managed through Wisycom RF distribution and reportage systems, supplied by Gearhouse.
In addition, ESPN is using the new 24-channel GTX Series 6.5-GHz Ultra-Wideband wireless microphone system from Alteros, an Audio-Technica company, at Practice Court 1 and for on-set interviews. The practice-court system is a single GTX3224 main unit for control with three separate preset frequency tunings. For interviews, players are being wired with a GTX24 beltpack while riding in the elevator leading to the announce set, enabling the interviews to start before the player is even seated at the desk.
It's running like [a late-night talk show], where you'll hear interaction between the host and the guest before they even get on the stage, explains Brown. The Alteros system is fantastic. We extended the antennas, and it was up and running in two minutes. The learning curve is next to nothing, and the system itself is plenty robust. We're trying to move ourselves up higher [in frequency] this year, since the RF situation has changed. The system does not require frequency coordination.
Another new wrinkle is deployment of a Waves SoundGrid system. This software/hardware combination provides automated processing, including upmixing and noise reduction for several of the smaller courts, increasing overall productivity. We're able to specifically tailor the processing needs for each court location, Brown notes.
The US Open is also a polyglot of networking formats. In addition to SoundGrid, which is itself a networked audio-over-Ethernet proposition, Dante has been deployed for much of the transport (what hasn't continued using MADI), and RAVENNA is used for the commentary signals.
We're trying a number of new things, says Brown. The great thing about the Open is that we're here for three weeks. Everyone knows where to find us, and they send us new things to try, and we're eager to check new stuff out. We're just enjoying the noise.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Live From the US Open: ESPN Audio Team Unfazed by Sonic Challenges Noisy spectators, RF reallocation are just part of a day's work By Dan Daley, Audio Editor 
