
GerrAudio, Engineering Harmonics and DPA Microphones Develop One-of-a-Kind Podium Microphone to Retrofit into 50-Year-Old Stands.
As longtime audio solutions providers for the Canadian government, GerrAudio and Engineering Harmonics have a steady grasp on the needs of its officials. When the companies' principals were presented with the challenge of creating a custom podium microphone solution for the interim House of Commons, they reached out to DPA Microphones. The custom solution is based off DPA's 4081 mics along with a DPA TSM 4001 shock-mount, which fit into the cutouts of the Parliament's existing podium units.
When you're working with such a high-level client, there are no compromises, explains Martin Van Dijk, Senior Consultant/Partner at Engineering Harmonics, Inc. There were really specific requirements for how the microphones worked, how they picked up the sources and, obviously, for their sound quality. Given the need for a clean aesthetic and simple solution, body-worn and standard gooseneck podium microphones were both out of the question.
Additional challenges were presented by the space itself; a glass-roofed structure built into a courtyard in the Parliament's West Block was not ideal for capturing speech. Also, the mics were to be used not only so the members of Parliament (MP) could hear each other, but also to capture Parliamentary proceedings for interpretation, broadcast and archival purposes. Adding to the complexity of the project, the podiums had already been constructed and had existing cutouts for the mics made in their millwork.
There also couldn't be anything sticking up from the podiums and MPs don't (and won't) wear lavalier mics, adds Geoff Maurice, Technical Sales Manager of GerrAudio. Given the need for clarity and intelligibility, and for a product invisible to cameras in the House, Martin was searching for a very specific type of microphone in a form factor that wasn't publicly available; and he wanted it to be a DPA solution.
Van Dijk knew his specific mic needs required a high degree of cooperation from the manufacturer to create a truly custom solution that met the performance requirements. That prompted me go to a brand with a proven ability to build something that provided studio-grade performance in terms of noise floor, he says. I knew DPA also wouldn't just put one of its existing products in a different housing. The company really put effort into engineering this microphone, and GerrAudio helped facilitate that.
The initial stages of the custom mic began with Maurice creating a prototype. We started with a DPA TSM 4001 shock mount, which fits the existing cutouts in the millwork, he explains. I took one apart, cut some bits and pieces out of it, hot glued an existing DPA 4081 microphone inside of it, and added foam for dampening. The 4081 reduces the noise floor and increases rejection, which helped get the pattern we were looking for. Initially, I was concerned about changing the cardioid pattern by placing that element against a boundary element. But, after significant testing, we discovered that, rather than break apart, the pattern shifted upward off the surface, which worked to our advantage.
To ensure all the Commons' requirements were met, GerrAudio built a rough mock-up of the podiums to test the prototypes. MPs typically speak from between the podiums, not from directly behind their own, continues Maurice. For redundancy, we mounted two microphones at the outer corners of each podium and turned them towards the outside of the podium to catch the speaker in the middle. After mounting the prototypes in the appropriate configuration, we ran the signal to a mixing console and recorded speech from different angles and heights before sending the recordings to Engineering Harmonics for further review.
Once Maurice and Van Dijk were satisfied with the prototype, they reached out to DPA directly, to work with the brand's product development team. With DPA's direct involvement, Van Dijk had confidence that we'd end up with a solution that met all of the requirements; and that's what happened. Once they developed the solution, they sent technical details and recordings for us to review, until they refined it to a perfect prototype.
Van Dijk and Maurice then flew to DPA's headquarters in Denmark to establish final proof-of-concept. There, DPA Product Manager Ren M rch and his team continued testing in the company's studio and other internal test areas. The team built a mock-up of the podiums and had some competitors' microphones there so we could do some comparisons in situ and really listen critically to the results, Van Dijk notes.
For this project, DPA delivered over 400 new custom elements for installation in the Commons. The installation was handled by Ottawa-based engineering firm, Applied Electronics. They used a standard DPA capsule, integrated it with a better acoustic guide, and made a beautiful new model of microphone for the House of Commons, Maurice says. Inevitably, they made it more robust, controlled, quiet, and much sleeker looking, too. We're extremely happy with the result. The government has been using the system for months now and, even though the interim space is acoustically challenging, they have a high-quality microphone with great speech pickup.
The broadcast team on the Hill are also very happy with the consistency and quality, Van Dijk adds, but the best compliment I received was from one of our American counterparts working on the project someone who's also worked for the U.S. Government. He emailed me to ask how we got such pristine sound and was flabbergasted to find out we used a mic in the podium, rather than a lavalier.
While this ushers in a new era of high-end audio pickup in one of Can
Most recent headlines
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
21/05/2025
TAG Video Systems, the leader in software-based IP media probing, monitoring, visualization, and analytics, and swXtch.io, the leading provider of cloud-based m...
21/05/2025
NEW YORK Comcast Advertising has launched a new AI creative platform that will make it much easier for small businesses and local advertisers to market and prom...
21/05/2025
NEW YORK Prime Video has released some of its tech plans for the NASCAR Cup Series, which begins on Sunday, May 25 at 5 p.m. ET with the Coca-Cola 600 from Char...
21/05/2025
MONTREAL Matrox Video has announced that it has successfully completed the AWS Foundational Technical Review (FTR) for Matrox ORIGIN....
21/05/2025
WASHINGTON Clarence Hau, NBCUniversal senior vice president of standards, policy and advanced engineering, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Advanced Tel...
21/05/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
As part of the Tawazun Economic Program, Thales ...
20/05/2025
Press Release: ToolsOnAir to release version 2025.2 of just:in mac capture solut...
20/05/2025
Press Release: ToolsOnAir to release version 2025.1 Playout solutions for macOS.
Vienna, Austria. May 9th, 2025 ToolsOnAir, a leading provider of broadcast...
20/05/2025
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
20/05/2025
Throughout the month of May, Spotify is celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by amplifying the many artists, creators, and authors who share th...
20/05/2025
It's officially summer on Spotify and, once again, our team of best-in-class...
20/05/2025
Extended agreement includes Local TV and OTT measurement and Digital Content Rat...
20/05/2025
Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence while taking an extraordinary step forward for privacy in A...
20/05/2025
NEW YORK Amazon Publisher Services (APS) and independent sell-side advertising company Magnite are collaborating more deeply on streaming TV through the APS Tra...
20/05/2025
NEW YORK Nielsen and Sunbeam Television have announced an extension of their agreement to include ABC Miami, which will begin broadcasting as part of Sunbeam in...
20/05/2025
WASHINGTON The FCC has approved Verizon's $20 billion acquisition of Frontier, which was first announced last Sepembert. As part of the agency's decisio...
20/05/2025
Netflix and PBS have announced new deals with Sesame Workshop that will see new episodes of Sesame Street stream on Netflix and air on PBS Kids....
20/05/2025
MUNICH ARRI has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its lighting subsidiary Claypaky to EK Inc., a major Chinese designer and manu...
20/05/2025
LIVONIA, Mich. Spectrum News has expanded its reach with the launch of Spectrum News Michigan....
20/05/2025
From Death Becomes Her to Dead Outlaw, Boston Conservatory Actors Are Killing It...
20/05/2025
Space42 to establish new Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite manufacturing ...
20/05/2025
20 May 2025
Beeline Uzbekistan Moves its Headquarters to Tashkent's IT Park...
20/05/2025
Praise for series two:
Daily Mail - 5* It's a murder mystery masterclass
Heat - 4* Marlow's giving Midsomer a run for its murder money
Daily Tele...
20/05/2025
May 20th, 2025 #ChanelTribeca2025 #Tribeca2025 #CHANELinCinema
Press assets available HERE
Tribeca Festival and CHANEL Unveil 2025 Artist Awards Program
Thi...
20/05/2025
Broad strategy: DAZN on creating the perfect ecosystem between broadcasters, spo...
20/05/2025
Storytelling, monetisation and engagement: Making the pitch for AI in sports bro...
20/05/2025
FanDuel Sports Network Rolls Out WireCam in Cincinnati; Milwaukee Is Next, With ...
20/05/2025
UEFA Europa League Final 2025: Broadcast facts and camera plan for Tottenham Hot...
20/05/2025
NBA Eastern Conference Finals: TNT Sports Bids Farewell With Upgraded Tech, Onsi...
20/05/2025
NBA Western Conference Finals: ESPN's InsightCast' Features Avatar Shot...
20/05/2025
Tuesday 20 May 2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. To ...
20/05/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First Look at Almost Cops and Announces Release Date
Entertainment
20 May 2025
GlobalNetherlands
Link copied to clipboard
...
20/05/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 19, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that C...
20/05/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 20, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that
the company will showcase breakthrough broadband innovations at ANGA COM 2025. P...
20/05/2025
Today, Apple unveiled an exciting lineup for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), including the Keynote and Platforms State of the Union. Taking p...
20/05/2025
Industrial AI is transforming how factories operate, innovate and scale.
The convergence of AI, simulation and digital twins is poised to unlock new levels of ...
20/05/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
73% are investing in AI-specific security tools ...
20/05/2025
Genomic data shows widespread mpox transmission in West Africa prior to 2022 global outbreak Scripps Research scientists, in collaboration with researchers in N...
19/05/2025
For the past decade, Spotify's Fresh Finds playlists have served as a launchpad for emerging independent artists, helping them break through and connect wit...
19/05/2025
Eurovision delivers strong Total TV audiences for SBS, dazzling more than 2.21 m...
19/05/2025
Airlines lead the way as more Kiwis pack their bags for travel at home and abroad
Auckland - May 14, 2025 - New data from Nielsen Ad Intel reveals a strong yea...
19/05/2025
Smallgoods, snacks and ice cream shows large growth
Sydney - April 30, 2025 - Nielsen Ad Intel data released today has revealed a 6% increase in advertising in...
19/05/2025
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. New streaming bundles launched over the past year by both distributors and streamers are generating strong consumer interest in 2025, according...
19/05/2025
Mistika Workflows Upgrade Includes Amberscript, DaVinci Resolve, MASV, Pulsar, Y...
19/05/2025
Berklee's Summer in the City Returns with Free Concerts Throughout the Bosto...
19/05/2025
Planetcast Media Services, a leading international media technology and broadcast services provider, will showcase its powerful NexC media distribution platform...
19/05/2025
VuWall and Guntermann & Drunck (G&D), technology leaders in video wall management and KVM systems, will showcase their latest innovations at InfoComm 2025, boot...
19/05/2025
Kiloview, a global leader in AV-over-IP, is set to showcase its latest AV-over-IP innovations at InfoComm 2025 in Orlando, FL, from June 11th to 13th. Featuring...
19/05/2025
Back to All News
Eva Longoria to Direct Kim Kardashian in Comedy Feature The Fi...