SVG Summit 2018: Microphones Get Lots of Attention New transducer designs and concepts became a theme of the event By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Thursday, December 20, 2018 - 8:00 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
Last week's two-day SVG Summit covered a lot of ground, from IP production and workflow to cloud virtualization and the latest on spectrum activity. But, if there was one area that showed a major burst of activity, it was microphones. The show featured several announcements concerning new products and new owners, as well as a look at an ambitious microphone-array system that could have significant impact on how sound is captured from the field of play in the immersive era.
Soft Power
Two wireless receiver products focused on pliant form factors made their debut at the Summit.
Designed specifically for use by NHL officials, Quantum5X's new RefMicHD is a model QT5100 transmitter with the on/off switch physically integrated into the transmitter's form factor. Previously, the NHL had been using the QT256 transmitter along with a separate on/off element. The RefMicHD combines all of those functions into a single unit. It underwent trials during regular-season games last season.
Compatible with receivers from both Shure and Lectrosonics, RefMicHD kits are now assigned to each of the league's 31 arenas, with the system's electronics installed in a dedicated rack at each.
The PlayerMic is in use by the NBA and MLB, said Q5X CEO Paul Johnson, but this is the first time we've had our receivers used on both the player and the officials' sides.
Also at the show, Zaxcom, which also specializes in advanced wireless transmitters for the broadcast-sports industry, introduced the ZMT3-Flex wireless transmitter, which uses a form factor and materials that bend and conform to and with the athletes wearing them.
Constructed of a soft yet durable silicon rubber, the ZMT3-Flex provides an elevated level of safety for the professional athlete. The design also features rounded corners, is extremely thin at only 0.4 in. (1.02 cm), and weighs only 3 oz. (85 g).
The ZMT3-Flex can transmit a fully encrypted digital audio signal while simultaneously recording the audio internally and is capable of transmitting audio from a single mono microphone or dual microphones in stereo through two microdot inputs. The lossless internal recording simultaneously provides a catalog of all audio, whether transmitted or not, to a microSD card with timecode. The ZMT3-Flex is also equipped with Zaxcom High Density (ZHD) modulation, which increases the number of available channels at a location, an especially important feature as RF spectrum continues to contract.
Zaxcom has always been part of the sports and entertainment industry and wanted to develop something that boosted functionally while maximizing player safety, said Zaxcom President Glenn Sanders.
Consolidation Continues
Also announced at the show, DPA Microphones has been acquired by RCF Group, which acquired loudspeaker manufacturer EAW earlier this year. RCF has manufactured microphones and loudspeakers since 1949 at its facilities in Italy, becoming one of the first European OEM suppliers for international brands. RCF's PA systems are in leading sports venues, including Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, home to the NHL Predators.
With a history extending back six decades, DPA Microphones has specialized in miniature and flexible microphone and mounts for theatrical and other markets. In 2017, the Danish manufacturer used the AES Show in New York to introduce its CORE microphone-amplifier technology, with which it intended to achieve deeper penetration into broadcast-sports audio.
We've had good market share in sports broadcast, especially in Europe, where our shotgun and lavalier microphones are used by sports broadcasters like Sky Sports in the UK and TV2 in Denmark, Christopher Spahr, VP, sales and marketing, U.S., told SVG at the time, adding that both ESPN and Fox Sports also use its lavalier and headset mic elements.
Coming Full Circle
During the DTV Audio Group meeting, Sennheiser revealed a development effort around beamforming microphone arrays that have 31 of its MKH 8070 long shotgun microphones installed in a circular array that would theoretically provide seamless coverage of a large area, such as a soccer pitch. Sennheiser's Brian Glasscock explained that the initiative is aimed at the incipient immersive-audio market, specifically to capture audio as objects from the field. The circular design avoids off-axis spots in field coverage and will increase low-frequency response and directivity, he said.
At 1.5 meters in diameter, the prototype is somewhat ungainly, but Glasscock said it can be reduced by at least a third in the very near future.
Microphones made some major - and major-league - strides forward at the Summit, demonstrating that a lot of people are indeed listening.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
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...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it's given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what ...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First-Look Images from Villaflor, Santiago Mitre's New Film
Entertainment
12 June 2026
GlobalArgentina
Link copied to ...
12/06/2026
Back to All News
Cross the Boundaries of the Real World into the Spirit Realm i...
12/06/2026
With John Daro, DI Colourist at Warner Bros. Water Tower Color Tuesday 23 June, 10am-1pm or 3-6pm
Restar Corporation
Tokyo
Register here
John Daro is the ...
12/06/2026
Meet The Grumpy Onion Ireland's newest online sensation, all he wants is to ...
12/06/2026
RT stays Up All Night with brand new daily 2026 FIFA World Cup Vodcast
Adding to the fun around 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, RT has launched a brand new d...
12/06/2026
A fentanyl countermeasure that adapts to combat future black-market drugs Scripps Research scientists developed a vaccine that teaches the immune system to rapi...
11/06/2026
The immense size of the tourney and its Atlantic-spanning operation also disting...
11/06/2026
Nielsen has released a new soccer fandom consumer research report, The Fans Behind The Game: FIFA World Cup 2026 Edition, examining the soccer audience in the...
SVG Summit 2018: Microphones Get Lots of Attention New transducer designs and concepts became a theme of the event By Dan Daley, Audio Editor 
