
Tech Focus: Audio Monitoring, Part 1 - Immersive Sound Moves Into Production Trailer builders are already making provisions for a format still in development By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Thursday, August 9, 2018 - 12:30 pm
Print This Story
Story Highlights
With 5.1 surround the default monitoring configuration for broadcast audio, remote-production environments are crowded with speakers, and immersive sound is threatening to make them even more so. But not tomorrow.
Builders of remote-production vehicles are aware of the imminence of immersive-audio formats, most notably Dolby's Atmos in the U.S. But, thus far, only a few trucks have been outfitted to accommodate Atmos's 5.1 4 speaker configuration, which requires an additional four speakers mounted in the ceiling above the A1 position.
The only field units that have been so outfitted and deployed are Game Creek's Nitro and Nitro B, which are being used by Fox Sports for NHRA shows. Game Creek has also outfitted its 79 unit, used by ESPN, although the 5.1 4 speaker array has not yet been used for Atmos. Mobile TV Group's 39 Flex unit is also Atmos-equipped, according to Dolby. In the UK, 10 Atmos-equipped production trucks are being operated by NEP, Telegenic, and others and have been used on English Premier Leagues broadcasts on Sky.
Game Creek's Nitro, used by Fox Sports for NHRA coverage, is one of the first production trucks to deploy the 5.1 4 speaker configuration for Dolby Atmos.
There have been some passing inquiries about [Atmos monitoring] but, aside from the NHRA, no hard requests, says Paul Bonar, VP, engineering solutions, Game Creek. In fact, he adds, looking back at surround's path from novelty to industry standard, he doesn't see the same arc playing out for immersive.
Game Creek SVP, Technology, Jason Taubman agrees: When 5.1 first came around, there was a lot of interest around it, in both discrete and simulated surround. We bought a lot of converters. ESPN was a very early backer of it, and then Fox Sports jumped in, and it moved quickly. I'm not sensing that same level of anticipation with Atmos.
Overhead But Under the Radar
However, immersive audio may be having a bit of a stealth moment. Gerling and Associates President Fred Gerling says he was surprised to learn that a number of the custom-truck/trailer builder's recent new projects, across its remote-production-provider and broadcast-network customers, have included at least provision for future implementation of ceiling speakers in the audio compartments. These take the form of an aluminum support bracket installed inside the ceiling and designed to hold four speakers that can be quickly installed and wired at some point in the future.
These installations are being requested by the end users, which suggests that broadcasters are preparing for an immersive future.
Gerling and Associates' Fred Gerling says provision for immersive sound is being production-truck end users.
The speakers themselves are not installed, but the unit is ready for them whenever the end user wants them, Gerling explains, adding, If this audio requirement becomes prevalent in the industry, we will eventually begin to integrate these bracket systems as the norm.
(This development underscores a small but important new area in systems integration for trucks and trailers. Audio compartments are generally located at the rear of trailers and subject to occasionally rough rides, despite the trailers' pneumatic air-ride suspension systems. The mounting bracket was chosen because of its light weight and ability to keep speakers firmly attached in a new - and often jostled - location in audio compartments. These are full-range speakers, larger than the more common flat surface-mount speakers used for communications audio, which are easier to secure in trailer ceilings.)
The anticipatory provisions also underscore the fact that awareness around immersive audio is beginning to migrate to a more nuts-and-bolts level, and that could begin to affect product choices. That's illustrated by the use of Klipsch speakers for the Game Creek truck's ceiling speaker arrays, rather than the Neumann KH series speakers used in the rest of the monitoring array and, Taubman says, typically the default choice for the overhead application: The Neumanns were too deep to fit into the ceiling.
The Atmos additions aboard the Nitro trucks suggest an evolution already in progress. For instance, at Fox Sports' request, the rear left and right surround speakers were lowered from their usual standing-ear level to a sitting level, putting the entire 5.1 speaker array at the seated A1's ear level and opening more propagation space for the ceiling array. That design has drawn positive reviews from A1s in the midst of the Atmos learning curve, says Bonar, by creating more distinct space around each speaker's output.
[Immersive audio has] been used in film and television [postproduction], he says. Broadcast is learning how to use it in live situations, when you don't have the opportunity to go back and fix it in post. So how you monitor it is critical.
Rob French, senior product marketing manager, Dolby, says 5.1 4-monitoring configurations have been arrived at largely by adapting Dolby's guidelines for in-studio monitoring, which include placing the surround speakers at ear level.
There are ideal positions, but, in mobile units, you have to compromise, he explains. You have to compete for space [in ceilings] with HVAC, for instance. Each truck is a bit different, so it has to be flexible.
Immersive audio is also creating other challenges in the tight confines of remote-production environments. While mixing the show, A1s also have to listen for cues from the director and producer, each of whom has a hot mic, assignable to produ
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
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...
16/07/2026
Media organisations with tested plans for new products, services or revenue models can now apply for grants of up to 30,000 through the Business Innovation Syn...
16/07/2026
This recent graduate and Georgia native has turned an early fascination with live production into a growing passion for camera work
In the live-sports-video in...
16/07/2026
TNDV is marking the first anniversary of Aspiration 35, a mobile production truck built around ARRI Alexa 35 Live camera systems. Over its first year, the truck...
16/07/2026
ATSC has completed a major revision to its A/85 Recommended Practice: Techniques...
16/07/2026
FloSports has announced an exclusive global media partnership with CrossFit for the 2026 CrossFit Games, presented by Air National Guard, beginning July 21 in S...
16/07/2026
Sennheiser has released firmware version 1.4 for its Spectera wireless system and announced the Spectera Command Button (Cat. No. 701014). The update adds comma...
16/07/2026
ESPN and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) have announced a multi-year...
16/07/2026
Audio-Technica has announced the 20 Series Control Application, a Stream Deck plug-in for compatible Audio-Technica USB microphones. The application is compatib...
16/07/2026
The fifteenth season of The Voice - La plus belle voix on TF1 used four Solid St...
16/07/2026
Gray Media and the Atlanta Hawks have announced a broadcast partnership that wil...
16/07/2026
Season 3 of Netflix's docuseries, which dropped this week, follows Jayden Da...
16/07/2026
The Texas Rangers and Rangers Sports Network presented by Progressive (RSN) have announced BZZR as the new direct-to-consumer distributor for Rangers game broad...
16/07/2026
With England's FIFA World Cup 2026 team getting ready to fly home after losi...
16/07/2026
In a return to Royal Birkdale, the team enjoys partnering with ETP and Gravity M...
16/07/2026
Along with a new studio at Ball Arena, the Colorado-based RSN is working with XR...
16/07/2026
Austria was back at the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and the team d...
16/07/2026
With 42 RF cameras and high-power radio mics deployed, the spectrum environment ...
16/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
16/07/2026
Popular library rebuilt in new Orbita Engine
Other Worlds Evolved is the latest of Zero G's sample libraries to be treated to a ground-up rebuild using ...
16/07/2026
Created in collaboration with A. G. Cook
The newest addition to Native Instruments' software collection introduces a new synth created by A. G. Cook, a ...
16/07/2026
NITV and SBS bring Australians to the heart of Garma
16 July, 2026
Media releases
The Garma Festival returns from 31 July-3 August, with NITV and SBS deliv...
16/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz supplies conformance test systems to Marquistech for India's...
16/07/2026
June brought stabilization to the television market. Poles spent an average of 3 hours and 36 minutes a day in front of their TV screens exactly the same as i...
16/07/2026
Glensound returns to IBC with a major new addition to its intelligent loudspeaker range, the Greater Divine Supernal studio monitor, alongside recent developmen...
16/07/2026
33 leading exhibitors are taking part in the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland Pavilions and linked locations across IBC2026 (Amsterdam RAI, 11 14 September)...
16/07/2026
Hitomi Broadcast will introduce Spectra, a new HDR colour verification solution measured in picture, not using VPID, at IBC2026 (Hall 10, Stand A40). Expanding ...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/07/2026
Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, and Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) today announced a strategic new integration to deliver ...
16/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Capture Immersive Flight for New Cirrus App
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Leader in Personal Aviation taps URSA Cin...
16/07/2026
XenData Announces LTO Archive Appliances with both File and S3 Object Storage In...
16/07/2026
Modern broadcast facilities are no longer confined to a single control room. Production teams are spread across multiple workstations, machine rooms, studios, c...
16/07/2026
Fox Corporation Executives to Discuss Fourth Quarter and Full Fiscal Year 2026 F...
16/07/2026
More interfaces now compatible with Focusrite Control 2 Your Focusrite interface might now be compatible with a public beta support of Focusrite Control 2. If...
16/07/2026
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is coming to GeForce NOW at launch, with the playable...
16/07/2026
Together the semi-finals had a combined reach of 1.98 million unique individuals...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...