
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...
06/08/2026
The broadcaster's 14-race schedule begins in Iowa and ends in November with ...
06/08/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
06/08/2026
As media organizations consolidate teams, technology platforms, and content libr...
06/08/2026
Firmware updates introduce Dolby's next-generation picture engine, content-aware optimization, and new motion and ambient-light tools...
06/08/2026
TNT Sports will have wall-to-wall coverage of the upcoming FIBA Women's Bask...
06/08/2026
swXtch.io (Stand 5.MR13) has unveiled groundSwXtch for Audio over IP (AoIP), a software application that lets broadcasters and media organizations move audio in...
06/08/2026
At IBC2026, Riedel Communications (Stands: 10.A24, 10.A31, 10.A38) will bring modern media production to life with the Live Production Experience - a connected ...
06/08/2026
The first live-sports director to receive the prestigious honor, eight-time Emmy...
06/08/2026
NBC Sports will continue to present the Preakness Stakes on NBC and Peacock thro...
06/08/2026
Cobalt Digital (Stand 8.F90) continues to reinforce its commitment to delivering...
06/08/2026
Wave Central has promoted promotion Jeff Daubert to Director of Sales, Americas.
In his expanded role, Daubert will lead Wave Central's sales strategy and ...
06/08/2026
KMH Integration is expanding its ability to serve media, broadcast, and IT organizations by adding Keith Hanadel, an accomplished architect with decades of indu...
06/08/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) has promoted Michele Ferreira from Vice President of its Systems Integration team to the newly created position of Chief Business O...
06/08/2026
Demonstrations will include new JPEG XS, Dolby audio, cloud-gateway, stream-processing, and distribution capabilities...
06/08/2026
The deal includes three premium mobile units, engineering personnel, existing br...
06/08/2026
Broadcast Management Group produced Amazon Prime's inaugural Obsessed Fest a...
06/08/2026
Exhibit will feature new variable-ND functionality, OLED viewfinders, remote-camera tools, and UHD production monitors...
06/08/2026
Compact full-frame E-mount lens targets sports, wildlife, and other long-range shooting applications...
06/08/2026
Live broadcast will honor Roger Federer and Mary Carillo on Aug. 29, with onsite...
06/08/2026
End-zone board receives higher-resolution LED technology and an updated Show Control system ahead of the 2026 football season...
06/08/2026
New 16- and 32-pad MIDI controllers now available
Fender have just announced that the two new performance-focused controllers that were unveiled at NAMM 202...
06/08/2026
Standalone version, performance improvements & more
Lewitt have just released a significant update for their speaker and room virtualisation software, intro...
06/08/2026
Combines celeste samples with synth engine
After launching earlier in 2026 with deFORM, ebbandflow have returned with their first sampled acoustic instrumen...
06/08/2026
SGL Carbon's consolidated sales in the first half of 2026 totaled 394.2 million, down 13.0% from the prior year (H1 2025: 453.2 million). On the one hand,...
06/08/2026
The BBC has announced casting for the forthcoming six-part series Hercule from Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited.
Joining Bluemel are Henry Ashton (A ...
06/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/08/2026
Proven offering builds on more than 20,000 live sporting events with greater automation, flexibility, and operational control
LTN , the industry leader in tran...
06/08/2026
Hornets Tech, a specialist in broadcast connectivity and IP video, is bringing a new range of encoders, decoders and an IPTV platform to IBC2026.
Broadcast in...
06/08/2026
Introducing Adobe for ChatGPT: Create, edit and get work done - all in ChatGPT
Deepti Pradeep August 6, 2026
0 Comments
The Adobe plugin in ChatGPT br...
06/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/08/2026
At IBC2026, MediaKind will make its first major appearance as a unified global powerhouse in video, showcasing one of the world's most comprehensive video i...
06/08/2026
Big Blue Marble (#5.A63) will demonstrate how its integrated technology and operational expertise help media companies scale premium services with less complexi...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research has received more than $500,000 in first-year fund...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Viruses are masters at invading our cells thanks to specialized proteins that coat their surfaces. When scientists design vaccines, they often crea...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-The brain has its own immune system, which detects threats and mounts a defense. A growing body of evidence has shown that in Alzheimer's disea...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research chemist Jin-Quan Yu has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve....
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research ranked third in the inaugural 2026 Cure Innovation Index recognizing the top-performing institutes and centers across the United S...
06/08/2026
Benjamin Cravatt, the Gilula Chair of Chemical Biology and a professor of chemis...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Dennis Burton, professor and the James & Jessie Minor Chair in Immu...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Inside every human cell, proteins are constantly being tagged with small chemical modifications after they're produced. Known as post-translati...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA-Scripps Research has established the Ian Wilson Endowed Chair, a new fa...
06/08/2026
Scripps Research's Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Science...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Professor Jin-Quan Yu of Scripps Research has been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the U.K.'s national academy of sciences and ...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-For years, researchers have been hoping for vaccines that protect people against not just one strain of HIV, but every strain of the quickly mutati...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-The Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines, the nonprofit...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Building the complex 3D molecules needed for new medicines has alwa...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Fentanyl and related variants of the synthetic opioid kill more Americans each year than car accidents and gun violence combined. In too-high doses...