Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Tech Focus: Audio Monitoring, Part 1 - Immersive Sound Moves Into Production

09/08/2018

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
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2018/08/09/tech-focus-audio-monitoring-par...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

19/05/2026

Publicis Groupe to Buy LiveRamp for $2.2 Billion

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/05/2026

Tubi Launches 2026 FIFA World Cup Fox Hub

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/05/2026

Viamedia Introduces a New Geographic Intelligence Layer

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/05/2026

NFL Pushes Back Against Shift of Games to Streaming

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/05/2026

LYNX Technik Brings SDI IP Integration and High-Density F...

LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions for broadcast, post, and professional AV will showcase its latest signal processing solutions at B...

19/05/2026

Media Links Integrates Xscend IP Transport Platform with...

Media Links, a leading developer and manufacturer of IP media transport solutions, has announced the integration of its Xscend platform with Skyline Communicat...

19/05/2026

Media Links Expands in Southeast Asia with Clearcast Asia...

Collaboration expands regional partner ecosystem as Media Links showcases IP media transport solutions on stand 4M4-4 and alongside Clearcast Asia on stand Me...

19/05/2026

LynTec to Deliver Scalable Power Distribution and Integra...

Company Highlights Labor-Saving Control and Custom Branding Opportunities Designed to Increase Integrator Profitability LynTec, a leading manufacturer of ele...

19/05/2026

Mago Studio Moves AI Video Beyond Prompts with New Production-Focused Tools

Mago Studio Moves AI Video Beyond Prompts with New Production-Focused Tools Brie Clayton May 18, 2026 0 Comments New Capabilities Bring Controllable, ...

19/05/2026

It May be Time to Stop and Take an AI Breather

It May be Time to Stop and Take an AI Breather Brie Clayton May 19, 2026 0 Comments If the rock you stay on starts to roll, jump clean. Or you'll...

18/05/2026

For PPI, New Patents and ProCrewz App Development Portend Positive Outlook for 2026

Despite a bumpy start to the year, the provider of event-production support and ...

18/05/2026

Daktronics to Install 11 LED Displays at UNCs Kenan Stadium in 2026

Daktronics has partnered with the University of North Carolina to manufacture and install 11 LED displays totaling more than 10,000 square feet and more than 14...

18/05/2026

CBS LA and Los Angeles Rams Announce Multi-Year Local Television Partnership

CBS LA has announced a multi-year partnership with the Los Angeles Rams, covering exclusive local broadcasts of Rams preseason games, weekly year-round programm...

18/05/2026

Skyline Communications Integrates DataMiner xOps with AWS Elemental MediaConnect Router

Skyline Communications has announced an integration between its DataMiner xOps p...

18/05/2026

eCLUTCH Expands International Distribution and Content Partnerships

eCLUTCH, the hybrid esports platform powered by iKOMG, has announced an expansion of its distribution across Europe, MENA, Africa, and Asia, along with new cont...

18/05/2026

Behind The Mic: Yankees Legends Reunite to Call Game Against Red Sox with Kevin Burkhardt

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

18/05/2026

NBC Sports Brings the WNBA Back Home After 23 Years Away

With 22 games this season, the production team looks forward to tweaking and enhancing the coverage After 8,660 days off the air, the WNBA returned to NBC yest...

18/05/2026

A Morbid Weight Loss Trick Triggers an Insatiable Ghost in Saccharine

(L-R) Midori Francis and Natalie Erika James attend the Saccharine premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 22, 2026, in ...

18/05/2026

And the Winners of the 2026 Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico Are. . .

Last night, the Spotify Podcast Awards in Mexico returned to the country's capital. Now in its second year, the evening honors creators whose voices are hel...

18/05/2026

Roland launch Zenology GX for iPad

ZEN-Core synth goes mobile Roland's powerful ZEN-Core software synthesizer has just been introduced to the iPad, offering a convenient entry point into ...

18/05/2026

leONE from fedDSP

Versatile new limiter plug-in announced Based in Sheffield, UK, fedDSP offer a range of plug-ins that span the music production, live sound and high-end med...

18/05/2026

Viiri Audio launch Aava

A new use for convolution? Viiri Audio's debut plug-in aims to do something a little different with convolution processing, allowing users to adjust all...

18/05/2026

Delta Goodrem shines for SBS as more than 3.27 million Australians tune in for Eurovision

Delta Goodrem shines for SBS as more than 3.27 million Australians tune in for E...

18/05/2026

L3Harris Delivers Life-Saving Robotic Systems to Keep Australian Defence Personnel Out of Harm's Way

The Australian Defence Force uses L3Harris T4 and T7 robots for explosive ordnan...

18/05/2026

CVP strengthens commitment to the DACH broadcast market w...

Continued investment across Europe and Germany is expanding local teams and improving access to stock, regional expertise, and specialist broadcast support. CV...

18/05/2026

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at Dell Technologies World: Demand Is Going Parabolic, Utterly Parabolic'

Agentic AI inference at one-tenth the cost per token with NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL7...

18/05/2026

VEON Announces Investor Meetings for a Potential Dual Tranche USD Notes Offering and Related Tender Offer for 2027 Notes

18 May 2026 Dubai and New York, May 18, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a glob...

18/05/2026

Sky News offers ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes for just 2.99 as listening surges 102%

Monday 18 May 2026 Sky News offers ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes for just...

18/05/2026

Comscore March 2026 Consumer AI Chatbot Usage Rankings Show Claude Gaining Share

Comscore March 2026 Consumer AI Chatbot Usage Rankings Show Claude Gaining Share OpenAI's ChatGPT maintains lead while Anthropic's Claude continues to c...

17/05/2026

Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run

Delta Goodrem's Eurovision Eclipse marks end of a stellar run 17 May, 2026 Media releases Bulgaria wins Eurovision 2026 Relive every spellbinding mome...

17/05/2026

'Oasis' Premieres on Netflix June 19

Back to All News Oasis Premieres on Netflix June 19 Entertainment 17 May 2026 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Summer, sunshine, the beach, parties. T...

16/05/2026

Eventide & Newfangled Audio release Fixate:Midrange

Helps to deliver a clean, balanced midrange Developed alongside Newfangled Audio, the latest plug-in in Eventide's software collection has been designed...

16/05/2026

Engine DJ 5.0 update now live

Brings onboard stem rendering to RANE System One Engine DJ have just released Engine DJ 5.0, a free update for their Engine DJ OS embedded hardware and Engi...

16/05/2026

Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls

Boris FX Continuum Pairs AI Precision and Advanced Creative Controls Jessie Electa Petrov May 16, 2026 0 Comments The 2026.5 release adds automatic de...

16/05/2026

Spectrum TV Adds Free Access to Discovery+

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/05/2026

Tower Family Foundation Passes $3.5 Million Milestone

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/05/2026

AIMS to Offer IPMX Education at InfoComm 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/05/2026

Rise AV Launches Second Year of UK Elevate Program

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

15/05/2026

Seattle Sounders FC and Reign FC Announce Seattle Soccer Celebration at Waterfront Park

Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Reign FC, in partnership with RAVE Foundation an...

15/05/2026

How Sound Designer Dan Brumm Built Blueys Audio World with Sennheiser and Neumann

Dan Brumm has served as sound designer on Bluey, the Australian children's t...

15/05/2026

Applications Close May 31 for Mark Brunner Professional Audio Scholarship

The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated are accepting applications for the 6th annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Schola...

15/05/2026

Netflix Expands NFL Coverage With Additional Games Starting in 2026

Netflix has announced an expanded NFL schedule for 2026 and beyond under a four-year partnership extension with the NFL through the 2029-30 season. Each season,...

15/05/2026

Ateme Supports TVRIs SRT-Based Live Sports Contribution and Distribution Workflow

Ateme is supporting TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia) with a contribution and d...

15/05/2026

Concacaf Launches New Website and Mobile App Powered by Deltatre

Concacaf has announced the launch of a new website and mobile app built on Deltatre's FORGE platform. Concacaf.com and the mobile app, available on iOS and ...

15/05/2026

Qatar Media Corporation Launches QBC Business Channel in 4K via Eutelsat

Eutelsat has announced the launch of QBC Business Economic Channel by Qatar Media Corporation, broadcasting in 4K/UHD via Eutelsat's 7/8 West video neighbo...