Sports Producers Expand Audio Boundaries
14/10/2013
LOS ANGELES Shotgun microphones have long been indispensable in capturing the action at sports events. But with newer video technologies bringing audiences even closer to the action, audio mixers may employ additional solutions to more fully immerse fans in the onscreen competition. The picture is better, the lenses are longer, and you can get tighter and closer, so it just translates well to capture some of those sounds to go along with what you're seeing, said Dave Grundtvig, a veteran sports mixer currently covering NFL games for CBS who also has years of experience on NBA All-Star games and post season MLB games.
PICKUP PATTERN
To get in close, Grundtvig favors Shure's SM89 shotgun, revamped a couple of years ago as the VP89 with a choice of short, medium, and long barrels. Before, I would use a short condenser just because of my space limitations. Now, I'm able to use a short shotgun in its place to have a tighter pickup pattern for example, on the basketball court.
Placing long shotguns on the scores table is impossible, said Grundtvig. But I'm now able to put shorter shotguns in the same place where I had condensers before. It helps immensely in rejecting a lot of the ambient noise and the PAs, which in all sports have gotten ridiculously loud over the last few years.
Grundtvig positions five short shotguns on the table aimed at each basket and center court, and to either side of the center. Then we'll put 12 [Shure] Microflex MX391 boundary mics on the court. That does a fantastic job; it's very low profile and captures the essence of the marching up and down the court.
He also places boundary mics below the baskets to capture the trash talking and the ball bounce. It uses the floor to help reinforce as the boundary, and has great rejection. The court effects mics are submixed and the feed sent to Grundtvig.
I use shotguns for overheads; Sennheiser is my favorite, said Lance Gordon, who mixes the two 13-week seasons of Spike TV's Belator MMA and many of ESPN's 40-week season of Friday Night Fights. And Sennheisers on the boom poles; you can't beat them.
Some mixers use two shotguns on a boom, he said: One long, for when the fighters are far from the action, and a shorter shotgun for when they're right up against the ropes.
But typically Gordon gets by with long shotguns: I get plenty, even when the fighters are up close, because the camera guys in that case will back out so that they're not in the wide shots.
A Shure VP89 shotgun mic is placed on the boundary of a basketball court to capture audio.
Gordon has designed an array of shotguns to cover his mixed martial arts bouts. It's a cluster of five Sennheiser MKH 8060 microphones, he explained: one in the center, picking up the center of the ring, with the other four splayed to capture the rest of the circular cage. Those are supplemented by lavs placed under the pad around the ring, for when they're grappling on the ground, in addition to the mics on the handheld cameras.
NFL SOUNDSCAPE
One big change in NFL coverage that brings the audience closer to the action is relatively recent, according to Phil Adler, who also mixes NFL games for CBS, and handles college basketball for CBS and CBS Sports Network. The umpire's mic used to pick up the quarterback's calls, but after the NFL moved the official to the offensive backfield, to avoid being run over by the offensive team, there was a year without any on-field audio, he said.
The NFL said, We're missing an awful lot of our soundscape here.' They came up with the idea of miking players.
Either a center and back-up center or two guards wear the mics, a decision made by the respective teams. If we're lucky enough to get centers on both teams and they're working, it's incredible, unbelievably good, said Adler.
Wireless Mics: When Bandwidth Is an Issue
Delivering mic signals to the sports audio mixer from the field of play, sideline, or studio typically involves both wired and wireless transmission. With the FCC and telcos putting the squeeze on the UHF bandwidth, Sony is offering two digital wireless mic systems the DWX and DWZ Series that enable sports broadcasters to cope with a constrained RF spectrum.
Where six simultaneous channels are enough, Sony's DWZ Series system, operating at 2.4 GHz, provides an alternative to UHF transmission, plus improved audio quality over analog equivalents. Equipment in the ISM radio bands typically requires unobstructed line-of-sight and a limited (100 feet) working distance.
Supporting up to 12 channels, Sony's DWX Series, offering dual-channel UHF operation, makes use of a separate 2.4 GHz RF carrier to remotely control transmitter settings such as TX frequency, mic pre gain, and DSP low cut filter.
Both offer a flexible choice of handheld microphone sound characteristics.
The player feeds are completely under the auspices of the NFL, which keeps the signal chain under wraps, he said. I believe it's being sourced from Zaxcom, Adler said. It's encrypted wireless transmissions from the players to a mixing position manned by NFL Films freelancers.
Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, the gear has not been trouble-free. On a recent game, he said, After about four plays in the first quarter we lost the mics on the Vikings and they never came back.
On its golf coverage, to immerse audiences into the action during the Masters and other tournaments, CBS uses a variety of shotguns, reported Adler, who is not working the tours but has visited several of the games. CBS, which broadcasts in 5.1, captures as much as possible in stereo, he noted.
They have a stereo mic that they put on a stake at the tee shot. On the greens you've got two stereo shotguns. In the gallery, especially on
LINK: | http://www.tvtechnology.com/news/0110/sports-producers-expand-audio-bo... |
See more stories from tvtechnology |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
02/05/2024
GSTV Pumps Up Research, Programming at NewFront
GSTV, the network that programs screens at gas stations, will be talking about new research and new programming at its NewFront presentation Wednesday....
01/05/2024
Release Rundown: What to Watch in May, From I Saw the TV Glow to Power
Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) develop an eerie connection to a supernatural TV show in Jane Schoebrun's I Saw the TV Glow....
01/05/2024
Celebrate May the 4th With Special Star Wars' Playlists, Audiobooks, and More
Spotify's Star Wars celebrations are in full Force starting today, and this ...
01/05/2024
Spotify's New Hardcore Gardening Playlist and Brain Dead Collab Will Rattle Greenhouses Everywhere
All around the world, millions of Spotify fans love listening to hardcore punk m...
01/05/2024
THE CALL FOR THE FIFTH PRESIDENTIAL EMPLOYMENT STIMULUS PROGRAMME (PESP5) FOCUSED ON THE AUDIO-VISUAL INDUSTRY, IS OPEN.
THE CALL FOR THE FIFTH PRESIDENTIAL EMPLOYMENT STIMULUS PROGRAMME (PESP5) FOCUSE...
01/05/2024
QTAKE Pioneers Live 3D Stream to Apple Vision Pro
QTAKE, the leading video assist and on-set collaboration software trusted by professional filmmakers worldwide, launched a new cutting-edge feature at NAB 2024....
01/05/2024
LA County Opens Entertainment Business Interruption Fund Grant Program for Small Business, LAEDC Offers Updates
In HPA's ongoing focus on providing input and insight from city and county g...
01/05/2024
Trailblazing AI Storytelling by Empowering Storytellers: Curious Refuge
HPA Newsline had the opportunity to speak with Caleb and Shelby Ward, founders of Curious Refuge. Caleb and Shelby were participants in the 2024 HPA Tech Retrea...
01/05/2024
Supporting Global Air Traffic Modernization through Managed Services Infrastructure
L3Harris works with air navigation service providers who efficiently manage air ...
01/05/2024
Q&A with Scott Alexander, Aerojet Rocketdyne's new Missile Solutions President
Scott Alexander, Missile Solutions President, Aerojet Rocketdyne...
01/05/2024
Comcast: More Than Half of Viewers Frustrated About Finding Content
NEW YORK Just over half of U.S. viewers are frustrated over their ability to be able to find content to watch on TV according to Comcast....
01/05/2024
Bally RSNs Go Dark On Comcast Systems
Bally Sports Regional Networks were taken off Comcast's systems on April 30 when their existing distribution agreement expired and Diamond Sports Group was ...
01/05/2024
NXTGENbps powers Molinare's Notorious DIT
NXTGENbps battery solutions are designed to replace diesel generators and offer silent, emission-free power for various applications in film, TV, outside broadc...
01/05/2024
Elodie Ichter Joins Light Iron as Senior Colorist
Light Iron, the post-production creative-services division of Panavision, is excited to announce that lodie Ichter has joined the company's artist roster a...
01/05/2024
CJP presents live mo-cap demos at MPTS
CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, systems integration, production and content digitisation specialist, will feature live motion capture demonstrations at the 202...
01/05/2024
Media Links Partners with Sunteq for Representation in S...
Media Links, manufacturer and pioneer in Media over IP transport technology, has partnered with Sunteq spol s.r.o., a leading reseller located in Slovakia to st...
01/05/2024
Dot Group Showcases Enhanced Data Management and Sustaina...
Dot Group, a leader in cutting-edge data management solutions and the premier European reseller of critical Broadcast supporting IBM technologies, will demonstr...
01/05/2024
Glensound shows the latest in IP audio at MPTS
Glensound, industry leader in high quality audio systems, is showcasing the latest additions to its extensive portfolio of networked audio products at MPTS. Aud...
01/05/2024
Hitomi Broadcast to demonstrate ST2110 MatchBox at MPTS
Hitomi Broadcast, a leader in audio/video alignment and latency solutions, will be demonstrating advancements in SMPTE ST2110 workflows ensuring broadcasters ha...
01/05/2024
Leading UK vendors join in the CABSAT 30th anniversary ce...
Taking a leading role in the 30th anniversary CABSAT exposition (Dubai World Trade Centre, 21 23 May), the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland pavilion will fe...
01/05/2024
NXTGENbps Powers Notorious DITs Green Energy Initiative w...
NXTGENbps, a pioneer in green energy solutions, proudly announces its partnership with Notorious DIT, a leading provider of digital imaging technology services ...
01/05/2024
Videosys Broadcast Brings Pan and Tilt To Coverage Of The...
As Cambridge celebrated its double win over Oxford in the 2024 Boat Race, behind the scenes celebrations were also taking place at Videosys Broadcast to mark th...
01/05/2024
Live After 5' summer concert series returns to downtown Raleigh
A popular - and free - summer concert series is coming back to downtown Raleigh! WRAL is proudly partnering with Downtown Raleigh Alliance for its Live After ...
01/05/2024
Cadent Launches Performance TV To Boost Omnichannel Ad Results
Cadent said it launched Performance TV, designed to increase the effectiveness of campaign by combining the reach of traditional linear TV with the targeting of...
01/05/2024
Eric Johnson, KOMO Seattle Anchor, Sets Retirement
Eric Johnson, anchor at KOMO Seattle, will retire as of June 6. Johnson anchors the 5 and 6 p.m. weekday newscasts and writes/produces/hosts Eric's Heroes,...
01/05/2024
T-Mobile Dials Deeper Into Ad Business With Retail Network (NewFronts)
T-Mobile said it is expanding its advertising business, creating an in-store retail media network and adding Plex, the video streaming platform for its footprin...
01/05/2024
Samsung Ads Expands AI Tools To Target Streaming Viewers (NewFronts)
Samsung Ads said it was introducing new opportunities for advertisers to use data about its viewers to target viewers across the full marketing funnel at its Ne...
01/05/2024
Samsung TV Plus Swings for the Fences With Streaming Sports Channels (NewFronts)
Samsung's ad-supported streaming platform Samsung TV Plus is putting more sports in its lineup with free channels about baseball, golf, hockey, auto racing ...
01/05/2024
Dan Rather Documentary Offers Open-Book' Look at Newsman
Rather, a documentary about famed newsman Dan Rather, premieres on Netflix May 1. The film looks at his rise to prominence in TV news, including his work coveri...
01/05/2024
Ken Wayne, KRON San Francisco Anchor, Retires Next Month
Ken Wayne, evening anchor at KRON San Francisco, is retiring after 33 years in Bay Area television. He was born in Marin County, started his journalism career a...
01/05/2024
Jeff Blaszak Promoted To Senior VP at ShowSeeker
ShowSeeker, the company behind the Pilot cloud-based order management system, said it promoted Jeff Blaszak to senior VP of business operations and strategy....
01/05/2024
Great American Media Picks VideoAmp As Ad Currency
Great American Media said it reached an agreement with VideoAmp that will enable clients to use VideoAmp's ad buying measurement and data capabilities when ...
01/05/2024
NXTGENbps powers Molinaire's Notorious DIT
NXTGENbps battery solutions are designed to replace diesel generators and offer silent, emission-free power for various applications in film, TV, outside broadc...
01/05/2024
Amazon CEO: AWS has multi-billion dollar revenue run rate in AI already
Sales rose to $25bn during the first three months of 2024, up 17 per cent year-on-year By Matthew Corrigan Published: May 1, 2024 Sales rose to $25bn duri...
01/05/2024
Roku to Offer NBC Olympics Zone
NEW YORK NBCUniversal and Roku are teaming up to offer the NBC Olympic Zone on Roku, a new destination on the Roku Home Screen Menu. The dedicated channel wil...
01/05/2024
U.K.'s Freely Officially Launches
Freely the new streaming service backed by Britain's leading broadcasters BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 is now available through the next generation of ...
01/05/2024
Study: FAST Channel Growth Accelerates
NEW YORK A new report on free, ad-supported streaming channels indicates that their growth continues to accelerate, with the number of channels hours views and ...
01/05/2024
VuWall Unveils New Capabilities For VuStream 150 Video Encoder
MONTREAL VuWall has enhanced its VuStream 150 H.264 video encoder with new features and capabilities, including support for HDMI signals at resolutions up to 38...
01/05/2024
Samsung TV Plus Announces New High-Profile FAST Channels for Sports
NEW YORK At the IAB NewFronts 2024, Samsung Ads announced a new lineup of premium sports, music, family and entertainment content on its leading FAST service Sa...
01/05/2024
WAPA TV Celebrates 70th Anniversary As #1 Station in Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO WAPA TV has announced that it will be celebrating its 70th anniversary on May 1 as the number 1 broadcasters on the island....
01/05/2024
Diamond Sports Group Renews Its Distribution Deal with Cox
SOUTHPORT, Conn. & ATLANTA Diamond Sports Group and Cox Communications have reached a multi-year renewal of their distribution agreement for the continued carri...
01/05/2024
Warner Bros. Discovery Networks Dropped by Fubo
As the NBA playoffs heat up on TNT, Warner Bros. Discovery and FuboTV have been unable to reach a new distribution deal. That impasse forced the vMVPD to drop T...
01/05/2024
Time for NAB Reality Check
Time for NAB Reality Check Andy Marken April 30, 2024 0 Comments Above image source - Allegiant, Summit Entertainment Great leaders don't seek...
01/05/2024
Dream Street Productions Switches Live Corporate Events with ATEM Television Studio HD8 ISO
Dream Street Productions Switches Live Corporate Events with ATEM Television Stu...
01/05/2024
lodie Ichter Joins Light Iron as Senior Colorist
lodie Ichter Joins Light Iron as Senior Colorist Brie Clayton April 30, 2024 0 Comments Acclaimed colorist brings global expertise on high-profile pro...
01/05/2024
Explainable AI: Insights from Arthur's Adam Wenchel
Arthur.ai enhances the performance of AI systems across various metrics like accuracy, explainability and fairness. In this episode of the NVIDIA AI Podcast, re...
01/05/2024
SVG Digital Engagement Forum: Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY
SVG Digital Engagement Forum: Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY Catch up on the latest in streaming, interactivity, engagement and more from this inau...
01/05/2024
David Beckham Scores on the Cover of 'Queue' Issue 16
Back to All News David Beckham Scores on the Cover of Queue Issue 16 David Beckham on the cover of Queue. Krista Smith Director, Queue Entertainment 01 Ma...