Tech Focus: Microphones, Part 1 - Flexibility, Networking Spur New Applications in Sports Developed for boardrooms and courtrooms, DSP-guided arrays are deployed on fields of play By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Wednesday, September 7, 2022 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Bubble wrap was originally developed as a textured-wallpaper product. Frisbees were actual pie plates, made by a 19th-century baker named William Russell Frisbie before becoming ubiquitous campus-quad airfoils. History is peppered with products that found success in verticals other than the ones they were designed for. Now it's microphones' turn.
The most visible example of this is how Shure's MXA710 linear array microphone system - a strip of DSP-guided transducers introduced in 2020 to provide precise audio coverage of meeting and conference spaces - has found its way recently into broadcast sports, including MLB, NBA, and pickleball telecasts.
The arrays are steerable, and we can make the lobes wider or narrower as needed and do it on the fly remotely, explains Turner Sports sound designer Dave Grundtvig, who has been the primary broadcast-sports evangelist for this application, deploying the corporate-audio product for football, to pick up general ambience, and for basketball, attaching them to hoop stanchions and other impact locations to capture the dynamic transients of ball against metal. The arrays could replace a number of shotgun and parab mics on the field.
He says Shure's IntelliMix DSP and Autofocus processing allow an A1 or a submixer to remotely change each of the six or eight transducers' lobe configurations to more finely aim at different areas for effects. For instance, a single array unit could be reconfigured during a baseball game to account not only for left- and right-handed batters but also for the nuances of their stance, ensuring that bat cracks are sharp and present every time.
Shure's John Born sees microphones as part of the broader migration to IP workflows.
According to Shure Associate Director, Global Product Management, Microphones, John Born, the company had noticed the growing use of its array-lobe microphone products in sports applications and, calling the last year or so a discovery phase, had worked with Grundtvig on some NBA productions.
Although a remotely controllable microphone array has obvious benefits for mixing sports effects, Born says, the larger picture has microphones - which have already been moving toward IT networks - becoming part of the broader migration to IP workflows in studios, in trucks, and on the playing fields.
The benefits of everything on a single Cat 5 cable are pretty clear, he says, in terms of the same workflow efficiencies these kinds of microphones were originally developed to deliver in corporate, municipal/legislative, and higher-education installed-audio applications. It's a way to achieve simplification of the workflow, simplified deployment of multiple microphones, and greater consistency of the sound quality across a production, which is what broadcasters want.
The shift to putting microphones on a network for sports applications, Born adds, may have been spurred by devices like the MXA 710, which is a Dante-native product, but devices like Shure's ANI audio-network-interface box, which connects traditionally cabled XLR microphones to networks, can bring the existing microphone universe onto that workflow as well.
New But Not That New Audio-Technica's Gary Dixon say shotgun mics informed design of MicroLine series of condenser gooseneck mics for corporate and government/legislative use.
It's not the first time that audio products from one sector have found new life in sports. Audio-Technica Product Manager Gary Dixon cites the company's U851 cardioid-condenser boundary microphone. Developed as a table-top audio solution for meeting spaces, it has appeared in places like MotoGP pits, attached to the ceiling to collect the intensity of tire changes and other critical pit-stop maintenance during races.
In fact, boundary microphones are perhaps the earliest iterations of the vertical crossover. For instance, Grundtvig has been using Shure's MX391 boundary transducers taped to the floor to capture the LFE around the baskets for March Madness and other basketball games for several years. And Crown PCC boundary mics have been regular sonic sentries on the boards and inside the goals to pick up the clatter of sticks and pads as players converge on the puck for NHL games.
The technology can go the other direction, too. Dixon notes how A-T's shotgun microphones informed the design of its MicroLine series of condenser gooseneck mics, which are used for corporate meeting and government/legislative applications.
Sennheiser has seen similar interest in its TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphone array. Also developed for corporate and higher-education verticals, it has been positioned about 14 ft. over a boxing ring and the array steered to follow the sound of punches landing.
Sennheiser's Dave Missall: Microphone-array technology is showing us how we can push the limits to create a more dynamic sound-effects scenario.
HBO Boxing tested the concept in 2019, and it worked very well, says Dave Missall, insight manager, consultants/manager, technical-application engineers, Sennheiser. It was definitely superior to fixed shotguns on the corners for picking up sound close in.
Another recent application has been as a sound-capture system in sports-venue press-conference rooms, such as at the San Francisco 49ers' Levi's Stadium. TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphone arrays are located over the dais and over the reporters' seats, able to automatically track a questioner's and a respondent's location and beam in for the best possible sound pickup
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Tech Focus: Microphones, Part 1 - Flexibility, Networking Spur New Applications in Sports Developed for boardrooms and courtrooms, DSP-guided arrays are deployed on fields of play By Dan Daley, Audio Editor 
