Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Nashville Grand Prix Arrives in Music City With a Sound All Its Own

06/08/2021

Nashville Grand Prix Arrives in Music City With a Sound All Its Own The NTT IndyCar Series race poses singular challenges for the audio folks By Dan Daley, Audio Editor

Friday, August 6, 2021 - 11:22 am

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

Nashville is the site this weekend of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, the season's second-largest NTT IndyCar Series race, with 28 cars competing on a 2.17-mile track layout in the city's downtown area. Produced by IMS Productions, the broadcast on Sunday (5:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN) will deploy a small army working from three IMS mobile units with plenty of audio firepower to capture that IndyCar roar.

With 2,000 barriers and fence panels in 12-ft. sections, the course traverses the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Cumberland River and circumnavigates Nissan Stadium, where 1,200 linear ft. of 18-ft.-wide concrete pit boxes have been built and a pit lane repaved in the parking lot. The race is scheduled for 80 laps, during which competitors will cover 173.6 miles on a temporary street circuit with 11 turns.

The Music City Grand Prix covers 173.6 miles in 80 laps on a street circuit - and the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge.

The event is bookended by concerts on Friday and Saturday - featuring Jamey Johnson, Vince Neil, Tyler Farr, and other artists - and a post-race Grand Ole Prix show on Sunday with Alan Jackson, Justin Moore, Riley Green, Danielle Bradbery, and Callista Clark. It's expected to be the largest sports event to take place in the city outside of a conventional sports venue since the 2019 NFL Draft took place there. That three-day event brought in 600,000 people.

For the Music City Grand Prix, IMS Productions, which also produces the Indianapolis 500 race, has rolled in IMS HD-5 mobile units. To capture that familiar sound, an estimated 60 microphones are being deployed, including 15 Audio-Technica AT-4027 stereo shotguns mounted on cameras, two Sennheiser 416 short shotguns on each of eight robo/POV cams, three ShureVP88s stereo condenser microphones (for the roar effect), four A-T AT-4029 stereo shotguns for crowd mix, and three or four daisy-chained Sennheiser MEG 66 supercardioid shotguns on seven of the 11 turns to capture the approaching downshift sound. In addition, 11 of the 28 cars in the race will be fitted with cameras and microphones, remotely controlled by BSI, which is onsite providing the wireless infrastructure for the race.

The Bridge Over the River Cumberland It will be a unique race, but, if you ask everyone what's most singular about it, you tend to get a very consistent answer.

The bridge, says A1 Mike Pope, who has mixed numerous Indy 500, NASCAR, and IMSA races over the past 30 years, going back to the old Saturday Night Thunder races on ESPN.

That bridge, says Rob Sweeney, the race's audio submixer, who plots microphone placements around the course with a staff of sharp-eared A2s.

The bridge, says IMS Director, Operations, Ken Ferguson.

The bridge, adds BSI RF EIC Miles Denton.

Submixer Rob Sweeney sums up the challenge of the bridge: It's the fastest part of the track, and it's where the cars are going in both directions, plus it's real compact.

That bridge is the 1,660-ft.-long, 102-ft.-wide clear-span Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge, which normally accommodates an estimated 17,000 cars a day but, on Sunday, will have 28 cars hitting close to 200 mph. In both directions. Simultaneously. Capturing that sound will be pulling a very loud rabbit out of a very slender hat.

I've never done IndyCar over a bridge like this on a modern circuit, says Ferguson. It's hard to get a camera on there, so we're using robotic cameras on it. The fence builder for the race worked with us, making custom cuts in the fence panels for the cameras.

Seven Sony P1 robo cams using Talon robotic systems are being deployed, along with four Sony HDC-4300 super-slo-mo cameras, a P-4300 robotic with super-slo-mo capability, and seven Panasonic HC-X1500 POV cameras - all of which are available for both broadcast and live-event use. In addition, 12 Sony 2500 manned cameras and four handheld cameras (including one jib-mounted) are dedicated to the NBC Sports production. And there's a helicopter-mounted camera.

Denton describes the bridge as unique in Grand Prix courses. His crew had to lay fiber along the length of the span for the RF in-car transmission infrastructure while the bridge was still in use by daily commuters. It was closed off on Thursday to prepare for practice runs.

Pope also marvels at the bridge but acknowledges that, in some ways, the race could be just another auto race once it comes up on his 144-input Calrec Apollo console aboard the HD-5 A unit. The faders of wireless radio channels from 11 racers are arrayed on one central section of the board, with other sources around them: announce-booth talent, RF talent packs, graphics sound effects, crowd mics, EVS playbacks. And, of course, the sound-effects channels from submixer Sweeney's Calrec Artemis desk on a 5.1 fader are close at hand. Pope's particular challenges, though, include learning the distinct acoustical signatures of this racecourse, which weaves among the glass-and-stone high-rise offices and hotels that have overtaken much of this part of Nashville's downtown in recent years.

A1 Mike Pope's particular challenge in mixing the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix has been the distinct acoustical signatures of a course among glass-and-stone high-rises.

We have some of the same sort of [acoustical considerations] with the Pagoda at Indy, he notes, referring to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's architectural icon. Especially last year, with no one in the stands.

Also, Pope says, the engine sounds are much higher-pitched than at I
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2021/08/06/nashville-grand-prix-arrives-in...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

13/03/2025

FCC Chairman Carr Launches Massive Deregulation Initiative

WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...

13/03/2025

SDVI Integrates Rally With Spectra Vail

SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...

13/03/2025

FCC Approves Gray's Acquisition of KXLT

ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...

13/03/2025

NAB Show 2025 Exhibitor Insight: Blackmagic Design

TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...

13/03/2025

Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice

Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions. ...

13/03/2025

Relive the Magic as GeForce NOW Brings More Blizzard Gaming to the Cloud

Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library. Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...

13/03/2025

Gaming Goodness: NVIDIA Reveals Latest Neural Rendering and AI Advancements Supercharging Game Development at GDC 2025

AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...

13/03/2025

Drop It Like It's Mod: Breathing New Life Into Classic Games With AI in NVIDIA RTX Remix

PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...

12/03/2025

Como o Impacto Cultural e Financeiro da Indstria Musical Define Seu Sucesso em 2025

O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...

12/03/2025

Cmo el impacto cultural y financiero de la industria musical define su xito en 2025

Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...

12/03/2025

Nourish Mind, Body, and Soul This Ramadan With Spotify

Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...

12/03/2025

How the Music Industry's Cultural and Financial Impact Define Its Success in 2025

Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...

12/03/2025

FAST now transcends back catalog content

More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...

12/03/2025

Viamedia Adopts ShowSeeker Pilot To Streamline Ad Workflows

GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...

12/03/2025

Mediagenix Appoints Wael Yasin as Sales Director Central Europe

BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....

12/03/2025

Omdia: Global Online Consumer Expenditure to Hit $6.6 Trillion by 2029

LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...

12/03/2025

Comcast Technology Solutions Upgrades to Interra Systems BATON Version 9

CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....

12/03/2025

Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering

Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering Brie Clayton March 12, 2025 0 Comments High-capacity switch enhances existi...

12/03/2025

DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol

DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol Brie Clayton March 12, 2025 0 Comments Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...

12/03/2025

SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally Sweden 2025

SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...

12/03/2025

Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations

Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits. By Madd...

12/03/2025

Offering a broad umbrella for IP standards

TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...

12/03/2025

Warner Bros Belgium takes a new approach to its post production workflows

The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks By Matthew Corrig...

12/03/2025

Another VFX company suspends operations

Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months By Jenny ...

12/03/2025

Bitcentral to Showcase AI-Powered Innovations for Smarter...

Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...

12/03/2025

Jeff Lilly Named WGN-TV Director Of Technology

CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....

12/03/2025

Survey: Consumers Want More Shoppable TV Experiences

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...

12/03/2025

IP Showcase To Focus On IP, Broadcast Tech Convergence at 2025 NAB Show

BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...

12/03/2025

Comcast Boosts Internet Speeds for More Than 20 Million Customers

PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....

12/03/2025

Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14

Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14 Brie Clayton March 11, 2025 0 Comments Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade During Marc...

12/03/2025

Ross Video Strengthens Cloud Leadership with Appointment of Aaron Tunnell

Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...

12/03/2025

VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025

12 Mar 2025 VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...

12/03/2025

Getting Set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's Ongoing Software-Based Production Evolution

Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...

12/03/2025

Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful

Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...

12/03/2025

Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptual Displays

Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptua...

12/03/2025

Sky Sports Unveils Exciting Plans for 2025 Formula 1 Coverage

With the 2025 Formula 1 season set to begin in Melbourne on March 16, Sky Sports is gearing up to deliver its most comprehensive F1 coverage yet. Following a th...

12/03/2025

Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz transmission solutions

Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz ...

12/03/2025

Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby Double-Header

Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby D...

12/03/2025

FOR-A America Introduces Top of the Line HANABI Series Switcher at NAB 2025 Exhibition

New HVS-Q12 Represents a Quantum Leap in Switcher Design...

12/03/2025

Telespazio and ABS Expand Partnership to Deliver Tailored C-Band Connectivity Solutions for the Brazilian Market

Telespazio and ABS Expand Partnership to Deliver Tailored C-Band Connectivity So...

12/03/2025

Congratulations to all our clients who have achieved TAG certification through our independent validation

ABC conducts independent audits across the TAG programs. In the March 2025 TAG s...

12/03/2025

Moonlight: Thales Alenia Space to develop the space segment of the navigation system orbiting around the Moon

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Moonlight: ESA program to create a satellite con...

12/03/2025

Thales among the world's top 100 most innovative companies for the 12th year, according to Clarivate

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn In 2025, Thales ranks among the top 0.01% of the...

12/03/2025

CCPC sponsored TV series The Complaints Bureau returns to RT One

Consumer show back following hugely successful first series 10 March 2025 Following a hugely successful first series, The Complaints Bureau returns to RT ...

11/03/2025

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Amel Guellaty, the Writer-Director of Where the Wind Comes From

By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...

11/03/2025

Salsa's Rhythmic Revival: A New Generation Discovers the Genre's Timeless Appeal

Salsa is making a comeback, captivating new listeners with its infectious energy...

11/03/2025

Canada's Own Rupi Kaur Curates the Latest Edition of Local Spot, Revealing the Songs and Artists That Shaped Her

For many people, music can serve as a reflection of their roots and upbringing. ...

11/03/2025

ST Engineering iDirect's Public Safety Solution Wins MSUA Satellite Mobile Innovation Award 2025

The solution delivers reliable, scalable and secure connectivity for critical pu...

11/03/2025

Weigel Broadcasting Taps Harmonic for Cloud-Based Playout-to-Delivery

SAN JOSE, Calif. Harmonic has announced that Weigel Broadcasting has deployed Harmonics VOS Media Software, which offers playout-to-delivery capabilities, inclu...