NEW YORK—SNY is a multiplatform regional sports network and the television home of the New York Mets. Our productions include pre- and post-game shows, game highlights, sports talk shows, radio simulcasts, plus additional Mets entertainment programming airing throughout the year on our broadcast channel, streaming and our social media channels.

Audio is such a key part of making sports video exciting and since we converted to digital wireless microphone technology—specifically the Sony DWX series—our productions have become easier to set up and manage.

That flexibility is a main contributor to helping us produce such a range of diverse content, and it’s also a huge shift from using wired microphones and even the early days of analog wireless. Once we moved to Sony technology—first analog and then digital wireless—we’ve never encountered any issues. Since 2016, we’ve been all Sony digital wireless. It’s the way of the future for us, especially considering our all-digital workflow from our newer consoles to Dante interfaces with our overall communications system.

Sony DWX Wireless
SNY has a full Sony audio solution from the mic head all the way through including a DWR-R03D dual channel receiver. We also have 16 Sony DWX wireless beltpacks (DWT-B03R) and all are in use seven days a week. The number of packs used on a typical show is four, but we’ve had up to eight going at the same time and if both our studios are in use, it could be all 16 at once. In addition, we use Sony’s ECM-90 and ECM-77 lavalier mics.

We like the sound quality and the noise rejection, plus the elements are really perceptive to everything we do. I’ve had talent raise concerns about issues like scratching or hair falling onto the mics, which is always scary for live audio. But these Sony mics avoid those problems by being really good at rejecting noise, according to SNY’s lead audio engineer Adam Young.

The compact size of the packs are the smallest I’ve seen compared to other top microphones. The size alone has made our work easier, and the talent certainly appreciates the added mobility and flexibility.

Often, talent might wear clothing that makes it harder to attach a bigger microphone pack and keep it on if they are moving around the studio quite a bit. The small Sony micro packs make it easy for our A-2s to clip on and not have to worry about a big burden of weight on the talent’s back.

The Wireless Studio
Show set-up and management is easier and faster, especially with features like Cross Remote and the Wireless Studio software.

Most other wireless microphone systems are unidirectional—the beltpack transmits audio, battery level and that’s about it. With Sony you can actually send commands to the beltpack that the talent is wearing and change the microphone gain. You can go from low or medium to high power and do a clear channel scan without going to the beltpack manually—it’s all done remotely.

If we ever notice we are having frequency issues—which is extremely rare—the Sony transmitters make it easy to do a clear scan and pick up a clear frequency immediately. The system is user-friendly in the sense that if such a problem were to arise, it’s an easy fix—you literally just click a button, hold it and everything pairs really fast.

With this system, we can take comfort knowing we are getting a high-quality signal and good battery life just by looking at the Wireless Studio software. It gives us “an extra hand” to deal with the usual challenges that always pop up.

We’re doing live television, and nothing goes wrong until you’re absolutely live. But this system gives us peace of mind in every sense.

More information is available at https://pro.sony.

NEW YORK—SportsNet New York continues to build its team for its new studios at One World Trade Center with the addition of Solid State Logic’s System T networked audio broadcast systems. System T and a fully redundant Dante AoIP Ethernet-based networking infrastructure were installed in SNY’s audio control rooms.

Each audio control room features a three-bay, 48-fader System T S500 control surface with dual touch screens and a pair of SSL Network I/O: SB 8.8 Dante stageboxes. Each controller is connected to dual-redundant T80 Tempest audio engines. Six SSL Network I/O: SDI Bridges connect the studio’s existing SDI production system; there are also additional Network I/O: AES Dante units and a selection of Dante stageboxes.

The System T is able to work and integrate with third-party systems that make up SNY’s infrastructure, including Ross Overdrive, Grass Valley Ignite, Sony ELC and Viz Mosart production automation systems.

SNY is the television home of the New York Mets, New York Jets and UConn men and women’s basketball teams.

NEW YORK—Mediaproxy is now a part of the team effort from SNY to bring professional and collegiate sports coverage to New York and other tri-state areas. Specifically, SNY has acquired LogServer software to assist with compliance logging and monitoring.

LogServer is a software-based broadcast and IP monitoring system for real-time monitoring and compliance reporting. SNY is using LogServer to manage regulatory requirements as well as closed caption and loudness compliance across its broadcasts.

SNY is the broadcaster for the New York Jets, New York Mets and UConn Men’s and Women’s basketball teams. It broadcasts to New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. 

MAHWAH, N.J.—Sports are a team effort, and SNY has brought in some new additions to its production team with eight Ikegami HDK-95C full digital portable CMOS cameras and five HDL-57 companion POV cameras to its Manhattan studios.

SNY has placed three HDK-95C cameras on robotic heads in both its Studio 31 and Studio 41, plus a jib fitted with an HDL-57. Each studio also has a roaming HDK-95C. Two additional HDL-57s offer shots of the Manhattan skyline.

Part of Ikegami’s Unicam HD line, the HDK-95C is equipped with native multi-format 2.5 million pixel, 2/3-inch CMOS sensors. It features an upgrade path to 24p and 3G formats, including 1080/60p and 4:4:4 24p. The camera is 4K-ready with the Ikegami BS-98 4K multi-format base station.

The HDL-57 is a one-piece POV camera that utilizes the same CMOS sensors and Ikegami digital processing as Unicam HD cameras, something SNY said was important in its selection. Complete control is available using the same network control system as the studio cameras.

SNY uses its new cameras in its role as the official TV home for the New York Mets and New York Jets.