One-hundred fifty signal sources were pre-mixed with more than 100 effect microphones by using the automation features of the Lawo mc²66 for 5.1 surround coverage of the X-Fighters motocross event in Madrid.
Coverage of Motocross X-Fighters, an event held at the Las Ventas bullfighting arena in Madrid last month, required sophisticated micing and mixing to capture and deliver the digital 5.1 surround sound for the event’s HD viewing audience worldwide.
Simulcast to 10 countries with additional live coverage via the Internet and delivered to selected cinemas in Austria, Ireland, Poland and Spain, the event pitted high-flying motocross riders against each other doing jumps, flips and other tricks to accumulate points.
A flight case surround control room for the IT sound mix was installed for the event. One-hundred fifty signal sources were pre-mixed with more than 100 effect microphones by using the automation features of the Lawo mc²66 in surround 5.1. In the main OB truck — the Alfacam OB11 with Nova73 HD system — the commentators’ voices in different languages were added.
Capturing the atmosphere and tension of the mid-air feats required elaborate microphone positioning at the ramps and runways with GPI-controlled sequencing that two operators initiated with specially developed remote controls. The respective microphones were pre-mixed with the audio-follows-video automation and were included as group signals into the mix.
For harmonizing the direction of motion with the picture of the currently active camera, all cameras were considered with their view of the arena. This was done by analyzing the tally contacts of the video switcher and establishing assignments via the events in the console to the microphone pre-selected in each instance.
Three remote DALLIS frames were linked via optical fiber and connected port-redundantly to the Nova73 HD. The connection with the Nova73 HD system in the OB van also was established via MADI, which minimized the cabling.
For a DVD production after the event, a 48-track machine was also redundantly linked. Six Tascam DA98HR recorder MADI converters and one MADI-PCI Nuendo-HD card was used. An ORION compressor from Jünger was also integrated.
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