Broadcasters, production companies, and show producers alike know that engaging audiences more deeply in their productions not only makes their work memorable but keeps the public coming back for more.
That’s why there’s been so much attention paid over the past few years to enhancing resolution—taking it to 4K and even 8K UHD—and transitioning to high dynamic range (HDR) pictures offering a much wider color gamut than standard dynamic range. Each helps to put lifelike images—those that pull viewers into content—on screen.
But what about audio production? Equal effort is being given to enhancing viewers’ audio experience as well. A number of technologies have emerged to enhance the audio experience, such as speech enhancement and descriptive audio. But it’s immersive sound that most directly engages audiences in the action by creating a captivating audio experience that’s the perfect match for 4K/8K UHD images and HDR.
Until recently, capturing immersive audio, especially for live productions like sports, has required elaborate, time-consuming mic setups and exceptional mixing diligence to create an immersive sound experience. Not only was a good deal of work needed to precisely position and tweak the mics' aim to pick up the channels required for the immersive mix, but cabling and mounting complexity grew with each new microphone.
A new digital broadcast microphone array from Shure, however, is changing that equation. The Shure DCA901 is equipped with 78 individual microphone elements that form eight lobes, which can be steered remotely in real time to create a sound field that changes as the action moves across the screen. During setup, having steerable lobes means adjusting the pickup from a central computer, not physically at the mic. During production, they mean being able to capture audio as the action unfolds.
For instance, for basketball games, two DCA901 arrays—one mounted to each backboard stanchion—provide A1s with total court coverage and the ability to steer audio pickup to capture dribbles and shoe squeaks as play moves around the court.
Beyond sports, the DCA901 is leaving its mark in live studio production, newscast production, reality TV production, and even after a shoot is finished in post-production.
Bill Oakley, Shure Associate Director of Global Product Development, recently sat down with TVTech contributing editor Phil Kurz to discuss immersive audio and the role the company’s DCA901 is playing in simplifying production of live immersive audio.
Click here to watch the interview.
