127th AES CONVENTION, NEW YORK, NY, October 9, 2009 —
Audio-Technica,
a world leader in transducer technology, announces that over 3,000 of
its microphones will be used at the XXI Winter Olympic Games, coming up
in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in February 2010. The use of
Audio-Technica microphones for the broadcast of the 2010 Winter Games
marks the continuation of A-T’s Olympic involvement, which has been
consistent since the Summer Games in Atlanta in 1996.
Olympic
Broadcast Services Vancouver (OBSV) is the Host Broadcaster for the
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, responsible for producing and
distributing audio and video coverage of the Games. To generate an
international production, OBSV will deploy all cameras, develop
graphics, and capture audio at each sporting venue. OBSV will transmit
this international production to all radio and television Rights
Holding Broadcasters, who will adapt the signal for transmission on
their networks. In this way, each nation will receive unbiased coverage
of the event, thereby avoiding any national favoritism, commercial
identification, advertising or interviews.
Olympic Broadcast
Services Vancouver will use the AT4050 Large Diaphragm Multi-pattern
Microphone and BP4025 X/Y Stereo Field Recording Microphone to create
the 5.1 surround sound ambience at the Olympic events. In Vancouver,
there are several different audio environments, each of which will
present unique challenges for the broadcasters and audio engineers. For
instance, in ski jump alone, there are three distinct surround-sound
scenarios that will employ a combination of AT4050’s and BP4025’s: the
start house, which is an enclosed environment; the preparation for, and
start of, the jump, when the skiers are ready to go down the hill; and
the jump in motion – when viewers start to see the crowd, the mixers
try to blend in the surround sound of the crowd base as well.
The
sonic details will be added by using a large number of Audio-Technica’s
shotgun microphones, including the 21.22”-long BP4071L Line + Gradient
Condenser for outdoor and long-distance pickup in such sports as
downhill skiing, figure skating and half-pipe sports; the AT898
Subminiature Lavalier Microphone with individual body packs in curling,
operating up to 48 channels of simultaneous wireless; custom A-T
boundary mics for hockey; and many more microphones.
“The sound
of competitive sports is crucial, and Audio-Technica is proud to be a
critical part of bringing the experience of the Games to viewers around
the world,” said Michael Edwards, Audio-Technica Director of Product
Management. “When Audio-Technica began a successful relationship with
the Olympic broadcasters in Atlanta in 1996, we made a dedication to
the capture of audio in broadcast sports. Because of this, we have been
given the opportunity to help improve the sound and reduce mic
visibility in the process. As a result of our experience with Olympic
broadcasts, Audio-Technica continues ongoing product development in
order to meet the needs of professional broadcasters in a variety of
settings around the world.”
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Games will
feature athletes from a projected 80+ countries competing in 86 events
in seven sports, with media representatives covering the event for a
worldwide audience of billions.
See more Audio-Technica news releases.Other brand and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.Celebrating
over 45 years of audio excellence worldwide, Audio-Technica is a
leading innovator in transducer technology, renowned for the design and
manufacture of microphones, wireless microphones, headphones, mixers,
and electronics for the audio industry.
— For more information on the complete range of Audio-Technica products, contact
Karen Emerson, Audio-Technica U.S., Inc., 1221 Commerce Drive, Stow, OH 44224.
Tel: (330) 686-2600; Fax: (330) 688-3752; Web: www.audio-technica.com