By Amber Hickman |
Audio solution manufacturer Shure has unveiled a new product that has been designed for sports, studio and live event production. The DCA901 Planar Array Microphone is the first in Shure’s new Arqos portfolio, which aims to advance the field of audio capture for broadcasting.
“The DCA901 can completely change workflows in any broadcast sport because it provides ultimate capture flexibility and allows you to change things in an instant if needed,” said Dave Grundtvig, senior audio supervisor at Turner Sports/TNT Sports. “It won’t compromise any element of the show. I deployed them in an NBA game and was completely shocked at the amount of coverage that two arrays could cover across the whole NBA floor. I would have needed 12 mics to try to capture the same thing. It was unbelievable.”
Shure’s new audio solution has been piloted in the NBA and received great feedback
Launching next year, the DCA901 gives viewers clear, front-row sound while using fewer microphones and cables. Its smart digital controls let engineers focus on the voices or sounds they want, cut down background noise, and keep full control over the audio mix.
“Conventional methods for capturing audio have become increasingly complex as broadcast production standards and audience expectations continue to rise,” said Nick Wood, associate vice president of global marketing and product management at Shure. “With DCA901, audio engineers can now do more with less, delivering sound that pulls viewers even closer to the action with fewer microphones and cables.”
The DCA901 takes immersive audio to the next level by picking up details that were once hard to capture, like clear dialogue and movement on the set or field. Its smart directional technology focuses on voices and action while reducing crowd noise and distractions. It covers a wider area than older analogue gear and can deliver up to eight separate, high-quality audio channels. At the same time, it records in both 5.1 surround sound and stereo, making it easy to support modern and traditional broadcast formats.
Shure is collaborating with EDGE Sound Research to pair DCA901 with the startup’s virtual sound engine software. The two tools adapt in real-time to follow the movement of players, referees or the ball, individually or in combination. Together, DCA901 and Virtual Sound Engine reveal moments that were once buried in the mix, giving engineers unprecedented adaptability and creative control.
"Using Shure’s DCA901 in live sports enables the pairing of world-class capture with our virtual sound engine to advance the future of sports storytelling,” said Valtteri Salomaki, co-founder and CEO of EDGE Sound Research. “Together, we are moving beyond static mixes into dynamic, object-based broadcasts that bring fans closer to the game and enhance the live viewing experience."
Brian Robertson, broadcast audio engineer for MLB, NBA, NHL and PGA, said: “While the sound of the microphone was, in my opinion, much different than what I am used to with my parabs, I would have to say that it is better. The sound that I was hearing was a more natural replication of a wooden bat hitting a baseball. It had more definition to it, and I would have to say captured the sound of the ball hitting the bat better than the current parabolic microphones.”