More than 50 Lawo digital mixing consoles, used by various national broadcasters and for the production of international audio feeds, are providing sound for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Audio feeds from all the commentators are sent digitally from the stadiums to the international broadcast center via a Lawo Nova73 HD routing matrix and are available directly from the international broadcast center or via ISDN for use in home-country broadcasts.
Audio Broadcast Services (ABS), a rental company and subsidiary of Lawo, was responsible for the installation of container-housed mobile control rooms at each of the 10 venues designated for this year’s World Cup. Equipped with a Lawo mc256 and an Innovason Eclipse, multiple feeds are created at each stadium. The main stereo audio feed is merged with the respective commentators’ audio by the national broadcasters, which authentically reproduces the stadium atmosphere and the sound of the ball. In addition, there are several interview feeds as well as a program feed specifically designed for cell phones. Premixing for the surround feed is also handled at the stadium. The complete surround feed is created at the international broadcast center using two Lawo mc266 consoles. A surround program is preferred by many broadcasters, rather than stereo, to deliver the atmosphere inside the stadiums to the domestic audience with more reality and transparency.