NAB EXPO, LAS VEGAS, NV, April 12, 2010 — Audio-Technica, a leading innovator in microphone and headphone technology for over 45 years, was selected as the microphone/wireless systems manufacturer of choice in the production of Auction, a new reality show scheduled to air on Discovery Channel in spring 2010. Audio supervisor Noel Dannemiller relied exclusively on Audio-Technica microphones and wireless systems for sound acquisition throughout the show’s production schedule. The complex wireless set-up fed a mix of six microphone inputs from each of the two location sound mixers to the main A and B cameras while also allowing a third camera operator to select any of the five talent mic channels or the mix from either sound mixer.
A wide selection of Audio-Technica wired and wireless equipment was used on the show, including AT899 Subminiature Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Microphones and BP896 MicroPoint™ Subminiature Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Microphones for the five main contributors; boom-mounted BP4073 Line + Gradient Condenser Microphones, BP4071 Line + Gradient Condenser Microphones and AT4053b Hypercardioid Condenser Microphones; camera-mount ATW-R1820 Dual Receivers; ATW-T1801 UniPak® Body-Pack Transmitters; and ATH-M50 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones. “I was really happy with the performance of the Audio-Technica solution for our show,” said Dannemiller, who owns Lock 18, Inc., a location audio services provider based in Akron, Ohio.
Dannemiller outfitted each of the five on-camera contributors with a lavalier mic and associated ATW-T1801 body-pack transmitter. “The AT899 is a nice natural-sounding mic,” he reported. “When we had problems hiding the AT899 we would switch to the BP896 sub-miniature lav mic.”
The BP4071 long (15") shotgun, a very directional mic with good off-axis rejection, was used for exterior scenes. “When used with an experienced operator, the BP4071 allowed us to key in on the main subject while rejecting unwanted background noise for optimal sound,” explained Dannemiller. “Since the BP4073 short (9") shotgun has a wider pickup range than the BP4071, I chose it for exterior situations with multiple contributors.”
The AT4053b condenser mic was employed for sit-down interviews and group round table meetings. “Its hypercardioid capsule had enough reach and pattern width to cover the group of contributors without impeding on the camera frame,” he observed.
The five contributor transmitters fed three ATW-R1820 dual-channel receivers in each sound mixer’s bag; the sixth channel was reserved for the boom mic. Two ATW-T1801 UniPak transmitters in each bag fed the mixer’s output to twin ATW-R1820 receivers mounted on cameras A and B. An ATW-R1820 on camera C provided the operator with any combination of the nine wireless frequencies – five talent mics plus four camera hops – being used.
“We put the receivers in fanny packs worn by the camera operators and connected their outputs to the camera using coiled microphone cables, so we had the ability to quickly reassign a receiver to any of the five cameras if needed,” Dannemiller elaborated. The two additional cameras typically utilized on-camera mics or were used for shooting second camera shots, B-roll or time-lapse shots.
“We battled through zero to 30-degree temperatures, driving snow, ice, freezing rain and just plain rain, all without any audio performance issues. With proper gear protection, these systems can handle just about anything,” concluded Dannemiller.
For more information, please visit www.audio-technica.com.