Holophone announced that two of the new Holophone H2-PRO Surround Sound Microphones have been selected to capture live 5.1 Surround Sound from the field for Fox Television’s HDTV Broadcast of Super Bowl XXXIX, including all entertainment (pre-game, anthem, halftime and post-game shows), in 5.1 Dolby digital surround sound.
AudioTek Corporation (AtkCorp) from Burbank California is handling on-field audio broadcast production for Super Bowl XXXIX and has chosen to utilize two H2-PRO Surround Sound Microphones to assist in capturing sound on the field and feed it back to the Fox audio production truck for mixing and live broadcast to accompany Fox’s HDTV feed. It will also be combined into a stereo pool feed for the international broadcast world, which may include as many as 20 nations with announcers in attendance in many broadcast booths.
One Holophone H2-PRO will be mounted on a pole and positioned on one sideline to capture the sounds of the on-field action during the game. A second H2-PRO will be used during the half-time performance featuring Paul McCartney. This second H2-PRO will be positioned in the center of the stage audience and above their heads in front of and facing the stage to provide television viewers with a realistic sense of being in the audience for the performance.
“Andrew Waterman, audio supervisor and mixer at ATK, has come up with an innovative way to capture the entertainment ambiance at a broadcast football game,” stated Gary Baldassari, technical advisor at DPA Microphones who is assisting the production team. “He has eliminated a dangerous variable that has plagued many of us over the years. At the same time, the feeling that you are there will be intense,” continued Mr. Baldassari. “The two Holophone H2-PROs, one for game and one for entertainment, will optimize all ambient situations. I can’t wait to hear this on my home surround system on game day,” he said.
“Audio production for HDTV Sports broadcasting has come a long way since we beta tested the Holophone system on Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000,” stated Michael Godfrey, president and inventor of the Holophone. “This production team is very much into capturing realistic audio in surround sound for the HDTV broadcast, and it will be fun to work directly with them to provide Fox with outstanding, 5.1 source material from the field with two H2-PROs for the Super Bowl XXXIX game and all the entertainment,” stated Godfrey.
For more information, visit
www.holophone.com and www.atkcorp.com.
