NBC Olympics Taps Audio-Technica, Calrec for Tokyo Games

Audio technology was the focus of recent announcements by NBC Olympics, a division of NBC Sports Group. Audio-Technica will provide microphone and headphone equipment, and Calrec will supply a range of audio consoles, alongside remote-production technology, for the broadcaster’s coverage of the Tokyo Olympics July 23–Aug. 8.

According to Karl Malone, director, sound design, NBC Sports & Olympics, and Manabu Aoki, president/CEO, Audio-Technica U.S., Audio-Technica products will help capture and monitor the detailed sounds of the competition itself and related crowd noise, expert analysis, and athlete interviews. Some of the implementations will include BP4027 and BP4029 stereo shotgun mics camera-mounted to follow the action; AT4050ST large-diaphragm stereo microphones and BP4025 X/Y stereo microphones to capture ambience of the various venues; BPHS1 broadcast stereo headsets worn by announcers in audio-over-IP environments; and ATH-M50x professional monitor headphones in edit rooms, for monitoring RF mic receivers and submix consoles, and for other critical listening applications.

According to Malone and Calrec VP, Sales, Dave Letson, Calrec will provide a mix of Artemis and Brio consoles as well as six RP1 remote broadcast-mixing systems to expand NBC Olympics coverage over a wider number of events while maintaining the same high quality. RP1 helps reduce production costs and increase content output.