Audio-Technica follows the Tour de France
(ShackMan | Posted 2009-08-09)
STOW, OH, July 29, 2009 -- Viewers of the 2009 Tour de France saw
hundreds of racers cover over 2,200 miles between July 4th and July
26th, each vying for the finish line on Paris' Avenue des
Champs-Elysées. They also heard an amazing soundscape of determined
cyclists straining to climb mountains, the rattle of bicycles bunching
up in the peloton and the crowds cheering them along, thanks to
Audio-Technica AT835ST M-S Stereo Shotgun Microphones, mounted to the
cameras on five motorcycles that cover the miles-long pack of racers.
The AT835ST microphones were provided by the Societé Française de
Production (SFP), a division of the Euro Media Group, which has been a
longtime supplier of broadcast technology and services to the Tour de
France and other major sporting events.
Throughout the race, the motorbike crews covered the action from top
to bottom, pacing the riders and collecting crowd reaction effects.
The audio, embedded with the video signal, was sent via low-power
broadcast to a pair of helicopters and two circling airplanes. They,
in turn, relayed the signals to three ground relays in trucks, which
sent it via satellite or terrestrial links to outside broadcasting
(OB) vans located near the finish line.
"We chose Audio-Technica stereo shotgun mics because they are
good-quality microphone solutions for this application," explains Luc
Geoffroy, CTO of the Euro Media Group. "The mics are robust, with
excellent sonic characteristics to pick up sound in a mobile
situation, and they can do it with exceptional directivity, providing
good rejection of unexpected wind and other noise. They're lightweight
and small, making them a good fit for how we use them on the
motorbikes, and they also give us a good stereo image with excellent
separation. And they're very easy to use and highly reliable."
James is a bassist, pianist, organist, composer and writer currently living and working in the Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV areas. He is currently writing tunes and holding down the low end for Morgantown-based jazz band No Room for Squares. Have questions, comments, or just want to rant? E-mail him @ james.rushin@musicgearreview.com.
