A single DSF-2 system was installed in each of the 12 stadium venues across Germany during the 4 week event and provided HDTV/SDTV audio to an estimated viewing audience of more than 30 billion people during a total of 64 matches. Housed in a Rycote Windshield, the DSF-2 microphone was located centrally at each stadium high above the crowd and as close to the main wide-shot camera position as each stadium would allow. The DSF-2 microphone was situated up to 250 metres from its DSF-2 control unit which directly outputs the surround and stereo information digitally on AES-75ohm outputs. These signals were then sent down up to 1 kilometre of coaxial cable enabling the OB trucks to be situated 1.25 kilometres away from the microphone if necessary. The DSF-2 stereo output was sent to the on-site OB truck for SD broadcast, whilst the digital SoundField B-Format signals were sent to the IBC (International Broadcast Centre) in Munich where a SoundField SP451 Surround Processor was used to decode the B-Format to 5.1 surround for HDTV broadcast. Audio Consultant to the World Cup, Robert Edwards, VSS Ltd., comments, “We specified the DSF-2 for the World Cup because it’s the only system that fulfils our requirements for HD broadcasting – the Wold Cup was our most technically challenging project to date. A single DSF-2 system installed in each of the 12 German venues generated both digital surround sound and stereo which was sent simultaneously to the International Broadcast Centre in Munich for Hi-Def transmission and also to the on-site OB vehicles. The DSF-2 microphone was positioned centrally above the crowd in each stadium and performed flawlessly under diverse weather conditions ranging from high temperatures, heavy rain and humidity. Another aspect of its appeal is it’s so easy to rig.” The DSF-2 Broadcast Microphone System has been specifically designed to provide both the surround and stereo soundscapes at large scale outside broadcast events such as the World Cup. Its advantage over alternative methods is that the multi-channel audio it generates from a ‘single point’ source is completely phase coherent. This enables the broadcaster to collapse the surround to stereo or mono for TV and radio feeds without loss of information, frequency imbalance or any of the other phase problems associated with spaced microphones or ‘dummy head’ arrangements with spaced capsules. The DSF-2 outputs stereo Left/Right (digital and analogue), stereo M/S (digital) and four channels of SoundField B-Format called W, X, Y and Z (digital) which is the surround sound information. All microphone parameters can be remotely adjusted from the DSF-2 controller’s front panel whilst monitoring the results on the provided headphone monitoring. |
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