DFL subsidiary Sportcast, which produces all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matches, has launched a new audio production system. Live tracking data on the players is used to set the correct input levels for the microphones used to record what is going on in the field. This reportedly creates an entirely new and realistic audio experience […]
DFL subsidiary Sportcast, which produces all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matches, has launched a new audio production system. Live tracking data on the players is used to set the correct input levels for the microphones used to record what is going on in the field. This reportedly creates an entirely new and realistic audio experience for the viewer.
Sportcast coordinated the activities of the two service providers Lawo and ChyronHego.
Lawo has developed the Kick software, which operates as the interface between the
tracking data received and the digital mixing consoles used. ChyronHego, which is responsible for generating the official Bundesliga match data, provides the necessary tracking data for the automated system.
The quality of the official match data required for the technology is monitored by Sportcast subsidiary Sportec Solutions.
The Lawo Kick software uses tracking data of the type that is now standard practice in
professional football and has previously been mainly used for match statistics and graphic analyses. Camera-based technology generates real-time data in the stadium allowing the exact position of the 22 players, referees and the ball to be tracked.
Using the existing microphones, their positions on the edge of the field and their directional characteristics, the system determines which microphone can best capture what is happening on the field at any given time and automatically sends the necessary commands to the mixing console. The sound engineer sitting in the broadcast van can use the automated mixing of the field microphones in the overall mix and thus has more leeway for enhancing the aesthetics of the broadcast sound during the match.
The start of the Bundesliga 2017/2018 season marks a milestone in the quality of sport productions, says Philipp Lawo, CEO of Lawo AG. We have in DFL and Sportcast reliable partners by our side. They have assisted us in developing the system from the seed idea right through to the final product and given us the opportunity of testing the system under real production conditions. The result of this partnership is a new ground-breaking product that will redefined workflows in sports productions.
