Aggies get on-field sound with DPA
Utah State University's Maverik Stadium, where the DPA necklace microphones are being used by on-field referees.
The decisions of referees and umpires affect the course of sporting events, which is why the trend is for match officials to wear wireless microphones so their pronouncements can be heard by both the crowd in the venue and the television viewing audience has grown in recent years. American football was one of the first sports to adopt this technique and college team the Utah State University (USU) Aggies recently upgraded its DPA mics for this purpose.
National Collegiate Athletic Association referees on USU games at the Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah are now using DPA d:screet necklace microphones, which wrap around the wearer's neck. These replace DPA shotgun lavalier mics that were previously used.
DPA d:screet necklace mic worn by someone not in official NCAA referee uniform
The d:screet necklace features a DPA 4061 miniature condenser capsule, which is designed for applications requiring low distortion and a high dynamic range. Poll Sound live engineer Chris Dye says the mic was selected to suit the specific demands of being used in a football stadium, including dealing with feedback, wind and the noise of the crowd.
Dye's colleague, assistant engineer Kent Nyland, adds that the d:screet necklaces not only deal with these challenges but also are liked by the officials who have to wear them. "It's a different design from the lavaliers and is a much more comfortable solution for the referee, who is running around throughout the game," he says. "They also like that they don't need to clip the mic on to their uniforms or worry about the necklace falling off. We are impressed that the mic is consistently able to pick up the ref's voice, which helps them communicate."
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