In its 62-year history the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has gone through several major technological broadcast developments: colour TV, stereo and then 5.1 sound, with, most recently, the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) implementing its Flex IP-hybrid self-managed digital transmission system to distribute the event in 2016. The innovation for this year’s ESC was the first ever live production trial of MPEG-H immersive and interactive audio, which is designed to not only give viewers a more enveloping experience but also the ability to select languages, commentaries and speech-to-music/effects levels according to personal preference.
The combination of the completion of the video distribution over IP standard and an increase in the cost of rights to broadcast live sporting events has led to engineers designing new ways to produce a telecast with a minimum of resources. And it’s happening around the world, in HD mostly, but 4K is possible given IP’s format-agnostic nature.
These days it’s hard to find a digital audio workstation (DAW) that doesn’t sound good. We are now in the era of finding the right DAW configuration to match the specific project. Part of this process is optimizing the DAW for the computer it is being used with and employing the right accessories.
In the early days of pro audio, commercial recordings were often made with a single ribbon microphone, a simple broadcast console and a mono audio tape recorder. The choices were all about choreographing performers around the fixed microphone. Today, with the rise of digital audio workstations (DAW), the operational choices are infinite and the desire for perfection can overwhelm any recording.
The noise gate is a valuable tool in the professional sound operator’s toolkit. It can be used to shape transients and reduce noise in a range of recordings, including broadcast voice-overs and narration. Here’s a look at how noise gates work.
The new DaVinci Resolve 15 from Blackmagic Design is a massive upgrade to one of post production’s most capable editing and effects platforms. And you won’t believe the price!