Why sports sound better in your living room
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Audio engineers are the unsung heroes of the live sports broadcast.
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We don’t often think about audio when we watch sports on TV, but it’s a huge part of the experience. We spoke with several A1 audio engineers who mix the sounds of sports to learn more about what it takes to capture the crack of the bat and the swish of the net.
From the cadence of the quarterback to the sounds of skates on ice, audio mixers are tasked with getting microphones close enough to the action to gather the sounds but still out of the way of the players and the fans.
Once the microphones are set up, they handle the stressful task of live mixing all the audio for the broadcast, so that we can hear the announcers and the sounds of the game, despite thousands of screaming fans and the PA system blaring music.
In the end, if they do the job right, you’ll forget they exist.
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Big thanks to the Verge for letting us use footage from a great documentary they made years ago about NFL broadcasts. Check it out here: bit.ly/2HYSXFN And thanks to Phil Edwards for inspiring this video with a piece he wrote for Vox.com: bit.ly/2I2iVs8. If you’re interested in this topic, take some time to listen to this really lovely radio documentary made by an audio engineer who works on the Olympics: bit.ly/2jhyzlp -joss
Vox Thanks Vox!
Vox
*Coughs profusely*
I don’t think I can attend classes today...
Why to thanks Verge, aren't you all the same company lol
Please keep making non-political videos like these
Hey - the EQ demo was a good idea well executed. Nice job!
One of those jobs where people notice only if you make a mistake. Hats off to them working so hard.
yep. nobody knows what I do, until I don't do it. thanks
what you do is really cool man, what team do you mix for
CBS Sports. No specific team
what sports do you mix for?
That's true for any position in film and tv. You don't remember they are there until they mess up. For example, think of your favorite movie. Now who's the editor. Name anyone in the sound department. I believe that the crews that make the media we watch are the unsung heroes of the entertainment industry.
czcams.com/video/gfjWjkTP4p8/video.html
As a audio engineer, I feel the grief of those hard working men.
Major props to these guys.
Maybe you can answer my question then: If the PA is such a problem... why can't they mic it and extract that sound from the rest of the audio? Isn't that possible with digital signal processing?
It's like yelling in order to have a conversation with someone when you're in a loud club... The signal processing doesn't do much. The proper microphone placement is the key and these pro's are struggling against the PA :P
I just asked the same thing lol
So Myung Jung picking a job not everyone would pick is the best way to earn a quick money, but the risk is everything at every job...
BTW, jung... are you a sound engineer at Winter Olympic? Your job was amazing
Quick question, why don't they develop an algorithm or an "AI" that could do the fading in/out?
Audio, the least appreciated department in games, movies and tv as by nature Sound is only noticeable when its done bad.
yup, I view my position as a production tech as "if nobody notices you, you're doing your job right" (I primarily consider myself an audio guy but I have experience in all aspects of production)
It's the same in IT. No one knows about you or really bothers until something breaks, then they hate you cause it broke. Like I've told people when they see me relaxed and say "you've got a lot of free time!" I tell them "yes because when I'm not busy and you are it means my work is good and all is well in IT. It's when I'm busy that means you're not."
The only other person in sports that this applies to is the long snapper
600
Nope, if you're an audiophile its the main focus. 💀
Live audio mixing? That would stress me out beyond belief
I have a buddy that mixes NASCAR.
try live video mixing...
@@ScottHogue is he the one that makes the crowd 60 times louder than the cars lol
As someone who's mixed live sound, I pay careful attention to the sound of televised sports, but I didn't realize how many microphones were involved. Those engineers are the real stars in my book!
Lol
Matthew Stinar thanks for the kudos.. this was a fun interview to do. Currently my Tampa bay Rays show uses 110 faders... the largest of my 3 team packages. A lot to keep up with for sure 👍
Don’t care about sports, but this is FASCINATING. Vox is on the cutting edge of excellent documentary work.
Sports hohard
Nerd
Aidan Flynn get out of 2012, nobody says “nerd”
JCAGaming nerd
Dont worry, at your path your name will soon come true.
Must be a stressful job. Kudos to these guys for making my TV experience much better.
It looks crazy stressful! The amount they have on their plate constantly for the duration of the game...they're pretty incredible, hats off to them!
grace calis
No problem. You only have a few thousand/million people listening to your audio and if it is messed up they’ll head to Twitter and complain about it. 👌
Z In Chains, isn't the internet just a wonderful and pleasant place? haha!
Sounds of the game is honestly part of the reason I'm such a sports fanatic.
Best sounds in sport:
1. Crack of a baseball on the bat
2. Ball hitting the back of a baseball mitt.
3. Swish of basketball net
4. Bar down goal in hockey ( see Geno Malkin even though I hate the Pens)
5. Audibles
And hockey hits into the boards
You're missing the sound of a flush iron shot compressing a golf ball so much that is sounds like a missle just launched.
I read the pens as the “pen*s”
I thought the title meant like, better in the living room than other parts of the house! I was like "what's special about a living room??" 😵
Same, I wouldnt go as far as saying its clickbait but I definitely clicked for that reason.
yeah thats clickbait
atur chomicz not really because it is what it says it is, it just could also be interpreted differently
They could have said sounds better at home or sounds better on tv but they didnt. They definitely click baited.
This
Another advantage that the living room has and will never be beaten by going to the actual games: you're always closer to the bathroom.
and beer
Yup totally hate that part...
@Rumpel Felt further from your dealer though
Also it's climate controlled and refreshments aren't overpriced
Tho you lose the atmosphere
Video by Joss! She's awesome and I hope we get more of her 😍
Aways that voice over, now needs more screen time.
ElyssaAnderson I don't know, what to say...
Cute too!
Gary Oak ?
Gary Oak waaaaht!?
This channel makes me think about topics which previously. I wound not have giving a rats ass about.
They make things I don't care about into fine art by showing all the finer nuances, I loved the ice-skating week they did.
Knight But certainly not at regularly football my friend :).
Knight Best in your own sports
Gipsy Danger so true
Ur grammar makes me wanna kill myself jesus
Joss Fong
I love this girl. she's sweet, fun and always uplifting! not to mention she's very beautiful too.
she's without a doubt my favorite on this channel. every video she makes is always interesting and cool, and fun, and informative
JOSS FONG
I don't watch sports, I don't care much about them. Don't get me wrong I don't "hate" them, it's just not for me. This video was awesome though. I love hearing about how pros do things behind the scenes and these sound guys are pros.
The actual game is boring, but the stuff that's done behind the scenes of the broadcasts for those with questionable taste is fascinating.
@@Roxor128 you've never watched a full game of football, baseball, softball, hockey, soccer, etc. it's a whole lot more interesting than this
@@joneubanks9686 I have vague memories of being bored out of my skull watching sport at school. Something I'd only end up doing because I was forced into it. It's not something I would ever do voluntarily. I was one of those kids who'd spend lunch in the library reading and moped around bored when it was closed.
@@ToffeeNB Knock it off. You're not funny or clever.
You don't have to say this though: "I don't watch sports, I don't care much about them. Don't get me wrong I don't "hate" them, it's just not for me." It's like you're compensating about something...
This is why I love vox, every time i watch one of there videos it's like I learn something so fresh and cool and it's like wow I've never thought of (for example) how they pic up the audio in sports, the vox team are genius's and in my opinion one of the best channels on this website. Thank you
Glad you’re back, Joss! Your videos have always been some of the best. Hope you keep making them! Thanks!
As someone in love with audio and currently studying this stuff in college I’m so glad videos like these get made
The question of why we are able to hear the sound of a scoring bucket in front of a TV has been bugging me for years!!! Finally, someone has picked up on this unorthodox and rather under-the-radar question, let alone making a 7-minute video dedicated to this question. And thank fk it is Vox that did it. They are the best in the business I swear!
I love LOVE hearing the quarterbacks’ audibles.
Andrew Stoakley. Back in the late 70s, when I worked for CCR, we did all the away games for the Blue Jays. I was the A1 and had NO assistants. Due to a limited number of inputs (and equipment and time), I'd put out commentary headsets, mount a Sony PBR330 parab on the guy wire holding up the protective fencing, a couple of EV DL42 shotguns on the low 1st and low 3rd cams (cabled mind you because the preamps in the Bosch cameras were useless), a crowd mic hanging out of the commentary booth and are VHF radio lapel on the Jay's 3rd base coach.
That's awesome! TC still talks about the early days of Jays road games and the clusterfu$k that it was :) It's amazing what we can do now, mostly because of the guys who were there before us. Thank you for posting!!
I work at a radio station where we have bands come in. God bless our audio engineer for doing stuff just like this.
Completely agree.
Best Vox video of 2018
AGREED. Observatory is something else!
I was there at that game in Tampa. What a blast from the past! Unsung heroes of sports
“Why sports sound better in your living room” -
I spend a majority of my time on the toilet, sooooo....
General S. Patton get some fibre in yer diet soldier! Do you want to be squeezing one out when the Nazis come along!!?? Chow down on that prunes old man!!!
Check mate I guess
So much respect for those mixers and everyone on the production side of live sports games. Having to do that night after night must be so stressful.
We owe these people for our good time. Thanks guys!!!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
It was one of those rare times when I was mesmerised by a video by Vox and did not move my cursor to see how much time was left for the video to end! Hope Vox will keep on delivering such quality content. Thank you for this one!
Nice! I’m a re-recording mixer but also do the occasional live event-stream. I have nothing but respect for folks who live-mix dynamic events like this for a living. Great video.
The Jays broadcasts have terrific sound and audio work. Best in the biz in terms of the homeplate sounds, very electric bat cracks
Vox has a great combination of serious, fascinating, and light-hearted stuff.
Having managed the mixer for my church, this is really cool (and daunting) to see.
Same here
also there's announcers for commentary compared to live games in person.
That has nothing to do with the sounds of the game.....
Broadcasters are literally paid to make your game more enjoyable. Good luck getting more excitement w/out Mike Breen, Kevin Harlan or Ray Hudson commentating
mike breen the goat
In baseball, the only sound you can hear from the stands is the umpire calling strikes or balls, and the crack of the bat. Ignoring the PA announcing who is coming up to bat.
Drunk college students are way more fun than most of ESPNs commentators
Wow I had no idea how in depth this all was!! Thanks for the education!!
I found this fascinating. I work in live theatre doing this kind of stuff and it is interesting to see how much goes into a sporting event broadcast.
Joss is the reason i'm subscribed to Vox 😍
The right sounds add so much to a broadcast. Capturing the atmosphere of each game is super important.
I like how I don’t know what I want to watch on CZcams but vox will always come out of nowhere with some kind of random video that turns out that be awesome
Props to Engineers!
Whoever thought of this video idea deserves a freaking raise. This is something I didn't know I might be curious about but now I am. Great work!
Respect to the crew behind the scenes making the games sound amazing
I've always had massive respect for these guys and now i have even more.
Wow! this is some informative kinda broadcast detail. Awesome team VOX for this.
Another amazing video by Joss! Great work!
CNBC and Vox are my favorite news channels on CZcams. The quality and content of information is superb
It made us so happy to find out a) this was a JOSS FONG video(!) and b) Observatory is back!?
compliments to the visual team of this video that helps enhance the audio by having great graphics with the sounds.
You had me at:
“They handed out cowbells”
Acoustic/audio engineers are one of the most underrated professions that people take for granted.
I mix live every week it’s all I know some are better then others but the equipment really makes a huge difference if you work for fox or any major network they only use the best it makes your job easier. Great video
No wonder this channel has 4 million subscribers. Vox keeps making awesome videos!
Who else prefers to hear the players rather than announcers
Malik Hooker #KingofCastle #BallHawk29 I like both
If the announcer is joe buck then I’ll listen to just about anything.
This was awesome.
thank you Vox for the hardwork and time for documenting about audio engineer, and thank you for audio engineers from all around the world for the hardwork and dedication, so that us all , while sitting back at home comfortably can experience the in-game atmosphere .
Wow, that's quite incredible work they do.
Interesting insight into peculiar esoterica. Vox’s strong suit
I'm an aspiring audio engineer so this was amazing to see. Great job!!!
I like hearing the PA and the music, when it’s louder than the commentary, makes you feel like you’re there
Idk if you guys have ever been on the field during a football game, but it's one of the best sounding environments out there. When you're playing though, you hardly notice.
Amazing reporting by Joss once again!
Idk if they do it for AFL but when Richmond won the 2017 AFL grandfinal. After that final siren went, the crowd went wild and it really felt like you were there and most if not all Richmond supporters cried. It was amazing
Needs more cowbell.
Listen to Winter sports. Plenty of cowbell
I got a fever!!
Needs more *ukelele.*
I’m not that into sports but I’ve never thought about this. Great job Vox! It’s probably a more engaging experience watching the game at home than in the actual stadium.
Another cool and informational video !
Joss !! Missed you ❤️❤️
2:02
That looks taped so cheaply 😂
Wow, great observation! I'm sure the NFL will hire you as the senior financial consultant. Because you can distinguish cheap tape from expensive one.
Fantastic video. I never really thought about how this all works before and have just unknowingly appreciated how it sounds on tv. Videos like this are why I love this channel!
I love this! I studied broadcasting in college back in the early 2000s and always wished I would have gone into this type of production.
I love learning the technical know-how behind the media, so I enjoyed this video. I very rarely watch sports, so I'm a good test animal. Recently, I was at a friend's house where she constantly had on live broadcasts of basketball games. I'd never before heard the audible sound of the squeak of shoes on the basketball court, and the loud annoyance of it drove me from the room.
Wow I’m watching and learning about this at 2:30 in the morning impressive VOX
I love it to watch all VOX videos and they are fantastic videos about stories
In curling, the entire team is wearing hot mics when it's their turn. I caught one or two uncommentated games during the Olympics, so I just got to listen to the teams strategize the entire game. It was wonderful.
Vox is great at answering questions nobody was asking
Hats off to the editor. This one was amazing.
This video was f***ing spectacular. I always tell people sound is so much more than visuals. This video is everything?
Possibly the best sound in the world is a perfectly hit baseball. These guys are amazing
Great spot by Vox! Love seeing my fellow engineers get some recognition.
It looks better in your living room, too. Yes, there's something about having the presence on the field surrounded by the best athletes in the world, but the things you see on screen I think captures more details of the overall event than you'd likely pick up on, say, the first base line.
This is actually mind blowing.
So rad. I had no idea *that* much went into it.
Joss always does the best videos. Fantastic producer.
Joss Fong once again doing some of the best content on this channel
i actually like the PA noise. it makes me feel like i’m there since i turn the tv on almost full blast
My pet peeve is televised sporting events where the crowd noise is played so loudly you can't hear what the announcers are saying.
as an audio engineer I approve of this video
also that's a lot of mics to keep track of
@@BendyDH Not just the mics, also replay (lots of replay units), remote feeds, bumper music.
Finally the mistery solved for me about that satisfying basketball sound when point and dunked
thanks for all the efforts, appreciated!
This goes back a long way. Back in the 1930s in Australia, when broadcasting the cricket on the radio, The ABC's commentators would tap the blunt end of a pencil on their desk when the ball was hit to provide the listeners at home with an audio cue.
Best channel ever,very high quality and very informative.Been here since 230k
Great video. Never realized how much work is done behind the scene. 👏
And It's great to see Joss again.
Great vid! I'm a working sound engineer mostly in live music and corporate sound but despite having ZERO interest in sports now I kinda wanna mix a couple of broadcasts because it looks like a fun challenge.
careful what you wish for.
More scope for fun: Using ambisonics and making a full-sphere periphonic mix so it sounds like you're standing there. Granted, your listeners would have to use headphones and playback software that supports it to get the full benefit, but it could still be fun and a challenge positioning your sounds in 3D space, not just in a plane or on a line.
God bless these sound engineers, and Joss Fong
I am pretty dissatisfied with Vox's content as of late, but it seems like everything Joss Fong touches is still gold. She really hits it out of the park consistently. Bravo.
It used to be done better over 12 years ago. Crowd sound was louder in the surround speakers. Made you feel more immersed. Now you only notice the surround speakers when one person in the crowd yells out.
Joss Fong 😍
The basketball net sound 👌🏾
Thank you for getting the trash can noises
audio engineering is one of the most essential hidden arts of the media that people consume on a daily basis
This was interesting! Although I will always prefer seeing live games in person to seeing them on TV lol
I would pay good money for an uncensored feed for NBA games. I want to hear the swearing, complaining, and trash talking in all of its glory!
Such a long way from the old MLB highlight reels, when crowd sounds and foley effects were added in post. Seriously, go to the search bar above and look up "1946 World Series highlights" for a fine example. They were still doing this into the 1970s but it was more obvious in the 1940s.
This is awesome! Thank you for giving us historic sport moments!