HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA – Providing sound reinforcement for the U.S. Open of Surfing always faces the challenge of Mother Nature supplying a healthy dose of water. The event's A1 mixer/sound designer, Gary Vahling, opted for Lectrosonics' waterproof technology to solve the problem.
A nine-day event running from July 30 to Aug. 7, the U.S. Open sees top surfers competing for points. This year's event featured an "All-Star" segment where online viewers could hear all the action of the championship rounds as if they were right next to the surfer.
To accomplish this, Gary Vahling of the Coffey Sound rental department used Lectrosonics' MM400c water-resistant wireless transmitters to capture audio during the event.
"I knew we needed something lightweight, reliable and most of all, water resistant," stated Vahling. "The Lectrosonics MM400c is absolutely perfect for a job like this one. I was looking for a transmitter that could deliver great sound quality, but wasn't cumbersome to the surfers. These athletes are not as used to being wired for sound like actors in Hollywood, so it was really important to find a solution that wouldn't hinder them in any way during the competition." The MM400c's small size allowed for minimal distraction to the surfers.
Tim Denmark of H2audiO, came up with the concept of using the MM400c for the competition, and paired it with a Countryman B6 attached to surfers' collars. Denmark and A2 Mike Gatzios were in charge of field operations during the surfing competition and relayed their audio cues and notes to Vahling in the production truck a few hundred yards away.
"It's incredible to help build a new audio platform in sports," said Denmark. "We were pioneering innovative techniques to bring the viewer closer than ever before. One of the surfers mentioned to me their mother called them up after a heat and was so excited that they could actually hear them while they were on the board. The stuff we can do now is just amazing."
The MM400c's were used in combination with Venue receivers to help transmit the "gnarly" sounds of the surfers from 150 yards away. "We gave T4 IFB transmitters and R1As to our sideline reporters which coupled with ALP-620 antennas which worked out great," added Gatzios.
With Vahling's work at the U.S. Open of Surfing, sound quality and performance were crucial during his live webcast to everyone across the globe. "You don't have second chances with a live broadcast, and Lectrosonics gave me the confidence that there wouldn't be any hiccups during production," added Vahling.
"Frequency coordination is a must with events like this," Vahling continued. "With all the broadcast equipment and smaller ENG shooters running around we made sure to police everything so RF problems could be eliminated. Using the recommended IAS program (Intermodulation RF Analysis Software) from the Lectrosonics website is a very valuable tool in a sound designer's arsenal."
For more information, please visit www.lectrosonics.com and www.coffeysound.com.
