The Art of Mixing Sound for Live Television: Bringing Cinema to the Small Screen with Dolby Atmos

In the world of live television, mixing sound is an art form that requires precision, creativity, and collaboration. For the production team behind the NHRA's televised broadcasts, creating a immersive audio experience with Dolby Atmos is a top priority. The team works closely together, using their expertise to mix the sounds for each track, producing a Dolby Atmos mix that relates to the track and then passing it on to the second mixer who takes that as one element of their mix, adding announcers, replays, and other content to bring the show together.

This process is crucial in creating an engaging experience for viewers. The second mix pulls all these elements together, creating a cohesive audio landscape that enhances the overall viewing experience. It's a fast-paced environment where changes happen on the fly, and things can get pretty hectic for live television. However, with Dolby Atmos, the team aims to bring a little bit of cinema to live television, creating a more immersive experience for viewers.

The NHRA event itself is an ideal platform for testing new audio technologies like Dolby Atmos. The addition of four cars on the racetrack at a time creates a unique challenge, but also presents opportunities for innovation. The team has built new tools and designed speaker systems that can take advantage of the four-wire setup, allowing them to create more dynamic effects and capture the full range of sounds.

To deliver Dolby Atmos to viewers' homes, the production team relies on advanced technology, including the Dolby DP 590 hardware unit. This system allows engineers to easily adjust the mix for different channel configurations, from 10 channels up to 64 channels. It also enables them to downmix Dolby Atmos mixes to different formats, such as 5.1 surround or stereo, ensuring that viewers can enjoy the best possible sound regardless of their setup.

However, the final challenge lies in getting the signal to the viewer's home. The "last mile" – the delivery point where all this awesomeness is transmitted to the audience – remains a hurdle. Fox has already tested its system through their broadcast chain, but partnerships with MVPDs (Multichannel Video Programming Distributors) are still underway.

For the production team and Dolby, the ultimate goal is to deliver a final product that will work in multiple environments with various speaker setups. The real question is how it actually sounds. By using advanced audio techniques and equipment like the DP 590 system, they aim to transport viewers into the heart of the action – from the guttural power of the racetrack to the roar of engines revving up.

In a recent test, the NHRA broadcast showed off its capabilities with a seven-point-one-four sound system. The result was an immersive experience that captured the dynamic power of the track and delivered it to viewers in a way that felt truly cinematic. Even without a full Dolby Atmos setup at home, the audio came through remarkably well, providing a sense of presence that drew viewers into the event.

The production team's efforts have already yielded results, with fans praising the sound quality during live broadcasts. With ongoing improvements and advancements in technology, it's clear that bringing the fury of the track to living rooms is just around the corner. As the NHRA continues to innovate and push the boundaries of what's possible with Dolby Atmos, we can't wait to see how this emerging technology evolves over time, delivering an unparalleled audio experience for fans everywhere.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhen it comes to displaying unbridled power so close you can almost touch it nobody beats the National Hot Rod Association with eleven thousand horses crammed into these nitro field machines just the roar of the engines at the starting line is enough to literally shake the ground beneath you the bolt of the launch induces a spine buzzing shockwave is these cars reach speeds upwards of 300 miles per hour in just a thousand feet we're here at the Las Vegas Speedway for the Denso sparkplugs NHRA four-wide nationals and the operative word here besides the wind is loud people come from miles around to feel the striking force of 11,000 horsepower hit them right in the sternum now the challenge for the NHRA is to bring that kind of experience into your home theater that's where dolby atmos comes in we wanted to partner with icon HR a that well who we could innovate with because dolby atmos has always been about creating an innovative platform where content creators and owners can really bring across that content in a great way used mainly in cinema Dolby Atmos adds height channels for a 3d sound environment and can even single out individual sound objects on screen for unprecedented mixing freedom and sonic immersion but as the technology spreads into the realm of live sports dolby has been looking for partners who can help show off everything Atmos is capable of what happens at that start line is so intense the SPLs are out of this world they go through you you feel it in your bones and in your energy that was the first thing that I experienced I went up in that start line I went oh my gosh it's like if this it was so unreal if we could bring that to the home and we could make a fan saying wow that's cool I'd love to see that I got to go check that out that's them we've achieved our mission of course as powerful as dolby atmos is it can't bring the shock wave of sound presented at a live NHRA race into your home and frankly you wouldn't want it to it would literally blow the pictures off the walls what it can do is offer new ways to submerge a viewer in each moment on screen not just the powerful ones but also the less obvious ones that have both the feel of a live race well Atmos allows you to just be more creatively flexible and bring across the different things about a race because yeah this is very loud cars but the race last four seconds so you want the impact to that boom as the cars go down the track but you also want to bring more of a subtlety around as the the engine sounds people sort of putting the shutter down on the on the cars and things and you hear that come through and you can position that where it makes sense within the scene accurately capturing the atmosphere of such a unique and loud event isn't easy we ordinarily have about three dozen mics total it's just a lot more tools available to us and I the types of microphones and the sound levels that were able to achieve especially in this digital realm are pretty impressive we picked up some sound pressure level reference mics for you set start line pick up the cars staging and especially when they launch they're kind of like a little bulb with a very little tiny air opening and that's how they keep protected on forever they only allow just a tiny bit of of air in to actually get to it one of the most important mics is located on the jib cam which moves around above the cars at the starting line which position these sounds around us all actively move some of those sounds during the mix we can create a great experience this is where Dolby Atmos as height channels really come into play which adds four additional overhead speakers to a basic 5.1 surround set up the console uses 5.1 surround busses and we tie two of those together for the for what we will call the Atmos buzz the 5-1 for their normal surround and then another 5-1 bus for the overheads so when the jib starts paying around there's a pan control here where I can take that mic and move it around in the 5.1 environment and then I've got another fader here where I could take that mic and fade it from the lower 5-1 up to what I call the quad is the upper 5-1 so as long as I as I do the faders right the the mic can do this and move around and and I just try to match it with what I see the camera joe-joe operator dude he's he's been really really helpful and interested and coming up with moves that that I could recognize what he's gonna do is be ready for it unlike film where audio mixing can take months of post-production time the NHRA production crew has mere days to set up and calibrate everything then on race day they are test with getting the mix lined up with what's been captured by the multitude of cameras in real time but it's really about saying right this camera shot needs this audio to go with it and so every time the guts that camera shot they know what they're gonna do so it's a very repeatable process there's one mixer who's focused on what's going on on the track so always making sure they're listening to the the cars that are going through mixing the sounds for that producing the Dolby Atmos mix that relates to track and then the other mixer who's taking that as one element of their mix them putting on things like the announcers if there's any replays going off to a server to bring back some other content that's what the second mix is doing pulling the show together and it's all like out of that second mix area that the show then goes out to the homes working closely together is an absolute must and each member of the team is working in a fast-paced environment where changes happen on the fly and things could get pretty hectic for live television it's a lot different than cinema and to try and bring a little bit of cinema to live television is really interesting it's it's a different aspect you can create more 10,000 horsepower car this is the production team six NHRA event using Dolby Atmos and each race has given them an opportunity to add more to the show we're learning you know what level of effects at what level of motion what shots don't work what shots to do work this being an interesting this week especially because this is the first time we're trying we're playing with Atmos in a four-wire a four-wide means they're as many as four cars on the racetrack at a time rather than the usual two this presents a special challenge but like the NHRA itself it also provides new ways to innovate we always look to innovate in every part of the process so built new tools that sit in the RB trucks like this one to help the mixers create the Dolby Atmos mixers but we've innovated throughout the chain you know we knew that we have to get Dolby Atmos into the homes in a way that could work so for example if you get a Dolby Atmos home theater system you're actually mainly going to get the sound reflected off the ceiling for some new speaker designs that we developed and getting all that sound into your home is the real challenge Dolby and the NHRA have to deliver a final product that will work in multiple environments with multiple different kinds of speaker setups the real question is though how does it actually sound so here they'll be showing us how they're able to take the guttural power of the racetrack and put it into your home now we have a seven-point 1.4 system here with overheads and the showing us how they're able to sort of immerse you in the sound that's the whole point of Dolby Atmos and they're doing it with the live broadcast here and it really does come through you get that dynamic power when those race cars hit the throttle and that three and a half second run it really comes through in a cool way you're able to be there and it also saves your ears a little bit to doe B and the NHRA also know that not everyone is going to have a full Dolby Atmos setup in their homes so not only does the production team need a set of a versatile Dolby mix they also send out a regular 5.1 surround mix and a stereo mix so you can get the best possible sound no matter your setup for that the crew creates their own separate mixes from the soundboard but Dolby's new DP 590 hardware unit can also assist with this using digital processing which allowed the engineers to easily adjust the mix for more or fewer channels on-demand 590 let me take the Dolby Atmos 10 channel mix and I can down mix it to a 5 channel or you know a 6 channel mix a 2 channel mix depending on what we're using it for but also it gives you the ability to not just take a 10 channel mix you can take whatever your mix is in up it to say 64 channels so say now you have 64 speakers you want to fill we can do that with this 590 system Dolby in the NHRA obviously have a good thing going with the addition of Dolby Atmos to the televised production the real question now is when can you start getting to live Dolby broadcast in your home the only hold up is the so called last mile or the final point in the broadcast chain at which all this awesomeness is actually delivered to your home it's now in our partners Fox we've tested through their system right now it's about the MVPDs it's the delivery to the last field it's always the last mile but we are in conversations with along with Dolby to the numerous distribution points and it's just a matter of that you know finishing that last mile so we're hoping to be there sooner than later from the quarter-mile to the last mile the NHRA still has its work cut out to bring the fury of the track into your living room but with the help of Dolby Atmos that dream is getting closer to reality one race at a timewhen it comes to displaying unbridled power so close you can almost touch it nobody beats the National Hot Rod Association with eleven thousand horses crammed into these nitro field machines just the roar of the engines at the starting line is enough to literally shake the ground beneath you the bolt of the launch induces a spine buzzing shockwave is these cars reach speeds upwards of 300 miles per hour in just a thousand feet we're here at the Las Vegas Speedway for the Denso sparkplugs NHRA four-wide nationals and the operative word here besides the wind is loud people come from miles around to feel the striking force of 11,000 horsepower hit them right in the sternum now the challenge for the NHRA is to bring that kind of experience into your home theater that's where dolby atmos comes in we wanted to partner with icon HR a that well who we could innovate with because dolby atmos has always been about creating an innovative platform where content creators and owners can really bring across that content in a great way used mainly in cinema Dolby Atmos adds height channels for a 3d sound environment and can even single out individual sound objects on screen for unprecedented mixing freedom and sonic immersion but as the technology spreads into the realm of live sports dolby has been looking for partners who can help show off everything Atmos is capable of what happens at that start line is so intense the SPLs are out of this world they go through you you feel it in your bones and in your energy that was the first thing that I experienced I went up in that start line I went oh my gosh it's like if this it was so unreal if we could bring that to the home and we could make a fan saying wow that's cool I'd love to see that I got to go check that out that's them we've achieved our mission of course as powerful as dolby atmos is it can't bring the shock wave of sound presented at a live NHRA race into your home and frankly you wouldn't want it to it would literally blow the pictures off the walls what it can do is offer new ways to submerge a viewer in each moment on screen not just the powerful ones but also the less obvious ones that have both the feel of a live race well Atmos allows you to just be more creatively flexible and bring across the different things about a race because yeah this is very loud cars but the race last four seconds so you want the impact to that boom as the cars go down the track but you also want to bring more of a subtlety around as the the engine sounds people sort of putting the shutter down on the on the cars and things and you hear that come through and you can position that where it makes sense within the scene accurately capturing the atmosphere of such a unique and loud event isn't easy we ordinarily have about three dozen mics total it's just a lot more tools available to us and I the types of microphones and the sound levels that were able to achieve especially in this digital realm are pretty impressive we picked up some sound pressure level reference mics for you set start line pick up the cars staging and especially when they launch they're kind of like a little bulb with a very little tiny air opening and that's how they keep protected on forever they only allow just a tiny bit of of air in to actually get to it one of the most important mics is located on the jib cam which moves around above the cars at the starting line which position these sounds around us all actively move some of those sounds during the mix we can create a great experience this is where Dolby Atmos as height channels really come into play which adds four additional overhead speakers to a basic 5.1 surround set up the console uses 5.1 surround busses and we tie two of those together for the for what we will call the Atmos buzz the 5-1 for their normal surround and then another 5-1 bus for the overheads so when the jib starts paying around there's a pan control here where I can take that mic and move it around in the 5.1 environment and then I've got another fader here where I could take that mic and fade it from the lower 5-1 up to what I call the quad is the upper 5-1 so as long as I as I do the faders right the the mic can do this and move around and and I just try to match it with what I see the camera joe-joe operator dude he's he's been really really helpful and interested and coming up with moves that that I could recognize what he's gonna do is be ready for it unlike film where audio mixing can take months of post-production time the NHRA production crew has mere days to set up and calibrate everything then on race day they are test with getting the mix lined up with what's been captured by the multitude of cameras in real time but it's really about saying right this camera shot needs this audio to go with it and so every time the guts that camera shot they know what they're gonna do so it's a very repeatable process there's one mixer who's focused on what's going on on the track so always making sure they're listening to the the cars that are going through mixing the sounds for that producing the Dolby Atmos mix that relates to track and then the other mixer who's taking that as one element of their mix them putting on things like the announcers if there's any replays going off to a server to bring back some other content that's what the second mix is doing pulling the show together and it's all like out of that second mix area that the show then goes out to the homes working closely together is an absolute must and each member of the team is working in a fast-paced environment where changes happen on the fly and things could get pretty hectic for live television it's a lot different than cinema and to try and bring a little bit of cinema to live television is really interesting it's it's a different aspect you can create more 10,000 horsepower car this is the production team six NHRA event using Dolby Atmos and each race has given them an opportunity to add more to the show we're learning you know what level of effects at what level of motion what shots don't work what shots to do work this being an interesting this week especially because this is the first time we're trying we're playing with Atmos in a four-wire a four-wide means they're as many as four cars on the racetrack at a time rather than the usual two this presents a special challenge but like the NHRA itself it also provides new ways to innovate we always look to innovate in every part of the process so built new tools that sit in the RB trucks like this one to help the mixers create the Dolby Atmos mixers but we've innovated throughout the chain you know we knew that we have to get Dolby Atmos into the homes in a way that could work so for example if you get a Dolby Atmos home theater system you're actually mainly going to get the sound reflected off the ceiling for some new speaker designs that we developed and getting all that sound into your home is the real challenge Dolby and the NHRA have to deliver a final product that will work in multiple environments with multiple different kinds of speaker setups the real question is though how does it actually sound so here they'll be showing us how they're able to take the guttural power of the racetrack and put it into your home now we have a seven-point 1.4 system here with overheads and the showing us how they're able to sort of immerse you in the sound that's the whole point of Dolby Atmos and they're doing it with the live broadcast here and it really does come through you get that dynamic power when those race cars hit the throttle and that three and a half second run it really comes through in a cool way you're able to be there and it also saves your ears a little bit to doe B and the NHRA also know that not everyone is going to have a full Dolby Atmos setup in their homes so not only does the production team need a set of a versatile Dolby mix they also send out a regular 5.1 surround mix and a stereo mix so you can get the best possible sound no matter your setup for that the crew creates their own separate mixes from the soundboard but Dolby's new DP 590 hardware unit can also assist with this using digital processing which allowed the engineers to easily adjust the mix for more or fewer channels on-demand 590 let me take the Dolby Atmos 10 channel mix and I can down mix it to a 5 channel or you know a 6 channel mix a 2 channel mix depending on what we're using it for but also it gives you the ability to not just take a 10 channel mix you can take whatever your mix is in up it to say 64 channels so say now you have 64 speakers you want to fill we can do that with this 590 system Dolby in the NHRA obviously have a good thing going with the addition of Dolby Atmos to the televised production the real question now is when can you start getting to live Dolby broadcast in your home the only hold up is the so called last mile or the final point in the broadcast chain at which all this awesomeness is actually delivered to your home it's now in our partners Fox we've tested through their system right now it's about the MVPDs it's the delivery to the last field it's always the last mile but we are in conversations with along with Dolby to the numerous distribution points and it's just a matter of that you know finishing that last mile so we're hoping to be there sooner than later from the quarter-mile to the last mile the NHRA still has its work cut out to bring the fury of the track into your living room but with the help of Dolby Atmos that dream is getting closer to reality one race at a time\n"