Pushing the limits of speed and sound
Posted on Jan 8, 2025 by Pro Moviemaker
How Audio-Technica’s range of microphones brings MotoGP’s roar to life
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When MotoGP™ – the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship – wanted to rev up the quality of its audio to capture the roar of 220mph race bikes, mic maker Audio-Technica became the leader of the pack.
With 20 Grand Prix held at race circuits during the 2024 season, MotoGP™’s media team wanted to boost the sound of the action to match that of its best-in-class in-house visual programming, which is delivered to 89 media partners worldwide. After auditioning various Audio-Technica microphone solutions toward the end of the 2018 race season, the pioneering Japanese company was the obvious choice from that moment on.
MotoGP™ initially selected 265 Audio-Technica microphones, headsets and monitoring solutions – including 53 track feed microphones plus 76 interview and ENG camera microphones. It’s not just about capturing high-speed racing bikes, but crowd reaction, interviews and more.
There was instant success for the ‘developed for sports broadcasting’ Audio-Technica BP28 and BP28L large-diaphragm shotgun microphones. Media technical director Daniel Laviña says: “We immediately noticed a major step change in track audio acquisition quality when the Audio-Technica shotguns were installed.
“With their exceptionally wide frequency response and high SPL threshold, they seem ideally suited to the sound of the race, and we can now have great-quality audio continuity between one camera position and the next.”
And now, there are even more options that help the world’s most spectacular motorcycle series sound even better.
BP3600 Immersive Audio Microphone
The Audio-Technica BP3600 Immersive Audio Microphone is capable of capturing stable, three-dimensional sound beds at sporting events, concerts and movie sets. The development of the BP3600 included nearly three seasons of extensive prototype testing at MotoGP™, and it’s now a core audio component of the race series programme broadcasting.
The microphone features eight compact capsule assemblies with excellent high-frequency characteristics integrated into the body, all while remaining compact and lightweight enough for single-operator usability and easy set-up. Direct routing is also supported, eliminating the need for additional decoding or latency processing when using 5.1.4 channel speaker layouts.
The BP3600’s modules extend from the body to form a cube with 15cm/5.9in between each microphone assembly. Each microphone assembly in the eight-channel, near-coincident array is equipped with a 12mm/0.47in hypercardioid capsule to produce ideally separated, discrete signals and deliver immersive audio experiences with ample spaciousness.
When used in a typical 5.1.4 immersive scenario, the four upper microphone channels can be assigned to the upper speaker channels, and the four lower channels can be assigned to the lower speaker channels. This removes the need for additional decoding or latency processing during routing.
3000 Series wireless
In addition to supplying microphones for the broadcast of MotoGP™ races, Audio-Technica also supports the post-race press conferences with its 3000 Series wireless systems. This crucial part of the race experience brings riders into viewers’ homes for unique race analysis, offering an authentic connection to the action.
Audio-Technica recently released a short video featuring Rodrigo Thomaz – the company’s dedicated MotoGP™ project manager – giving a behind-the-scenes look at the 3000 Series in action.
In the video, he highlights six key features, including the quick-select backup frequency button and interchangeable capsule options, which make the system ideal for use in high-pressure touring environments such as race press conferences.
More information: audio-technica.com
To view the video and learn more information about the Audio-Technica 3000 Series wireless system, watch the video below:
