The way each production crew records, transmits, and levels audio and video in an instant for different sports is quite fascinating, and baseball is no different. In the video I will share below, Adam Clairmont, the A2 (Audio Engineer Assistant) for Apple TV’s Friday Night Baseball broadcasts, will walk throught the procedures of setting up equipment and preparing for everything that the game has to offer from a sound standpoint.
Clairmont’s role is primarily focused on the practical, behind-the-scenes aspects of a sound setup, working under the main Audio Engineer (A1) to handle cabling, equipment, stage sound, wireless systems, and troubleshooting during the game. Clairmont talks of his position as someone who isn’t paid to make things work, but someone who fixes things that aren’t working.
Some of the best takeaways from the video in terms of technology and audio vocabulary are the use of Dome antennae, which capture programmed frequencies from the field to the press box before they are sent to the production truck. In the truck, audio engineers are leveling audio from shotgun and condenser microphones, as well as headset audio from the announcers in the booth. Everything is discussed from IFBs (reporter earpiece communication) to lavaliere mics positioned on players and umpires to capture game audio. The broadcast utilizes parabolic microphones, discs, and bagged wireless mics that are inserted into the grass and field dirt.