audio
22.2 steps to
audio heaven?
KEVIN HILTON reports. brought up to 18 with a microphone for the
in-vision presenter. The main array of
echnologies tend to burst upon an microphones was arranged on a pole, with the
T
unsuspecting market, often shake upper layer comprising four mics, eight in the
everything up and then spend middle and three nearer the base. NHK
several years bedding in. Once developed its own microphones for 22.2 and
proven and adopted, a technology is just there 16 were brought over to London, although
and can sometimes be taken for granted. But only 12 were used. The designers call them
every so often there are advances and super-cardioids, which contain three capsules
innovations that allow something to jump up and come in two versions; a narrow pick-up,
as if to say: "I'm still here - don't ignore me!" used for the middle ring, and a wider
That's what surround sound has been doing response, which was mounted above. Three
since the end of last year. The focus for the Schoeps CMIT 5 mics made up the lower ring,
past ten years or so has been 5.1 but as Blu- with two BLM 03 Cs in special windjammers
ray Disc (BD) marches on, leaving HD DVD for for the LFE.
dead, 7.1 is now a strong contender, not just The 18 mic channels were brought down
for HD optical disc but also for television. Any from the balcony using optical fibre cable into
reasonable person might think that seven a LightViper audio snake feeding a Yamaha
discreet loudspeakers and a sub-woofer is LS9-32 digital console located in the basement
enough, particularly in modern front rooms media area of City Hall. Sound supervisor Bill
that can be so small even allowing a cat in is Whiston said he did not have a great deal of
a major proposition, let alone swinging it, but mixing to do, instead ensuring the gains were
now there is 22.2, the multi-channel audio correct and adding some equalisation where
companion of Super Hi-Vision (aka Ultrahigh needed. Despite the size of the room, shared
Definition) television. initially thought and now NHK is looking at with vision and IP engineers, Whiston was
Developed by NHK, Super Hi-Vision is 2020 for the first services to begin. A step able to set up eight loudspeakers for
intended to give even more natural, sharper towards that was the debut international monitoring. The three sets of mic inputs were
pictures than HD, in fact something broadcast of Super Hi-Vision and its multi- programmed into the mixing desk's memory
approaching 3D. To go with this 22.2 is channel audio partner, which took place so he could bring up and listen to each one
designed to be 3D audio, using 24 during IBC 2008 and won the organisation's individually by pressing a button.
loudspeakers to simulate what we hear in real Special Award. The audio was embedded in the Super Hi-
life, with the sound having height as well as The BBC and RAI are assessing the Vision signal and when decoded in
width and depth. Also known as Hamasaki technology in Europe and live broadcasts were Amsterdam it appeared in the same form on
22.2, after Kimio Hamasaki, the lead developer made from London and Torino to Amsterdam the desk of Whiston's counterpart, who
of the system, it achieves the sensation of 3D during the Convention. The BBC transmitted similarly had no real mixing to perform. There
sound through three tiers of loudspeakers: a pictures and sound from City Hall, the is talk of further Super Hi-Vision/22.2
high tier consisting of nine audio channels; a headquarters of the Mayor of London and the transmissions outside of Japan, with the
middle ring of ten channels; and a lower row London Assembly on the south bank of the possibility of covering a sumo tournament at
comprising three channels, with a further two River Thames by Tower Bridge, working with the Royal Albert Hall next year.
for low-frequency effects (LFE). NHK, Siemens IT Solutions and Services, SIS The prospect of even more audio channels
Super Hi-Vision was first demonstrated in Live (including what was BBC OBs) and Cable received a mixed response from the current
2002, with the hope that it would be in & Wireless. purveyors of multi-channel audio. "We are
operation three years later. As with HD, The number of surround channels for this naturally very excited about any requirement
implementation is a trickier business than test was five short of the specified 22.2, for ultra-high quality content distribution, and
14 IBE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008
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