Schoeps digital microphones in coverage of the 2014 Tour de France

The new SuperCMIT digital shotgun microphones, based on the successful Schoeps CMIT5 analog model, offer unprecedented directivity, eliminating diffuse sound to an extraordinary degree.

Euro Media Group, a company specialized in RF transmissions, used digital microphones from the German Schoeps to capture additional audio (third channel) from the motorcycles that were used to follow the participants in the Tour de France.

Continuing its long-standing collaboration with the Tour, Euro Media Group has been in charge of providing image and audio (embedded) to France Télévisions, the entity responsible for distributing the local and international television signal, as well as an expanded international version of the broadcast that includes additional elements, such as interviews with the runners.

Bruno Gallais, from the international business development and wireless production department of Euro Media Group, acknowledges that "this was the first time we decided to transmit three audio channels for each motorcycle, to be able to enjoy sound in greater detail. The Schoeps digital shotgun microphone (SuperCMIT) was selected, but not before having carried out a good number of previous tests that began at the beginning of this year."

Each motorcycle has a Schoeps microphone and, according to Gallais, “it was very wise to opt for this microphone… we are very satisfied.”

The France Télévisions team manages the audio from its own mobile unit, which incorporates a large arsenal of top-quality equipment.

Great directivity

SuperCMIT is a new type of digital shotgun microphone, based on Schoeps' successful CMIT5 analog model, offering unprecedented directivity, eliminating diffuse sound to an extraordinary degree. To do this, it uses a new operating principle based on two transducers and uses digital signal processing algorithms from Illusonic. This new technology is based on the inclusion of a second capsule; A digital signal processor (DSP) analyzes both signals and is able to distinguish between direct and diffuse sound energy.

The signals are combined as a function of time and frequency, so that the directional effect of direct sound energy is increased, while the level of diffuse sound is reduced.

SuperCMIT is the ideal solution in all those situations in which a diffuse source of noise (traffic, wind, audience,...) can interfere with the recording. The level of unwanted noise will be greatly reduced (even in the low frequencies) without altering the color of the direct sound. Not even shotgun mics with the longest tubes can achieve this, making the SuperCMIT the ideal mic for complex film or sporting event sound applications.

SuperCMIT's digital processing recognizes sound energy coming from multiple directions, and determines whether the sound has a unique and persistent direction of arrival or not. Use this information to eliminate the diffuse sound and focus on the differentiated sound. In this way, it is possible to significantly increase the “range” of the shotgun microphone, without causing the usual colorations. SuperCMIT is the first microphone in the world that combines this high directionality with very high sound quality.