Andy/Jason: New BEL Paddock wrinkle...

blackthroatedwind · #1 09-12-2008, 08:19 PM

I'm hardly involved in the technical aspects of the Siro's shows but the group in charge also does the video for SPAC and other major venues. I would be surprised if the trouble was on their end but I don't really know.

Fearless Leader · #2 09-12-2008, 08:53 PM

Blackthroatedwind.....the best thing to happen to NYRA since Kelso was a maiden.

TheSpyder · #3 09-13-2008, 03:49 AM

Andy, you really have found your element with these shows and it's nice to see you share all the stuff in your head. There's no doubt we can learn alot from your views.

I'm not sure if you watch any English racing live but you have emulated them well where they are very opinionated and not just window dressing, true punters.

Keep it up and nice meeting you at Saratoga.

Spyder

Linny · #4 09-13-2008, 08:29 AM

Andy, I have enjoyed seeing you and Jason together. Your personality seems to draw Jason out and make him more dynamic.

As for the saratoga shows, allow me. The Siro's show is broadcast by Cap OTB, but Cap OTB has nothing to do with it's production. They send us the feed and we air it.

As for the live shows, yes we had microphone issues all summer. Capital bought some new mics and honestly, they were terrible. They were far too sensitive for outdoor use, though they were supposedly "outdoor mics." The shows are produced just inside the GridleySt./Nelson Ave gates and traffic there is heavy. Every car or truck sound went out on the air. The wind was worse. All on air people were told to actually tuck the mic inside of their clothes, but the on air folks from the AM Saratoga show didn't seem to want to do so. If you still have some of the shows on TIVO go back and look. If you can see a mic, the audio will be horrible. If you see no mic (meaning it was under the wearer's clothing) the sound will be better.
The audio issues were much discussed and documented in a post Saratoga report and I can only hope that better mics will be available next summer.

blackthroatedwind · #5 09-13-2008, 08:42 AM

I didn't mean to imply that it was Capital OTB's fault. I really have no idea where the fault lies to be honest ( I have enough to think about up there ). Maybe it's some nebulous " transmission " problem.

saratoga guy · #6 09-13-2008, 12:40 PM

There was something funky with the DRF seminar audio -- it would unexplainably lower itself during some shows. It didn't make the shows unwatchable -- it just meant I had to get up from the computer and go into the other room and turn it up. Invariably, each time it happened, it would correct itself about five minutes later -- making for another mad dash into the TV room to turn it down!

It didn't happen every day -- and when it did happen it would only last five minutes or so.

Having done TV production work myself (although not a lot of "live" production work) I couldn't hazard an explanation. Although I know Ralph, in passing, so if I happen to run into him sometime I'll mention it. Could be one of those things that on-set with headphones on it's not even noticeable.

10 pnt move up · #7 09-13-2008, 01:09 PM

Andy just gave out a 50 dollar longshot......hope he used it a little.

Linny · #8 09-13-2008, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I didn't mean to imply that it was Capital OTB's fault. I really have no idea where the fault lies to be honest ( I have enough to think about up there ). Maybe it's some nebulous " transmission " problem.

I was replying more to the original complaint. I heard plenty of them over the summer and it was brought up here more than once.
The sound issue on our broadcasts were our fault, in that we own the mics in question. We did what we could to mitigate the problem. Since I almost never got to see the Siro's seminar, I can't comment on the audio quality.
In fact, because of the multiple steps (Siro's to NYRA to Cap OTB trailer to OTB headquarters in Schenectady to customer) there can be plenty of nebulous transmission issues.