Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless audio technology has enabled the capture of a base jump from a height of 630ft (192m) at Auckland’s Sky Tower in New Zealand.
Sydney, Australia-based sound recordist Jason Dirckze, who has been working on a production called The Living Room produced by WTFN for Australia’s Network Ten, filmed the high-octane stunt for the channel.
The experience invites those daring enough to plummet from a narrow catwalk at speeds up to 53 miles per hour (85 km per hour)—secured by nothing more than a single cable.
“Because The Living Room presents a wide range of lifestyle-related topics, I find myself using a fairly large selection of Lectrosonics equipment,” explained Dirckze. “This gear includes several SMQa, SMDa, SMa, LMa, and UM400a transmitters along with four UCR411a, two SRb5P, and two R1a receivers. I typically run four channels for talent mics, with the rest for camera hops and IFB.
“At the Sky Tower,” he continued, “I had the responsibility of capturing audio during a ‘base jump’ from 192 meters straight down. I had two SRb’s and an SMDa in play, with one SRb at the top of the tower and the second unit in a camera with a slot mount at the base of the tower. Between the two SRb’s, I figured there would be some usable audio to work with. Much to my surprise, audio to both cameras was flawless the whole way down on both SRb receivers—all without the use of amplifiers or shark fins.”
