Opera Philadelphia recently presented An Evening of Vocal Fireworks: Amici e Rivali (Friends and Rivals) conducted by Maestro Corrado Rovaris, a socially distanced outdoor concert held at the city’s Mann Music Center.
While the event was viewed live, outdoors on large screens at the venue, the crew also recorded the performance for archival purposes. Producer Joe Hannigan of Weston Sound & Video selected DPA Microphones to ensure rich, full and intelligible sound for both the house PA and multitrack recording.
Soloists, tenors Michael Spyres and Lawrence Brownlee were arranged either side of the conductor and miked with legacy 4023 Compact Cardioid Microphones on flamingo stands (now known as 4011 mics with floor stands and modular booms).
Hannigan and Maestro Rovaris specified the string players to each be equipped with DPA 4099 Instrument Microphones on mic stands, which was necessary to follow Covid-19 safety protocols. To augment the recording, the audio crew used a spaced pair of DPA 4006TL Omnidirectional mics as overheads, along with two additional 4006s as outriggers/flanks.
‘I’ve used DPA mics for orchestral recordings throughout my entire career, and the 4099s in particular are my first choice for miking violins in a live concert setting,’ Hannigan says. ‘Everyone knows that DPA 4099s are the go-to solution for miking an orchestra with a big PA system, especially when its outdoors. I think every professional in the world is using them now. The mics easily and safely clip right onto the instrument. You can put them right in the best possible location, and they sound fabulous.’
More: www.dpamicrophones.com
