Setting up in the Hollywood Studio Symphony at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, producer and score mixer Christian Amonson recently recorded ‘Across the Stars (Love Theme from Star Wars: Episode II)’ by John Williams.
‘There’s a lot of pressure that comes when producing a piece that’s been recorded – and loved – before, especially Star Wars,’ Amonson says. ‘But that’s the kind of pressure I want...
‘Any choices you make in the interpretation, artistry, musicality, or mix are that much more powerful when there’s something to compare it to. And If we’re going to create something new, we need new tools. Enter ADK, whose mics I’ve been using more and more over the last two years.’
‘When planning ‘Across the Stars’, I was particularly focused on the oboe solo. It starts off the whole piece and is so beautiful and so exposed. I could have pulled a typical spot mic for that moment, but what works as a spot mic in a full orchestra mix isn’t necessarily the best option for a soloistic feature. I knew I needed something stereo and something special. So I reached out to Miles [Fulwider] at ADK and asked if he had a pair of tube microphones that would sound as smooth as possible. He suggested a pair of ADK Z2 49 mics, and they did not disappoint.
‘The sound of the oboe is exactly what I had in mind, and the difference between the new recording and the original – recorded at another “world’s best” studio – is night and day. Of course, having a player like Claire Brazeau cannot be understated; I melt every time I listen to her.’
Returning to the subject of microphones, he continues: ‘The sound is exquisite, but the build is too. Every engineer has something to say when they see the power supplies for Z2 49s; they are built like tanks. It’s clear that ADK was aiming for a no-compromise solution with these.
‘For percussion, I already have three ADK C-LOL-251s and three ADK C-LOL-12s that I use a lot for orchestral backline. The 251s have a nice wide shimmer that brings out the details and attack for instruments that are dulled by distance or reflections. Same with the C-LOL-12s, which are similar in character, but slightly brighter. The sparkle is an essential ingredient in these upstage microphones, because I’m using them to change the perspective, not necessarily the level. If I want to bring an instrument “forward”, I need hi-frequency information to do that. Getting a dark sound on a snare drum or set of toms isn’t going to help me. I need detail to add to the sound I’ve already got in the main array. The 251s and 12s really shine in this application.
‘I had enough microphones for Star Wars percussion, but with Star Trek (Michael Giacchino), The Mummy (Jerry Goldsmith) and Nova (Katahj Copley) all on the same session, I was going to need 12 channels. I supplemented the 251s and 12s with ADK SD-Cs. I’ve used them before on percussion, as well as harp, piano, winds, mains, etc, so I knew they’d do well. Big thanks to ADK for sending a few more for me. It wasn’t the first time they’ve delivered some last minute mics before a big session.’
Vintage large-diaphragm mics are commonplace on LA sessions, but there are rarely enough of the same vintage to cover the entire brass section in a large orchestra – trumpets, trombones, tuba and cimbasso – so players get mics with different sound profiles.
‘It works against the “wall of sound” that I really like to hear from the brass,’ Amonson says. ‘The players have spent so much time developing blend and balance – I don’t want to undo their work. This is why using all of the same mics provides an advantage. The section has a unified sound, and each player sounds like themselves in the context of the overall sound profile.
‘Lucky for me, ADK provided ten Munich 7 T-FET microphones for this session. I’d been curious about them, because my good friend and colleague Wells Gordon picked up a pair of M7s last year, but I hadn’t had a chance to use them personally. With ten, I had four for trumpets, four for trombones, one for tuba, and one for cimbasso. The results speak for themselves, especially in the trumpet solo at the end of ‘Star Trek Main Theme’, played by Tom Hooten, Principal Trumpet.
Outside the studio, I recorded pipe organ with Christoph Bull at First Congregational Church Los Angeles [FCCLA]. Christoph is a genre-bending organist, frequently playing film music on the organ at FCCLA. For the organ, I used a pair of ADK SD-C in the front near the main chancel organ. And towards the back of the church – the rear organ – I put up a pair of ADK SD-O-D microphones. The cardioids give me the closest/clearest sound (which still has plenty of reflections and tail in this position) with the least amount of extraneous noise. The omnis provide more reverb, more low end, and more of the rear organ when needed.’
The organ at FCCLA is actually multiple organs, collected over the past 100 years. Used together, they are the fourth largest organ in the world.
‘The original score doesn’t have organ, but Christoph and I arranged a new part, taking inspiration from different sections of the orchestra and the story,’ Amonson says. ‘Sometimes the organ is supporting the texture, and other times it creates an entirely new experience. My favourite part is the wedding about half-way through. Right before things get dark.’
From an immersive standpoint, the organ has the ability to expand an entire mix: ‘It’s the Queen of Instruments and can be a whole orchestra at once. For the Atmos mix, I can pan the organ to the back or to the ceiling, allowing the orchestration to grow without feeling like one instrument is stranded out in space detached from the rest of the ensemble. Of course, it has to be captured well to be convincing, and the SD-C and SD-O-D combination are working really well. I used them both when recording the Star Trek Main Theme too.’
The harp was also recorded outside the studio: ‘I recorded it first in a booth during the orchestra session, but I felt I could do a better job fitting it specifically to ‘Across the Stars’ with a smoother tone and natural bloom. Christoph recommended the Shatto Chapel at FCCLA, and I was able to meet there with Koni Choi, Principal Harp. The Z2 49s gave a huge, smooth sound again, especially when combined with more distance from the harp, a larger room with more resonance but fewer early reflections, and time to fine-tune the placement. I added a pair of SC-O-D omnis a little further back for a different perspective. Together, I could refine the balance of ‘direct sound’ vs ‘chapel sound’, and the two pairs allow for additional dimensions when mixing in surround or Atmos.
‘I used four SD-O-D omnis for the Atmos array above the orchestra. The mics were placed on tall stands so I could make adjustments without disturbing the mains arrays. The mics were each pointed up and towards opposite corners of the room, taking advantage of directivity in the high frequencies. We won’t do an immersive mix till winter, but I’m already surprised by how useful the mics were in the stereo mix. The front Atmos pair of SD-O-D provide euphonic glue, blend, and body in stereo, without being as far back as regular room mics.’
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