DPA Microphones Spends A Night At the Opera
09/05/2013
With high quality audio a prerequisite and with strict instructions from the director that no microphones were to be seen anywhere in the video footage sound engineer Giacomo De Caterini was initially struggling to work out how he could comply with the director's brief.
The director wanted to avoid any microphones that could be visible because he was determined to maintain strict focus on the performers, De Caterini explains. Due to bad experiences in the past, especially on video productions where close-up shots revealed poorly concealed microphones dangling from the singers' wigs, he was very keen not to have any microphones on the singers' heads. This ruled out the use of miniature microphones such as the DPA 4061s, which we had initially been considering.
To add to De Caterini's difficulties, some of the backgrounds were being video projected, which meant that microphones hanging from the ceiling were also out of the question.
I was quite worried as the only option left was to use shotgun microphones positioned on the edge of the proscenium, De Caterini says. I realized this would only be OK if we had a sufficient quantity and if they were strategically placed to capture the audio properly.
Luckily, Salvatore Zocco, product manager at DPA's Italian distributor M. Casale Bauer, was able to come up with a solution. He gave Giacomo De Caterini some DPA Reference Standard 4017 Shotgun Microphones and suggested he tried them out as an option.
Although I expected the high quality sound and trustworthiness that invariably comes with DPA microphones, what I did not expect was the ability of these microphones to deliver a sound unlike any other shotgun I have ever tried, De Caterini explains. They were much more akin to a pair of traditional cardioids, and with the amazing ability to behave more like wide cannons than strict shotguns. In other words, instead of the typically coloured audio that becomes almost unusable as soon as the pickup is slightly off-axis, these microphones delivered great audio that required minimal tweaks and remained readable and clean even when picking up vocalists who were right as the back of the stage. Thanks to their new, dedicated preamps, they also delivered lower noise than any other shotgun microphone I have tried. Ultimately, what set them apart was something you certainly dont expect from shotguns: sheer musicality.
The two operas being recorded for this DVD project were Ravels LHeure Espagnole and Puccinis Gianni Schicchi. Both were performed in the Petrassi Hall, which has roughly 700 seats and is the smallest of the three halls that form the Parco Della Musica Auditorium complex. The double DVD production was co-produced by the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and Infocamere, the IT company for the Italian Chamber of Commerce, and distributed as a special gift to major Chambers of Commerce clients. After completing the recordings for the DVDs, Giacomo De Caterini was so impressed with the performance of the DPA 4017 Shotgun Microphones that he refused to return them to M. Casale Bauer.
They were definitely a keeper, he says, and they have now joined the Auditorium's stock of DPAs. I've used a lot of DPA in the past - and B&K before them. I love all the classics like the 4006, 4015, 4011 etc., and I also use the DPA miniature microphones for live work, especially the brilliant d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones and the compact cardioid 4021 microphones, which I consider to be the most treasured tools of my trade.
Recently, De Caterini had the opportunity to use a pair of DPA 4041s (running at 130V with the dedicated preamp) and was completely blown away by their performance.
They combine the best features of DPA's classic omnis with the low/mid ability that has previously been the trademark of DPA's competitors. Using them for the first time provided me with a rare moment of illumination not to mention an almost irrepressible urge to reach for my wallet!
Since completing the opera DVD project, Giacomo De Caterini has been working on a number of other high profile recordings including engineering and post-producing a CD of Verdi's music for EMI Classics, which features the Orchestra di Santa Cecilia with Sir Antonio Pappano.
LINK: | http://www.live-production.tv/news/cultural-events/dpa-microphones-spe... |
See more stories from liveproduction |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
17/05/2024
Meet the product manager
Muster Ngobi, product manager at LYNX Technik tells TVBEurope how the ever-evolving media industry provides a truly dynamic working environment By Matthew Corr...
17/05/2024
TV, Streaming Schedule for 2024 NFL Regular Season Is Released
NEW YORK As declines in linear TV viewing make the ongoing popularity of live sports, particularly football, central to financial success of the TV industry, th...
17/05/2024
Netflix Ad Tier Hits 40M Monthly Active Users
During Netflixs second Upfront presentation to advertisers, Amy Reinhard, Netflix's president of advertising, walked advertisers through the continued growt...
17/05/2024
Scripps Promotes Jeff Kiernan to VP, Local News
CINCINNATI The E.W. Scripps Company has added to its leadership team for news by promoting Jeff Kiernan a veteran journalist and general manager of Scripps'...
17/05/2024
Survey: New Disney-Fox-WBD Sports Streamer May Hurt Pay TV Sub Counts
Top executives from Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery have consistently insisted that their joint venture to launch the Venu Sports streaming bundle in the...
17/05/2024
Caitlin Clark's WNBA Debut Set Viewing Records
ESPN has announced that its coverage of Caitlin Clark's WNBA debut in the Indiana Fever versus the Connecticut Sun season opener was the most-watched WNBA g...
17/05/2024
ATEM Mini Extreme ISO switcher and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
ATEM Mini Extreme ISO switcher and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K Brie Clayton May 16, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design announced today that Yoic...
17/05/2024
Pixomondo's Virtual Production Academy Expands with Programs at Sony PCL, Vook, and Vancouver Film School
Pixomondo's Virtual Production Academy Expands with Programs at Sony PCL, Vo...
17/05/2024
WBD Upfront Show Offers Peeks at House of the Dragon,' White Lotus,' Biden-Trump Debate
The Warner Bros. Discovery upfront presentation took place Wednesday, May 15 at ...
17/05/2024
The Black Keys, Jelly Roll, Kate Hudson Set To Perform on The Voice' Finale
Season 25 of The Voice wraps on NBC Tuesday, May 21, with performances from The Black Keys, Jelly Roll, Kate Hudson, Lainey Wilson, Muni Long, Thomas Rhett and ...
17/05/2024
CNN Boss Mark Thompson's Plan Includes More News in More Categories on More Devices (Upfronts)
New CNN CEO Mark Thompson spelled out his plan for the struggling news network d...
17/05/2024
Netflix To Launch In-House Advertising Tech Platform
Netflix, a newcomer to the advertising business, said it plans to launch an in-house advertising technology platform....
17/05/2024
Netflix Plots TV Takeover at Upfront Presentation
Netflix shared some programming projects at an upfront presentation in New York. Those include the basketball-themed comedy series Running Point, a Mindy Kaling...
17/05/2024
Plex Geek Week Sale Offers 20% Off Plex Lifetime Pass
Plex is offering movie and music collectors a 20% discount off its Lifetime Plex Pass as part of its Geek Week sale....
17/05/2024
GroupM Names Toby Jenner as President, GroupM Clients
Giant media buyer GroupM said it named Toby Jenner as global president, Group M Clients, a new position at the company....
17/05/2024
Clients of Independent Agencies Boost Programmatic Buying
Smaller advertisers are increasingly buying connected TV programmatically, according to a new report from FreeWheel, Comcast's ad-tech unit....
17/05/2024
TCLtvPlus Adds Streaming Music Channels From Vevo
TCLtvPlus, the streaming app on smart TVs made by TCL, has added live linear channel from music-video programmer Vevo....
17/05/2024
StackAdapt Adopts Data From Samba TV for Programmatic Campaigns
StackAdapt said it made a deal to integrate data from Samba TV into its programmatic advertising platform....
17/05/2024
May 16, 2024
Scripps Research chemist Donna Blackmond elected to the Royal Society of the U.K. Blackmond's wide-ranging work has shaped origin of life theories, our unde...
16/05/2024
Power Provokes Vital Questions About the Role of Police
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: Director Yance Ford introduces the Power premiere at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Chad Salvador/Shutterstock for Sundance F...
16/05/2024
Mental Health Matters: Embrace Self-Care With These Audiobook and Podcast Listens
May is Mental Health Awareness month, a time to recognize those living with ment...
16/05/2024
ABC and SBS bring digital radio (DAB+) services to the Gold Coast
ABC and SBS bring digital radio (DAB ) services to the Gold Coast 15 May, 2024 Media releases ABC and SBS today announced that audiences on the Gold Coast ...
16/05/2024
Clear-Com Communication Solutions Enhance Oregon State University's PRAx Building
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
16/05/2024
6 New Clearmountain's Domain Presets
Share this article width=32 height=32 data-lazy-src=https://apogeedigital.com/app/themes/juniper-theme/src/img/icons/facebook-purple.svg /> width=32 height=...
16/05/2024
Updated: Netflix to Stream Live Christmas Day NFL Games
In a major example of how large streaming services are successfully battling for lucrative sports rights, Netflix has announced that it has secured global right...
16/05/2024
ESPN, Fox, WBD Unveil Name for New Sports Streaming Service
LOS ANGELES & NEW YORK More than three months after announcing plans to launch a major new sports streaming service, ESPN, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery,...
16/05/2024
CTV/Streaming Top of Mind for Marketers in 2024
In a survey conducted late last year, marketing companies said their main focus for increasing advertising would be CTV/streaming. Generative AI, which was not ...
16/05/2024
CPB Issues More Grants for Next-Generation Warning
Three public radio and one public television outlet are the latest recipients of funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to upgrade their emergency...
16/05/2024
A year in live HDR production
John Mailhot, senior vice president, product management at Imagine Communications, gives an insight into how HDR is impacting live production today, as well as ...
16/05/2024
Sony Pictures Post Production Services Completes Expansion of its Sound Facilities
Sony Pictures Post Production Services Completes Expansion of its Sound Faciliti...
16/05/2024
Telestream Taps Power of AI to Manage, Define Media Workflows
TV Tech recently sat down with Telestream CEO Rhonda Bassett-Spiers and CTO Simon Clark to discuss how the M&E industry is adapting the cloud, IP and AI to enha...
16/05/2024
1185 Films launches one stop shop' for industry talent
1185 Talent will include directors, editors, colourists, VFX artists and photographers By Jenny Priestley Published: May 16, 2024 1185 Talent will include...
16/05/2024
Updated: Presteigne Broadcast Hire enters administration
The administrators said they are focused on trading the business as a going concern while they assess options, including exploring the possibility of a sale By...
16/05/2024
AWS CEO Adam Selipsky steps down
Selipsky will leave the company on 3rd June, and will be succeeded by Matt Garman, a senior vice president who has overseen sales and marketing at AWS By Jenny...
16/05/2024
Sony Pictures Post Production Services Completes Sound Facilities Expansion
Sony Pictures Post Production Services has announced that the final phase of a multi-year effort to expand and modernize its motion picture and television sound...
16/05/2024
CNN, ABC to Televise Two Presidential Debates
President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump have agreed to participate in two televised debates, the first of which will be hosted by CNN on June 17....
16/05/2024
Disney+ Debuts First Concert Film to Stream with IMAX Enhanced Sound
BURBANK, Calif. and NEW YORK Disney+, IMAX Corporation, and DTS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xperi, have announced that Queen Rock Montreal is now streaming ...
16/05/2024
WBD Unveils Advanced Advertising Features for Max
NEW YORK During its upfronts presentation, Warner Bros. Discovery announced a suite of new advanced ad products available on Max, that include shoppable ads, ad...
16/05/2024
iZotope announces RX 11 audio software, introducing new machine learning for tackling noise, and new tools for music streaming
iZotope announces RX 11 audio software, introducing new machine learning for tac...
16/05/2024
Check Out the Cine Gear Expo June 7 9, 2024 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA
Check Out the Cine Gear Expo June 7 9, 2024 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank...
16/05/2024
Nouvel Photo & Film Captures Cinematic Wedding Films with Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K
Nouvel Photo & Film Captures Cinematic Wedding Films with Blackmagic Cinema Came...
16/05/2024
Replacing Surfaces Like a Pro with Mocha AE Planar Tracking
Replacing Surfaces Like a Pro with Mocha AE Planar Tracking Levi Borland May 15, 2024 0 Comments Welcome to our comprehensive tutorial on planar track...
16/05/2024
CBC's CPL Teams Salamanders, Yard Gnomes One Week Away From Season Opener
The world of baseball at Capitol Broadcasting is about to expand like fireworks on a Friday night. The Holly Springs Salamanders will open their season at home...
16/05/2024
Blockgraph Adopted by tvbeat, Enabling Audience-Based Planning
Blockgraph said that its identity and data collaboration platform has been adopted by tvbeat, a provider of campaign planning technology for media companies....
16/05/2024
Tonight on House of Zwide: Nkosi is angry and accuses Shoki of keeping secrets from him
Tonight on House of Zwide: Nkosi is angry and accuses Shoki of keeping secrets f...
16/05/2024
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Phakathi examines the CCTV coverage and questions Jaxon
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Phakathi examines the CCTV coverage and questions ...
16/05/2024
Tonight on Scandal: A terrifying story pushes Dintle into making a life-altering decision
Tonight on Scandal: A terrifying story pushes Dintle into making a life-altering...
16/05/2024
VEON 1Q24 Trading Update: Accelerating USD Growth, Strong Operational Execution
16 May 2024 VEON 1Q24 Trading Update: Accelerating USD Growth, Strong Operational Execution Amsterdam, 16 May 2024 07:00AM CEST - VEON Q1 2024 Highlights Q1...