Digital Right From the Start
In addition to the microphones already available in the hall, numerous microphones from Sennheiser and Neumann were used for recording the concert at the Berliner Philharmonie on 9 November 2014. Tonmeister Gregor Zielinsky, Sennheiser International Recording Applications Manager, had created the concept in close consultation with the sound engineers at the Philharmonie. Zielinsky focused on a completely digital workflow, converting the microphone signals to digital at the earliest possible point in the signal chain: directly behind the capsules.
In the recent past, I've already made several major recordings exclusively with digital microphones, Zielinsky said in Berlin. My impression is that completely digital productions have a particular sound character, regardless of which pieces I am actually recording. The sound is always clean, detailed and differentiated. It's a bit like looking through a freshly cleaned window rather than a dirty one. Particularly when I'm recording classical music, the production gains additional audio quality when digital microphones are used.
3D Sound
The memorial concert was recorded using a special miking technique that enables the recorded material to be subsequently processed in 3D sound. If one looked closely, one could see a rectangular microphone array suspended from the ceiling of the hall. At the corners of the rectangle were four Sennheiser MKH 800 TWIN on MZD 8000 digital modules. The four microphones were mounted at two different heights but on the same depth plane.
Each MKH 800 TWIN has two capsules with signals that can be accessed separately. In the concert hall arrangement, one capsule of each microphone pointed forwards while the other pointed backwards. In the subsequent 3D mix, the signals will be assigned to the front and rear loudspeakers. The MKH 800 TWINs were accompanied by four Neumann KM 133 D without SBK 133 sound diffraction spheres to allow for more brilliance. The Neumann microphones were pointed forward for the lower and upper front channels of the subsequent 3D mix. During mixdown, Gregor Zielinsky will be able to choose freely between the capsules, which permits any mixing ratio between the microphones.
Miking
Microphones are the best filters! is a common aphorism, and Gregor Zielinsky made his selection in accordance with this motto. The first and second violins were each miked with three Sennheiser MKH 8040. The brass section was miked with a total of four Sennheiser MKH 8090, and a further microphone of this type was used for the cymbals and triangle. The four solo vocalists (soprano, tenor, alto, bass) sang into four MKH 8090, while the chorus was miked with four MKH 8040 and two MKH 8090. Eighteen KM 184 D from Neumann were divided among the violas, cellos, double basses, bass drum and woodwind instruments. Two Neumann TLM 103 D were used for the harp.
At Neumann, digital microphone solutions are offered in the Solution-D product family, which is made up of various digital microphones, the DMI interface (two- or eight-channel) and the RCS remote control software. The latter enables the microphones to be conveniently remote controlled. Signal and data transmission as well as signal feed, remote control and synchronisation are all performed in accordance with the AES42 standard. The DMI interface establishes the connection to the following audio devices in the signal flow.
The Sennheiser microphones were used with MZD 8000 digital modules, which were either screwed to the microphone heads in place of the XLR modules or operated at a distance on special signal-carrying extension arms or MZL 8003/8010 active cables. An advantage of this arrangement is the direct proximity of the A/D conversion to the capsule itself and the elimination of a conventional external preamplifier and the noise level this may introduce.
Redundant MADI Cabling
Eight Neumann DMI-8 interfaces (8 x 8 channels) made the digital AES42 audio signals from the microphones available optically and in parallel in the formats AES/EBU and ADAT. A ninth Neumann interface was on stand-by as a spare. The digital outputs were connected with format converters from RME, which Synthax GmbH had supplied for the project as the German RME sales partner. The RME ADI-6432R format converter equipped with two power supply units converts up to 64 AES/EBU signals to MADI; its counterpart ADI-648 does the same with the ADAT format. In Berlin, the MADI signals output from the ADI-6432R and ADI-648 were each sent to a separate, directly controlled router (RME MADI Router), which was used as a splitter.
In order to ensure a redundant connection, both the control room of the Digital Concert Hall and the control room of the chamber music hall, which was assigned to Gregor Zielinsky, were supplied with MADI streams generated from AES/EBU and ADAT signals. For an event of this kind, it's better to be on the safe side, said Dr. Stephan Leschka, Manager Development Electronics and Software at Georg Neumann GmbH, commenting on the sophisticated set-up. Leschka had the possibility to listen in to any signals of the four-channel MADI stream directly at the 19 rack using an RME ADI-642 and headphones.
For clocking the digital system, the Philharmonie's own house clock was used, which was distributed via a Rosendahl nano clock processor. All individual signals were recorded in Pyramix workstations (Merging Technologies), from which WAVE files were subsequently exported for the Pro Tools system used by Gregor Zielinsky.
In Real Time Without Parallax Errors
The video images of this musical event were recorded by a special camera developed at the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (www.hhi.fraunhofer.de). The OmniCam-360 camera records images in a 360-degree format. The unusual looking construction is fitted with ten c
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Digital Right From the Start
