Aladdin Finds a Whole New World of Audio Solutions with DPA Microphones 01 May 2014
Aladdin is the most recent of Disney 's beloved animated films to come to life on Broadway and DPA Microphones is in a leading role for this musical comedy, engaging audiences with dramatic sound and theatrical adventures. To help make the magical experience come alive, Ken Travis, sound designer for the show, calls on the company's d:screet 4061 Omnidirectional Microphones to close-mic the entire cast, along with a combination of d:dicate 2011C Twin Diaphragm Cardioid and d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones to amplify the natural sound of the orchestra.
Featuring all of the original Academy Award-winning songs from the hit animated film, as well as new material written especially for the stage production, Aladdin combines elements of magic, adventure and comedy to captivate audiences. For Travis, this means producing a phenomenal sound to bring the cinematic experience to stage in the most vibrant way possible, lending this his desire to create an audio masterpiece that feels like the original film mixed with a classic Broadway musical. Whether costumes had to be designed around the mics or actors were equipped with several mics to account for costume changes, every setup was tested to achieve optimal audio amplification.
This is the most collaborative production at this level that I have ever been involved with, Travis shares. For instance, we were working directly with the costume designers because we don't want any wires to be seen on the cast. One unique thing we created was a prosthetic chin for the Genie, which has a DPA d:screet 4061 inside. While designing the chin, we tried multiple microphones, manufacturers and styles in order to find the perfect sound. The day we switched to the d:screet 4061 everyone said, wow, whatever you guys did to the Genie, that's it!'
Like the Genie, the entire ensemble uses d:screet 4061s, as Travis finds they provide a natural sound, with the benefit of being easily concealable. The mics are also designed to withstand the toughest of conditions, including humidity and sweat, and have a reinforced cable relief built to handle the constant twists, bends and pulls, which is perfect for a production of this magnitude.
Since the show requires as many as 72 costume changes in four minutes, the mics are hidden along the actors' hairline or turban to ensure the fast-paced environment is always perfectly wired for sound, allowing the ensemble to instead focus on their performances rather than mic placement.
Sometimes the cast only has a second to make sure the mic is in the proper placement after a wardrobe change, shares Travis. In those instances, we tell them to try and hit their mark, but just in case, we also built a transmitter for the mics that we hide in the costumes, such as under a jewel in the turbans. There are some cases when cast members are triple-miked because they'll have multiple hat and turban changes. Whether the number requires an actor put on a new turban, which covers the primary mic, or take off a turban to reveal another hat, equipped with a backup mic, we always have a redundant mic just so we don't lose any audio.
While it was crucial to Travis to find the best sound solution for the cast, he knew the orchestra also plays a big role in the Broadway experience. For Aladdin, a song such as A Friend Like Me, which is three minutes long in the movie, is a 10-minute production onstage. When it came time to select the mics to amplify the orchestra, Travis tested every mic available to ensure the sound quality of the instruments matched the vocal abilities of the performers. Again, DPA Microphones was the clear winner.
I'm never happy with the sound of snare drums, so we wanted to try different microphone varieties and pick whichever sounded the best, recalls Travis. Eric [Mayer, president of DPA, Inc.] suggested we try the d:dicate 2011C microphonesM. He felt they were just what we were looking for, so we included one in our blind test and he was right.
After finding the perfect orchestra mic, the audio team needed a setup to match, so they hung two d:dicate 2011C Twin Diaphragm Cardioids from a custom harness above the grand piano and orchestra to create what Travis describes as a very accurate sound. Additionally, they clipped d:vote 4099s to the toms and ethnic drums. From piano, guitar and strings to woodwinds, brass and drums, the d:vote 4099 sounds incredible on every instrument as it amplifies their natural acoustics and removes any unwanted noise. Ideal for the Broadway stage, a single d:vote model can reinforce an entire orchestra.
What we like about this setup is that the piano goes from very legato into the Genie performances that are really rocking, he explains. Those songs were our biggest test for the d:vote 4099s and d:dicate 2011Cs, because we use a lot of snares and ethnic drums, which can get loud. Some mics don't seem to reproduce that type of sound very accurately, but both micsstood up to the challenge. We are really happy with the sound, so we're trying the d:votes on some brass instruments next.
Per Travis' request, Masque Sound supplied a custom audio equipment package, which included the DPA d:screet 4061 mics, to support his creative design for the show, which opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on March 20. His vision was additionally brought to life by associate sound designer Alex Hawthorn, production audio head Lucas Indelicato and front of house mixer Gabe Wood, who each had a hand in selecting all of the DPA mics.
Travis is no stranger to the theater environment, as he has been providing his audio genius to the Great White Way since 1997. His recent works include Newsies; Jekyll & Hyde; and A Christmas Story, the Musical, both on and off-Broadwa
Most recent headlines
03/01/2026
A still from OBEX by Albert Birney, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance...
02/01/2026
Freezing Florida: NHL's EVP, Entertainment Bob Chesterman on Taking the Wint...
02/01/2026
NHL Winter Classic 2026: TNT Sports Prepares for First NHL Outdoor Game in Sunsh...
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
02/01/2026
Any Given Day: Cork University Hospital premieres Wednesday 7 January on RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
RT will debut a powerful new six-part documentary se...
02/01/2026
Friday 2 January 2026
All episodes of Heated Rivalry will be landing on Sky and...
02/01/2026
Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026
New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT
...
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
01/01/2026
New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...
31/12/2025
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
RT has unveiled an exclusive first look at the new Dancing with the Stars promo...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
Aladdin Finds a Whole New World of Audio Solutions with DPA Microphones 01 May 2014
