Opera Philadelphia’s recent presentation of “An Evening of Vocal Fireworks: Amici e Rivali” (Friends and Rivals), a socially distanced outdoor concert held at the city’s Mann Music Center, saw the deployment of numerous microphones from DPA that were implemented by producer Joe Hannigan of Weston Sound & Video to capture sound for both the house system and the multi-track recording.
The soloists, tenors Michael Spyres and Lawrence Brownlee were arranged on either side of the conductor and miked with legacy 4023 compact cardioid microphones on flamingo stands (today known as 4011 mics with floor stands and modular booms). Hannigan and Maestro Corrado Rovaris specified the string players to each be equipped with DPA 4099 instrument mics on stands, and to augment the recording, the audio crew utilized 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,” says Hannigan. “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.”
