A recent performance of Candide by the Welsh National Opera, which has presented performances for audiences across South Wales for the past 75 years, including smaller productions to those with hundreds of people that require additional audio equipment, saw sound designer Sebastian Frost deploy a range of microphones from DPA.
Specifically, Frost chose to close mic all the high strings using 4099 instrument microphones and put the rest of the orchestra on the 2012 compact cardioid microphones, along with a 4055 kick drum microphone for the show. Further, for the theater’s production of Migrations last year, Frost deployed 2011 twin diaphragm cardioid and 4011 cardioid condenser microphones.
“The microphones provide an enormous level of conformity and smoothness in terms of sound,” says Frost. “They make it much quicker and easier, especially with an opera schedule that has no previews and very few dress rehearsals. By using one brand across the board, you know how the mics are going to respond and react. Plus, it helps keep everything in the same sound space to get an even, smooth coverage of the orchestra, which is ideal.
Frost explains his mic choices for Candide: “I love the coverage patterns, they’re even and controlled. The frequency response of the 2012s allows me to use the same microphone throughout the orchestra, and the 4099s are absolutely the standard for close miking. I would not choose any other brand.
“I tend to send a lot of fallback down to the orchestra, and the DPA microphones respond beautifully well because of their tight coverage patterns,” he adds. “Using only DPA also makes for a much better performance and provides a really great experience that audiences love.”
Frost trained at the Guildhall School of Music Drama before setting out as a sound designer for both corporate and theater companies, including West End and Broadway. Prior to joining Welsh National Opera, he was involved in immersive shows at Secret Cinema in London and served as the sound designer for 20 years with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, an annual series of musical performances by the British armed forces. He has designed the sound for hundreds of productions and shows no signs of stopping.
