Point Source Audio SERIES9 lavalier microphones were center stage for “Just for One Day – The Live Aid Musical,” nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Contribution, as the show completed its debut run from January to March at The Old Vic in London.
All of the production’s performers as well as the band were equipped with SERIES9 lavaliers that incorporate Point Source Audio’s latest microphone technology. Gareth Owen spearheaded the sound design for the production.
“My approach was to imagine what the songs from the concert would sound like with today’s technology,” Owen explains. “The goal was to maintain the essence of the original performances while infusing modern production values. The Point Source Audio mics performed exceptionally well. We had ample opportunity over the run to compare them to various other microphones and each and every time we came back to SERIES9.”
Held at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on July 13, 1985, the original Live Aid convert raised approximately $127 million to help alleviate the Ethiopian famine. “Live Aid was iconic – it showcased the power of music to unite people across continents for a humanitarian cause,” says Owen.
“I started by collating all the music from the show into a playlist and listening to it on repeat!” he continues. “There are so many iconic songs there which I thought I knew but realised I really didn’t when I started really drilling down into them. Details of effects and orchestrations were meticulously researched — I think I read every online thread about 80s reverb ever written!”
The live band on stage performed with minimal acoustic screening. When this was combined with the lavalier microphones hidden in the cast’s hair, it made for a challenging design.
“My old friend Jonathon Deans (Cirque du Soleil Vegas sound designer) had been extolling the virtues of Point Source Audio microphones to me for years,” Owen says. “I’d always wanted to use them and finally the opportunity presented itself to me for ‘Just for One Day’ in London.
“Audio quality comes first and foremost when selecting a microphone,” he continues. “It also needs to be small enough to hide in plain sight on a performer. Finally, it needs to be robust – it doesn’t matter how small it is or how good it sounds if it breaks halfway through the opening number.”
The SERIES9 GO-9WL lavaliers have a stated maximum SPL of 142 dB and a sensitivity of -39 dB, and are designed to provide high-quality performance in challenging environments. They’re equipped with the company’s patented ENDURE connectors and carry an IP57 waterproof rating.
“‘Just For One Day’ is one of the most challenging shows I have done for a while,” Owen concludes. “Through the sheer perseverance and bloody mindedness of myself and my associate sound designer Andy Green, as well as the brilliant work of head of sound Joe Green and the rest of the team, we beat the sound in to a shape that I wasn’t just happy with, I was truly ecstatic with. It was a hell of a journey, but I couldn’t be prouder of the end result.”
