London, UK (June 11, 2014)—Portsmouth-based MLS Audio recently teamed up with DPA Microphones for a tricky sound reinforcement project concerning Bentley’s private corporate event at the Royal Exchange in London.
“We were approached by event organizer, Beyond Certainty, to handle the audio. The original brief was for ‘a few singers and a band’. This became ‘a few singers placed around the room on podiums with a band at one end’ to the final translation of ‘six opera and West End show artists and a 10-piece orchestra,’” explained sound engineer and MLS Audio founder Guy Morris.
Given the architecture of the Royal Exchange, this wasn’t as easy as it might seem. The roof is 50 meters high, while the interior has 95 percent reflective surfaces thanks to ample use of glass, marble, stone and tiles.
“The artists had already specified that their preference was to use headset microphones and immediately chose single ear versions of DPA’s d:fine Headset Microphones,” Morris said. “The orchestra, however, was another issue because we had 10 instruments to amplify in a space that was acoustically very challenging.”
“The artists required total clarity from different parts of the orchestra for their performances and spot mics in that acoustic environment just weren’t going to deliver that,” Morris said. “We spoke to James Lawford at LMC Audio Systems, our preferred equipment supplier, and he suggested DPA d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones.”
MLS Audio bought DPA’s recently introduced d:vote Classic 10 Touring Kit, which incorporates 10 d:vote microphones, adapters and cables, as well as a selection of 25 clips for a variety of instruments.
“The selection of instrument mounts was marvelous,” Morris says. “There were even two magnetic mounts for placing inside a piano with the lid open or shut. This was very useful as our orchestra was using a Baby Grand piano (shut), three violins, a viola, a cello, an upright bass, a flute and an oboe.”
DPA Microphones
www.dpamicrophones.com
