When The Frick Collection, a museum based in New York City, began looking for new audio technology to help capture the sound of live classical music performances it stages throughout the year, it chose one each of Neumann’s mono and stereo mics.
Lacking a dedicated audio staff capable of setting up elaborate audio systems before each concert, yet concerned with ensuring sound quality for both live and radio broadcast audiences, the museum turned to consultant Danny Giorlando, owner of New York-based Audio Authority. Working closely with Josh Radin of the Sennheiser Electronic Corporation, they came up with a solution that would satisfy the museum’s need for simplicity and top-quality audio.
The two mics, a Neumann KM140 cardioid mono mic and a Neumann KM120 figure-8 stereo mic, were mounted using a STH120 mounting bracket, one on top of the other, in a D8420 suspension unit hung about eight feet above a stage area measuring 25×12 feet (WxD).
The KM140 picks up sound from the center of the stage, while the KM120 captures it from the left and right sides. Audio from both mics is routed through the mic preamp, a True Systems P2 analog, which serves as a “middle-side” decoder, accurately balancing the left and right sound with that of the middle. The audio is then routed through an Allen & Heath DL1000 mixing console, a dbx 166 compressor, Bose amplifiers and two-dozen Bose speakers mounted in an adjacent 60×120-foot atrium that serves as an overflow audience room.
The beauty of the Neumann solution, says Giorlando, is the ease with which performances can now be captured and the quality of the sound the audience hears.
“This microphone solution proved to be a great way to get the entire stage covered with essentially just one center-point-hung mic assembly,” Giorlando says. “The mics capture everything, both vocals and instrumentals, and produces a flawless stereo image. The True Systems P2A provides a seamless interface and keeps all aspects of the performance even and in phase.”
For more information on the Neumann mics, please go to www.neumannusa.com.
