DPA Mics Capture Opera Philadelphia’s Outdoor Concert

A night at the opera is always a special event. This is why Opera Philadelphia recently presented “An Evening of Vocal Fireworks: Amici e Rivali” (Friends and Rivals), a socially distanced outdoor concert held at the city’s Mann Music Center for local music lovers, conducted by Maestro Corrado Rovaris. While the amplified event was viewed live, outdoors on large-scale screens at the Mann Music Center, the crew also recorded the performance for archival purposes. Producer Joe Hannigan of Weston Sound & Video selected DPA Microphones to ensure a crystal clear, rich, full and intelligible sound for both the House PA and multi-track recording.

The soloists, tenors Michael Spyres and Lawrence Brownlee (pictured), 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 Rovaris specified the string players to each be equipped with DPA 4099 Instrument Microphones on mic stands, which was necessary to follow COVID safety protocols. 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.”