Richard Meredith, director of London-based pro audio and live sound specialists The Audio Dept., was charged with the task of specifying the rig, which is jointly utilised by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) and Ex Cathedra.
Its portable nature means that it can be easily set up in several venues used by the groups, including Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall and The CBSO Centre, and used for other recording duties in the venues, too.
At the heart of the rig is a stereo pair of d:dicate 2011A Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones. These are mounted on flown DPA UA0387 stereo bars, specifically chosen for the task by Meredith as they give visual markings for differing stereo setups.
The pool of recording equipment available to the three groups includes eight d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones with clips to suit different orchestral instruments, four d:screet 4060 Miniature Microphones for recording instruments or speech and another pair of d:dicate 2011A Microphones that can be used as a secondary pair.
"The three bodies involved wanted an audio and video recording set up that would allow them to capture behind the scenes interviews, rehearsals and performances for their archives and for online content," Meredith explains. "I was charged with delivering the audio component and my main criteria was to ensure consistently high quality sound, regardless of which venue they were using."
Meredith chose DPA microphones for their ability to deliver high end sonic quality and as a trusted and respected brand, particularly amongst the classical fraternity.
"With DPA, you know that the audio quality will always be exceptional and that everyone will be happy with the results they deliver," he says. "This was especially important because the rig is shared between three musical groups and will therefore be used by a number of different house and visiting engineers."
(Jim Evans)
