To achieve a natural effect where the music did not sound over amplified, the venue's sound designer and production engineer, Owen Ironside, chose a selection of DPA microphones to capture the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra's performance.
"The Theatre is a very intimate space and my goal was to make the mix as transparent as possible and merely bring the orchestra image out of the pit, sonically speaking, without it sounding like the PA was even on," Ironside explains. "In total there were 29 musicians situated in the open pit, beneath the stage. To achieve the results I wanted I opted to mic each section with DPA microphones, with the addition of a solo DPA mic on 1st violin, as opposed to a traditional Decca Tree approach."
On Ironside's recommendation, the Concourse Arts Centre invested in 12 DPA 2011C Twin Diaphragm directional microphones, which were supplied by DPA's Australian distributor Amber Technologies.
"I used directional microphones because the orchestra was situated directly under the PA," Ironside says. "To mic the venue's Steinway piano I used the directional DPA d:vote 4099P instrument microphone set mounted inside the piano with magnet holders, making it almost invisible."
Gavin Sutherland, music director and conductor for English National Ballet, says, "I was extremely impressed with the sound engineering for the Willoughby Symphony pit orchestra in the Theatre at The Concourse. The sound emanating from this moderately sized pit of 29 players, out front (in the auditorium) has a fulsomeness, richness and clarity worthy of some of the larger pit orchestras in Europe. A great natural sounding result was achieved."
(Jim Evans)
