For at least 20 of those concerts the sound has been mixed by DM Audio's Lars Wern. Fielding their new Martin Audio MLA Compact system, the leading production company ensured that not only the orchestra but also famous Swedish soprano Malin Byström were heard as never before by the 25,000-30,000 people who attended.
Presented by actor Samuel Fröler, the comprehensive programme, including popular works by Bizet, Gershwin, Schubert, Wagner and more, was played out through 12 MLA Compacts, rigged on each side of the stage, with three DSX subs set up in a cardioid pattern on each side (with the centre sub turned around). Out-fills were provided in the form of six Martin Audio W8LM Mini Line Array elements, covering one flank (with trees surrounding the other), while a delay mast, set around 55m back, featured four W8VDQ enclosures in pairs. Although the delays were scarcely needed with this system, they were deployed as a precaution, since the audience is seated at a higher elevation in the far back stands.
Lars Wern, who also designed the sound system for the event, was assisted by Martin Audio's Martyn 'Ferrit' Rowe, who acted as system engineer. The main mix was effected on a DiGiCo SD8, with monitor and strings premixed on an SD10. Down at the stage, monitor engineer Robert Ernlund doubled as premix engineer.
All 54 violins were miked using Countryman B3's, with all other instruments assigned to Neumann KM184 and AT 3035. The vocal mic was a Countryman E6 on a Sennheiser SK2000 transmitter, while hand-held microphones were wireless Sennheiser SKM2000/965.
Lars Wern said that MLA Compact was the perfect solution for a classical orchestra, since not only were the instruments reproduced transparently but there was no bleed back onto the stage.
"Most of the stage area was programmed as 'hard avoid' in the Design file," Wern explained. "We predicted an SPL, 3m from the front of the stage to the farthest point of the audience (about 100m back), to fall by only 4.5db. This worked very well, since you felt like you were only a few metres away from the source even though the distance was 85m."
He said he had never felt such control over the mix. "I have not heard anything that sounds as nice as this - other systems don't come near it. But the most important virtue is controllability so you can steer it into position and keep the SPL even."
(Jim Evans)
