Wicked dances on with DPA microphones
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Working alongside sound designer Tony Meola, Khalil abides by Meola’s philosophy when micing shows: whether you’re working with instruments or cast members, get the mic in the correct place without being intrusive, and then get the sound as perfect as possible. With these goals in mind, microphones designed to provide authentic audio were the obvious choice when upgrading the theatre’s sound system.
DPA Microphones fits all of the sound needs for Wicked. After initially integrating the DPA 6061 Subminiature Lavalier Microphones, the theatre added the brand’s 2011 Twin Diaphragm Cardioid, 4055 Kick Drum and 4099 Instrument Mics to its lineup.
“As a whole, DPA makes things easier,” Khalil explains. “You’re not fighting against the microphones - they have such a low noise floor. Compared to our old mics, the DPAs take the sound to another level; details are getting picked up where they weren’t before. Whether you want to hear those details or not is up to you but at least instead of getting lost, we now have the option to keep them in.”
Khalil first introduced the team to the 6061s, which they slowly deployed on individual performers until the entire cast was covered. “I’ve been a fan of DPA for a long time, so I knew the sound quality side of the brand was a given,” he shares. “The main challenge we were looking to solve was aesthetics. The DPA 6061 capsules are small enough to blend into the show while also high-quality enough to bring out the details and nuances of the performers’ voices.”
The detail provided by the 6061s was crucial for Khalil, who has seen numerous casts of Wicked and understands the importance of the miniscule differences between each actor’s performance. “It’s not that we had bad sound before, but with DPA it was an immediately noticeable difference,” he explains. “The 6061s sound as if you’re speaking to the actors face-to-face. This also helps improve the humour of the show because you can hear the little comedic changes in the actors’ voices. These mics are just raising the bar another step that wasn’t there before.”
The Wicked audio team is dedicated to continually modernising its sound system to enhance the actors’ performances. Beyond the DPA mics supplied by Sound Network, the sound department additionally relies on a DiGiCo SD7 console and a self-powered Meyer Sound PA designed by Meola and provided by Autograph Sound Recording.
A TC Electronics System 6000 handles the reverbs, and various Lexicon units provide special effects throughout the show. Backstage, Sennheiser transmitters and receivers work with the DPA mics to create the sound.
