Returning to the stage as hologram 40 years after her death, opera singer Maria Callas has ‘toured’ the world with a live orchestra accompanying digital remasters of her recordings. Next in its sights, Callas in Concert will visit Canada and Japan. With sighlines very much in mind, FOH and recording engineer Howard ‘Howie’ Lindeman turned to the 4099 Instrument Microphone from DPA Microphones.
In all, Lindeman and his team deployed 27 DPA 4099 Instrument Microphones (with mic clips) for the 14 violins, six violas, five cellos and two upright basses that were used for the concert.
‘The major challenge on this project was the real estate that mic stands take up on a stage,’ he says. ‘DPA’s 4099 not only alleviated that problem, but also allowed a close-mic recording. Instead of area miking with several large condenser mics, and fighting potential feedback, the 4099s allowed us to mic up all of the string players and really showcased the talent of each musician.’
Produced by Base Hologram, the tour launched in California before heading to Mexico and South America, and then returned to the US ahead of its European leg. DPA was brought into the production through Sound Image.
‘The 4099s were an effective tool in amplifying the sounds of the string section,’ adds FOH tech and A2, Harrison Ruhl. ‘The 4099s sounded transparent and allowed Howie to make the entire orchestra sound incredible with minimal EQ and the appropriate high-pass filtering. The basses and cellos sounded full and present. The mic handled the low-end incredibly well, and its low profile made attachment very easy without hindering the player.’
A long-time user of DPA mics, Lindeman continues to be impressed: ‘Regarding the audio quality of the DPA mics, the answer is simple – flawless,’ he says. ‘The 4099 is the ideal live mic solution for any string player. The 4099s deliver a sound that is as close to flat as you can get with little high-pass filtering. As expected, they worked wonderfully well on this unique and creative project. I do prefer and, when I can, demand DPA.’
Since implementation of the 4099 Instrument Mic for Callas in Concert, DPA has released a new, upgraded instrument microphone, the 4099 Core Instrument Microphone that adds another layer of sound quality. The Core by DPA technology brings more clarity and details to music across the entire dynamic range.
More: www.dpamicrophones.com
