DPA Microphones - 4006A Omnidirectional Microphone

There are two ways to do this. They both involve a class of microphones that you probably can't afford to buy, so you'll need to rent them from specialist suppliers like Gotham Sound, Soundmirror, or Jim Flynn. (Don't *ever* bring a SM 58 to a job like this and expect a call-back.) The first method is to fly a stereo main pair as if you're recording a chamber music recital, which is exactly what you're doing. Performer and piano placement on stage is critically important, as is the distance and height at which you place the main pair. The later choices depend primarily on the hall acoustics and can't be predicted in advance. Show up at the dress rehearsal with a stereo bar mounted on a tall light stand, then make adjustments until you get an acceptable sound. Take note of the position and height. Once the rehearsal is over, ditch the stand and fly the stereo bar at the same position from the lighting loft. (Allow two hours for this.) You can make minor adjustments using a second pair of monofilament "breasting lines". Flown SDC's are rarely noticeable. You can also use a LDC pair, but their aim is more critical, and their extra weight means that most venues will require you to use a separate steel safety line attached to the stereo bar. The main reason for the extra trouble would be that you can easily rent a pair of AKG 414's. The second method starts the same way but hedges your bets by adding spots on both the piano and soloist. (You're more likely to use the piano spots than the soloist spot if you've placed your main pair correctly.) The piano mics can be a stereo pair of SDC's "in the bend", but you might not want them there if the singer is standing nearby. Using a pair of "tail mics" is a good alternative in that case. Piano mics are typically small omni's: common choices are DPA 4006's or Schoeps CMC 6's with MK2 capsules. Opera singers are queasy about microphones, so this is generally done at a distance of three to six feet with SDC "remote preamp" rig that mounts the capsule at the end of a thin gooseneck stand, below waist level. (Look at videos of the Three Tenors to see exactly this kind of rig. The microphone can be a bit farther away than this for recording, but ten feet is too far.) There is one and only one microphone that is commonly used for this: a Schoeps MK41 super cardioid capsule with any several preamp bodies. The remote capsule goosenecks are scarce as hen's teeth, but it's easy to find standard CMC 641's at most video rental houses because they're a favorite of boom operators. For lower visual impact, a MK41 capsule on a CMC 1 miniature preamp is highly preferable, but you'll need to ask around.