Anyone has any idea how did they pull that off?

Even when singers are facing away from the front, you can hear them well, and even when walking around, changing orientation in space, the sound doesn't change dramatically...

They don't seem to wear the mics, there is nothing to be seen hanging from the ceiling (but it could be hidden in the dark), nothing to be seen on the floor... where are the mics?? The orchestra has plenty of mics visible... and sounds fine, too.

Shotguns, strategically placed to cover the whole area?? Also, nice choir sound, nice balance between singers and orchestra...

How on Earth? Such clear and balanced, almost "direct" sound, with no visible mics anywhere. Of course - great singers with great projection - yet... you need a mic somewhere... also the choir seems nicely spread in the stereo, yet they seem to be positioned randomly on the scene at different occasions, yet always perfectly embracing the stereo picture... is it possible that this was partially re-recorded? Or using the super concealed lavaliers?

The only critique would be - waaay too loud applause.

Long shotguns, strategically placed to cover the whole area seems like the logical possibility.

While this website doesn’t exactly answer your question, it does offer info on how the Opernhaus Zürich goes about its audio/video productions.

https://www.ravenna-network.com/zuri...enna-solution/

It’s also worth noting that this opera house is renowned for its acoustics.

Thanks and yes, not really related, since that was recorded in 2007...

I think that if they sound the same when they spin around, you have to assume wireless mics are in the equation.

Lots of techniques to very effectively hide them these days. They can be very well hidden, in the hair, the costume etc. Sometimes you can see the wires on the performer if you look closely, but they try to hide them with flesh colored tape, makeup and the costume.

Here's a screen cap where I believe the fellow's wire is coming out of his shirt;

All these thiny DPA can be hiden in post.
My daugther plays frequently in baroque operas where all the singers have the little DPA in their hair and everything desappear in the videos, except some times...

Yes, I was looking at hair and didn't find anything... good find.

Often you can see the mics or wires behind the ears, in the hair/wig, or a wire right at the nape of the neck, covered with flesh colored tape. Endless possibilities in the costumes, jewelry, cleavage, etc.

You never see that in the audience, only with a camera closeup.

And most of the time, even if the camera operator "sees" them, no one else ever does.

D.

Lots of ways to hide wireless mics and transmitters these days. Taking some cues from our brethren in the film and TV world. I've done it on a couple of live streamed operas during the Pandemic. DPA mics and URSA mini mounts and foam covers can hide a lot these days.

Most proper live shows tend to bin the mics after they have been caked in tape, hair and makeup. Some every night.

As a younger person I scoured the West End of London at night checking bins in Theatre land.

A sort of microphone Jack the Ripper.

Yes, hidden lavaliers should be an obvious answer. I somehow didn't think they would go to the same lengths of hiding the mics as in film productions.

When I worked on a few TV productions, I know we were hiding the mics in pockets, scarfs, hair, neckties, hats, taping to the chest, then planting mics in different props, flower pots, taping under the table, behind some objects, etc.

I also thought that sound quality consideration would be higher - in the film it's usually a short scene that can be repeated - and if some mic malfunctions or some jewellery or fabric makes too much noise, or the actors hug and press against the mics, etc. it can be repeated and amended...

High level of planning and expertise goes on here, obviously. Also mixing wise. It would be interesting to hear an interview about it from those guys who did it.

I have watched many opera productions with decent, adequate, but "distant" sound of the soloists - with mics visible at the edge of stage. Like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRjp...uj51pV&index=6

While the one I started this thread for sounds almost like an album recording.

So, it is hidden lavaliers after all, what else.

I now spotted one peeking out from the edge of the jacket of the baritone singer in a few scenes - see the attachment photo - it's the exact spot we would put it when actors had jackets in the TV show I was working on. For female singers with the bear shoulders and no cable going up to the hair, I guess it's the cleavage... Taping to the chest was usual, too. But also problematic for unwanted noises... cleavages were fine mostly, since the mic capsule was open/unobscured. Under the shirts, etc. was a bit tricky, especially with synthetic shirts...

Hamilton mic details.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=351DxQghbh0

The hairline mini-mic technique was developed for Broadway productions, not by Hollywood, where they care less about the quality of the voice than Broadway or Opera does, and think nothing of burying wireless mics under several layers of clothing and then EQing it like crazy.

A tiny DPA at the hairline of a stage actor or opera singer can pick up the voice with considerable clarity and will never be seen by an audience.

But the closer scrutiny of a film camera would show them readily, so hence them getting put under clothing.

Of course wireless are big in the world of Musicals as well. I was talking to the FOH mixer on a touring production of Wicked after the show. He had a total of over 60 RF mics under his control in the course of the show. Over 60! What he told me that amazed me most was that he often used other actors mics to present some words or a song from some other mic'd (but not potted up) actor. That and that the show was mixed "line by line" to keep the number of open mics on stage at a minimum. By the time I saw the show, he had mixed it more than 100 times and had his work completely memorized but his script, on a plexi desk riding over the 48 faders, looked like a complex map for hunting hidden treasure, thousands of notes on every space.

In my long career in live audio, I have never heard anything like it. Maybe the best audio I have EVER heard from any stage. Wow!

The other cool thing was that the actors mic'd themselves. If only we had taught motion picture actors to do that, it would have made a lot more time for the sound department to enjoy craft services.

D.

I've spent a good portion of my career in the Broadway theatre world. And have toured Broadway shows. Blue Man Group wasn't quite the theatre mix, lots of automation built into the show file and playback. But I also toured Jesus Christ Superstar for a short while and it was exactly a line by line mix. We had around 30 actors miced, the show also had a liberal use of hand held wireless also that were shared.

For those who haven't done it, live theatre mixing in the Broadway line-by-line style is a whole other experience. Sure there's tones of edits and automation in studio recording and film and TV, but in live theatre, that's mostly done live for every show. The automation is built into the console as you swap individual inputs in and out of DCA groups on a per scene, or sometimes per line basis. It's a chore, and often takes months to learn to do a clean mix without mistakes.

It's very much akin to learning to play a musical instrument. AND learning every actor's part on the stage and memorizing every line. It's one of the hardest jobs in all of audio engineering and lots of guys who are great music mixers can't keep up with the pace.

Yes, that was my thinking, too... that they care more about the quality of the voice and that hidden mics under fabric could hardly sound that good.

I knew about the hair technique, but couldn't find any mics in that video - also the ladies with strapless dresses had no mic cables visible going to the hair... from what was now more critically observed - it's obviously clever hiding in the cleavages and under jackets, where the mics are still open enough for nice sound... Probably also some mic in the hair, when possible. I doubt they would digitally remove the cables and mics in 2007 from the footage, so it must have been simply those clever hiding solutions and great mix. But where are the mics when Cecilia Bartoli is singing in her night dress on the bed and Charles Workman all over her with an open shirt, is quite a mystery. (actually - I think I noticed the mic taped to his chest on the right under the shirt that is also taped to skin in that place, so it doesn't ever reveal it and for Cecilia, I think there is the obvious hiding place...) And the muting of the mics when they don't sing and they are in contact, fighting, etc.
OK, enough brainstorming about this. I think it is "solved" for my curiosity.

Thank you all for the interesting stories and links.

Much attention to detail and big production efforts as I see now. Another cool audio world.

Yes, Kevin McCoy is a very talented man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60OpF3DCVls

I took another quick look (because it's fun), and think I see wires on the back, and perhaps even a transmitter pocket in the costume.

And Listener's catch of the lapel mic appears right on.

Of course, no need to do perfect muting/mixing live for a video, just fix it in post. We don't know if there was a live broadcast or if the audience got some sort of live reinforcement. Nor if the video was edited with some scenes from different performances or rehearsals.

The video isn't available... but if I had to do something like this and I wanted it to sound like a broadcast with everyone front and center and in your face... I'd just overdub all the vocal parts....
--scott

Click on the link and open it in YT... it's a fine sound. (to me)

Keep in mind that many of these actors, especially principals, are double mic'd. Certainly for backup but maybe both mics play a different role (sorry) in various parts of the performance.

Looks like "bowtie man" has two mics showing; one behind his lapel and one out his collar and then behind the tie?

D.

The video is available, just not on this website.

Click on the 'Watch on YouTube' link and you'll be able to view it accordingly.

Just adding to the topic a similar example that I mixed myself a few years ago: "The Listeners" - music by Missy Mazzoli - commissioned by the Norwegian opera (currently playing in Chicago). The quick rundown is that we used around 40 WL belt-packs with DPA lavs, two each for the principal singers (either hairline front or either side above the ear). Using two is mainly for backup - but also useful to be able to select the best side if someone nearby is also singing straight into another persons mic, thus creating phase issues (that are easily solved if one selects the mic on the opposite side, if that makes sense).

A lot of work during rehearsals of course, making detailed notes in the score of which mics to open at any given time - but the benefit is of course that you will have all you need to make it sonically consistent. Add to these some SDC mics across the stage front and some suspended above the stage to give the singers some air - and a bunch of mics in the pit for the orchestra - and you are good to go. Mostly DPA & Schoeps - but also some Brauner LDCs for the main orchestra pickup in the pit. A lot of work - but also great fun.

Originally aired on the Operavision.eu platform, but I found a YouTube link: https://youtu.be/GJ6KaXjk868?si=8B2AIyYy2IVFbq0w

i have immense respect for the people who have elevated line by line mixing to an incomparable art!



[at the same time, i feel sorry for people doing such hectic and repetitive 'robot work': i can't stand listening to the same show more than a dozen times (at most) and enjoy the variety (and challenge) of having to get things into optimum form in a much shorter time - besides, i dislike musicals about as much as operettas, but fortunately interests and abilities vary from person to person...]

How about a couple of tiny mics sticky taped to your cheek.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc3Xjs4T4n8