Music, Sound, and Audio Technology
Sennheiser Brings Broadway-Quality Sound to Goodspeed Musicals
By Staff
posted Jul 7, 2010, 23:50
�Keeping the microphones completely hidden is a major priority for us,� said Jay Hilton, sound designer for Goodspeed Musicals. Ensuring a flawless look is simpler now that the theater has adopted Sennheiser�s tiny clip-on microphones and transmitters. But it still takes a high level of creativity and imagination to make sure microphones remain completely out of sight, yet deliver natural-sounding, non-muffled sound.
(East Haddam, CT) Goodspeed Musicals’ productions are known throughout
the country for their lively performances and intimate ambience. At the Goodspeed
Opera House in East Haddam, many audience members can get up-close looks at
the actors’ incredibly detailed choreography and costumes. But what they
don’t see are the tiny microphones—creatively tucked away from view—that
carry the actors’ powerful voices throughout the majestic theater.
Goodspeed Musicals’ sound team relies on ultra-small wireless microphone
systems from audio specialist Sennheiser, which operates its U.S. headquarters
just a few towns away in Old Lyme. Sennheiser manufactures and markets headphones
and microphones for the consumer electronics market and pro audio applications
such as broadcasting, film/TV and Broadway productions.
Goodspeed Musicals’ audio team reached out to Sennheiser in search of
ultra-small wireless microphone systems that provide natural-sounding amplification
of actors’ voices without overpowering the small space.
“Keeping the microphones completely hidden is a major priority for us,”
said Jay Hilton, sound designer for Goodspeed Musicals. Ensuring a flawless
look is simpler now that the theater has adopted Sennheiser’s tiny clip-on
microphones and transmitters. But it still takes a high level of creativity
and imagination to make sure microphones remain completely out of sight, yet
deliver natural-sounding, non-muffled sound.
“Whenever possible, I mount the transmitter and microphone in actors’
wigs,” Hilton said. “Our wig designers actually design the look
of the wig to accommodate the transmitters.”
For last December’s holiday production of Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter,
Hilton was presented with the challenge of hiding microphones among bright woodland
creature costumes. “Blending the mics into the bright orange fur of the
foxes and bright green scales of the lizard is not common practice for the more
traditional musicals we do.” He ended up painting the microphone cables
to match, and applied a special painted tape to the “head” of the
microphone that also kept extra sweat and moisture at bay.
“Supreme attention to detail is a cornerstone of every one of Goodspeed
Musicals’ productions,” said Stefanie Reichert, vice president of
strategic marketing at Sennheiser USA. “We’re very proud to support
such a major force within our local arts community.”
Visitors to the Goodspeed Opera House can experience the Broadway-quality sound
of Sennheiser throughout the year. Productions include “Carnival!”
(July 9 through September 18) and “How to Succeed in Business without
Really Trying” (September 24 through November 28).
Resources:
www.sennheiserusa.com
www.goodspeed.org
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