Aug 1, 2009 12:00 PM

Paul Arditti

Paul Arditti, who received the 2009 Tony Award for Best Sound Design for this show, designed a “Tap Floor” that comprises 96 piezo-electric pickups distributed across the majority of the stage area, which are set into the subfloor under the parquet.

The intention is to pick up and amplify tap dancing from anywhere on the stage, without risk of feedback or interaction with other live sources. The usual solution to this problem is to run wireless mics down the legs of each actor to the dancing feet. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the costumes, this is mostly not an option. The “Tap Floor” allows the choreography to take the actors anywhere around the stage and still be effectively miked. With some experimentation, we discovered what spacing of the pickups worked best and how to mount them in the floor most effectively. The audio from the pickups goes individually into a 96-channel console. The mixer then splits the floor into zones, and applies compression and gating. The stereo output of this mixer feeds a stereo analog input on the D5T, where the audio is finally EQ'd and routed to the sound system.

ONLINE EXTRAS

READ:
All the FixIts in one spot!

Mix Books

Modern Recording and Mixing

This 2-DVD set will show you how the best in the music industry set up a studio to make world-class records. Regardless of what gear you are using, the information you'll find here will allow you to take advantage of decades of expert knowledge. Order now $39.95

Mastering Cubase 4

Electronic Musician magazine and Thomson Course Technology PTR have joined forces again to create the second volume in their Personal Studio Series, Mastering Steinberg's Cubase(tm). Edited and produced by the staff of Electronic Musician, this special issue is not only a must-read for users of Cubase(tm) software, but it also delivers essential information for anyone recording/producing music in a personal-studio. Order now $12.95

Newsletters

MixLine

Delivered straight to your inbox every other week, MixLine takes you straight into the studio, with new product announcements, industry news, upcoming events, recent recording/post projects and much more. Click here to read the latest edition; sign up here.

MixLine Live

Delivered straight to your inbox every other week, MixLine Live takes you on the road with today's hottest tours, new sound reinforcement professional products, recent installs, industry news and much more. Click here to read the latest edition; sign up here.