Bang on a Can Unleashes “Sonic Assault” with Lost Objects
Dec 30, 2004 12:48 PM, By Mix Editors
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A scene from Lost Objects
An ambitious work of music-theater, Bang on a Can’s Lost Objects, performed recently at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, fused an eclectic array of musical ensembles including a 30-piece baroque orchestra, a rock band and three operatic singers. The show’s front-of-house engineer, Jody Elff, had to make sure the voices of the show’s three lead singers could be heard over the “sonic assault” of the show’s musical ensembles. DPA’s 4088 Miniature cardioid headband microphones helped him accomplish the task.
“The various ensembles worked together in different combinations throughout the show, and this presented a substantial challenge for me as the front-of-house engineer,” said Elff, also sound designer for Lost Objects. “The three DPA 4088 headset mics were able to handle the tremendous SPL generated by the three operatic singers, isolating those critical sonic elements from the surrounding wash of sound, even while standing directly in front of the orchestra.”
Elff adds that other DPA mics used during the show included three 4021cardiod condenser microphones suspended across the downstage edge to help reinforce the chorus as they would drift downstage at various points during the show. “Again, the natural sound of the mic is great and gives me the extra headroom I need to pull the chorus out over the rest of the ensemble,” he explained.
Founded 16 years ago by three contemporary composers—Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe—Bang On A Can is an organization that has built its reputation on fostering new music and exploring new kinds of composition and presentation. The three founders composed Lost Objects, which explores the myriad implications of loss, and what it means to us when those things once lost are found.
For more information on Bang on a Can, visit www.bangonacan.org.
For more information on DPA mics, visit www.dpamicrophones.com.
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