Welcome to the Pit

Guest Blogger Nick G., the Joffrey Soundman, continues his assault on our Blog:

Hi Folks! Fair warning: there's a commercial coming up in the middle of this post.
Also note: Extensive use of italics, bold, and Colored Text.

The Pit, with Microphones and Violinists Warming Up.
The picture isn't blurry; that's what musicians look like all the time.

So now that you know how to get into the pit from my previous post, let's talk about what we find when we get there. Yes, we 'mic' the musicians here at the Auditorium Theater. Arranged throughout are plenty of microphones, about 14 or so.

"But Nick" you say, "why would you use microphones in the acoustically perfect Auditorium Theater? Scandalous! For shame, sir, for shame!" Well, first off, you talk funny. But listen.

What the solo violinist is looking at during Lilac Garden:
a SHURE KSM32 Large Cardioid Condenser.
Duh, as if you didn't already know that.

Let's pause here for a product plug.

The Joffrey Ballet uses SHURE microphones, thanks to an extremely generous donation from SHURE Incorporated in Niles, IL. The Joffrey Sound Department heartily endorses SHURE products of all kinds!

As I was saying, the Auditorium is extremely good acoustically. Sure, say "perfect", but what does that mean? Nobody knows. So, as Mr. Arpino once put it to me, "This is ballet, not a music concert. Let's hear it."

The hi-tek Joffrey sound system. (Note: "Hi-Tek" is a trademark ©1978)

What Mr. A was trying to get across to me was that the music is there to support the dance, not the other way around. So, no, we're not orchestra purists here. We want it to sound good, but we also want the whole audience to hear the music - the better to be able to enjoy that stuff going on onstage. And it is a very delicate balance that we try to pull off with, I believe, some success.

However, one important reason for microphones in the pit is to help the dancers onstage. See, we also put speakers in the wings, to project the sound up there so the dancers can hear it even when the curtain is closed, or when they're further upstage or offstage.

See? Speaker. Why would I lie to you?

And there are speakers in the dressing rooms and green room and hallways, too. And in addition, if the orchestra needs some balance out in the house (House is theater-jargon for the audience), only then do we use the mics to amplify the sound, using those Hi-Tek© speakers we showed you up above. And because we want to hear that solo violinist or baritone singer clearly, we mic them. [So there, Mr NYTimes critic.] That also lets the soloists perform their best without having to worry whether they're playing/singing loudly enough to be heard over the rest of the orchestra. We can make sure they're heard regardless.

Artsy-fartsy picture of the harp, a lovely and very quiet instrument which
benefits only when amplified to ear-shattering volume.

Next time, we'll look at where the magic of the ballet really happens: at the sound desk.

Don't give me that look. You'll see.
Cheers!