The intricacies of broadcasting an opera live from four locations is explained to Mike Clarkby Rai audio chief Antonio Ciano
Rossini’sCinderellawas transmitted from three locations
ITALIAN STATE broadcaster Rai and Andrea Andermann’s Rada Film recently produced the latest in a series of HD live opera films from (or close to) the locations in which they were originally set: Rossini’s Cenerentola (Cinderella) was transmitted from three spectacular stages in Turin and the key technical challenge was that the orchestra accompanying the singers played in an auditorium miles from all three. The 62-piece orchestra was in
Rai’s Turing auditorium and had a two-way AV link with the three locations to enable soloists and chorus to see the conductor and hear the music, and vice versa. The locations were the Lake Villa on the huge Venaria Reale estate, the Royal Palace and Stupinigi Hunting lodge. Rai official Antonio Ciano
was responsible for the entire audio project. He explains: “As on past productions, I chose the audio team, with the advantage that the RAI National Symphony Orchestra is resident at the auditorium, so it is normally covered for broadcast by my Turin colleagues.” Each production room at the
three locations hosted a Studer Vista 9 and a Soundcraft Vi1. Marco Diodato and Domenico Narducci manned the Studer, the former handling the balance between the stereo orchestra feed, singers’ and chorus voices and effects with a final mixdown
for playout, and the latter an area of the console used to mix the seven principals (double DPA 4061 wireless mics with Wisycom MTP 30 transmitters). Maurizio Trevisan manned the Soundcraft, mixing the effects on the sets (a tray falling, water dripping into a tub, etc). In the
auditorium, audio technician Dario Chiapino had a Studer Vista 5 at his disposal, while the orchestra was covered by Neuman KM140, U 89 and TLM 170, DPA 4600, with a Delta Tree set-up, Scheops CCM 21, plus two ORTF MSTC 64U stereo microphones
for ambient sound for the multi- track recording of the opera. Regarding the complexities
involved in microphones and their placement (out of camera sightlines, but able to ensure good coverage), Ciano adds: “Each of the seven principals’ microphones
Lake Villa audio production room with Antonio Ciano on the left
were hidden on their costumes and, as well as Sennheiser MK 416 and CMC 421, CMC 4 and BLM 03 Schoeps mics, strategically positioned on the sets in such a way as to be invisible to the cameras. We also used four wireless mics mounted on the
Meyer Sound MM4 miniature monitors were hidden on the sets
napes of the necks of four of the chorus soloists, who were always positioned slightly in front of the other members, operating as ‘microphone men’. This provided a very satisfactory solution to covering movement on the sets and we managed to avoid unwanted noise by muting mics whenever they were unused.” There were two analogue radio links (main and backup) for two-way signal transport between the Venaria and Stupinigi sets and the auditorium and fibre optics for the palace. With the first two, there was
absolutely no delay and with the third it was in the region of milliseconds, so imperceptible. The final mix fed to the OB van was delayed by the video team to keep it in sync with the HD video coverage before being beamed out to the satellites. On the sets, a Yamaha 02R96
was used for reinforcement of the orchestra feed from the production room consoles, heard by the performers via a series of carefully hidden Meyer MM4 miniature monitors (50 all-in). The Rai technicians on set also had a final mix at their disposal and any VTR audio for monitoring what was happening at rehearsals and during the live show. Enthusiastic with the results