At the beginning of August 2014, the La Folia Baroque Orchestra made
recordings on several days in the historic setting of the Palais in Dresden”s Great
Garden. Experienced recording professionals used carefully selected audio
technology components to capture all of the sound nuances at the highest
quality level. Microphones from audio specialist Sennheiser played a decisive role
as the first links in the recording chain.
Stockfisch Records” Gunter Pauler was primarily responsible for the technical
aspects of the recording, leaving the musical management to his colleagues
Jakob Handel and Hans-Jorg Maucksch.
Miking
During the recordings in Dresden, there were three levels of main microphones,
which were supplemented by numerous spot mikes. Which signals in which
combination will ultimately be found on the released version was not finally
decided during the recording session in early August 2014, and the moment of
truth will not come until mixing takes place in the studio. A one-point system
was put close to the orchestra. An A-B stereo bar with two Sennheiser
omnidirectional MKH 8020 placed 1.2 metres apart was set up a short distance
away. Two omnidirectional mics on a bar with a width of 4 metres acted as a
third main microphone system.
Sennheiser’s MKH 30 played a key role as a pressure gradient microphone,
which, according to Pauler, turned out to be the right solution for the situation.
The acoustically transparent design of the capsule enables the diaphragm to
have direct and virtually inertia-free contact with the sound field. There are no
acoustic delay elements or resonators that could impair the sound. Due to the
symmetrical capsule design (the diaphragm is arranged between two identical
backplates), the sound is picked up with the same intensity on both sides, thus
resulting in a perfect figure-of-eight pick-up pattern. Thanks to its distinct
suppression of sound signals coming from the side, the MKH 30 ensures very
good acoustic separation of individual instruments when used as a spot mike,
thus allowing interfering room modes that run perpendicular to the main axis of
the microphone to be effectively cancelled out.
In addition to the MKH 30, Sennheiser MKH 800 microphones could also be seen
at various positions in Dresden. MKH 50 microphones (super-cardioid) were also
in use.
The positioning of the spot microphones was chosen to suit the sound
characteristics of the particular instruments. Some violins sound a little harsher
when heard from the front, whereas the sound is softer from behind, so Handel
says they listened very carefully and tried to find the perfect balance for each
instrument. Many instruments were double miked with two capsules pointing
from different directions towards the individual sound sources.
At positions at which the MKH 30, according to Jakob Handel, produced too much
pressure, an MKH 800 with a roll-off in the bass range was used instead. For the
harpsichord in particular, this had the effect of successfully reducing structure-
borne noise. Two MKH 800 turned at 90 degrees to each other were positioned
above the strings in an X-Y arrangement. After initial tests with a cardioid pick-
up pattern, the final decision was made in favour of wide cardioids in order to
pick up the volume of the instruments even better.
The solo violinist was miked with two MKH 800 positioned at 90 degrees to one
another (figure-of-eight). One microphone was pointed directly at the instrument
while the other may possibly be used in the mixing process as a signal supplier
for an M-S matrix.
The long-necked theorbo was miked with an MKH 800 (figure-of-eight), in which
a roll-off was activated in the low-frequency range. In parallel to this, the treble
was raised.
The sound of the double bass was recorded using an MKH 30, accompanied by
an MKH 80 (super-cardioid). An MKH 800 was used for the baroque guitar. The
cello had an MKH 30, and two MKH 50 were additionally placed close to the
instrument.
Location
The Grand Ballroom located on the first floor of the Dresden Summer Palace has
lively acoustics and enables musicians to hear each other perfectly.
Reverberation in the ballroom is in a range between 3 and 4 seconds. High
frequencies in particular sound very elegant in the hall, and the reverberation
seems to stick to the instruments. The recordings seem homogeneous and by
no means as if a room effect has been subsequently added to a dry ensemble.
On the agenda for the recording session in the Palais of the Great Garden was
“The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi. There was also a violin concerto, “The
Grand Moghul” and the first performance of a largely unknown work by Giuseppe
Antonio Brescianello. La Folia was represented by eight musicians at the
recording session. The instruments were a harpsichord, a theorbo, a lute, a
violin (with gut frets), a baroque cello (without an endpin), a double bass, three
violins and a baroque guitar.
