Bringing the Orchestra to the Radio Audience

New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 898, 19 October 1956, Page 7

Bringing the Orchestra to the Radio Audience

SINCE the National Orchestra was founded ten years ago, it must have been heard by almost every adult, and most children of secondary school age in the Dominion. But only a proportion of these people have actually attended concerts-the remainder have been able to enjoy performances by listening to broadcasts. Few listeners, however, whether regular or casual, will have given much thought to the technician, working throughout the performance to ensure that the reproduction of the concert will be as close as possible to what is heard by the audience at the hall. The man who probably knows most about the difficulties which have to be overcome by the technician is Cyril Brown, technical officer of Head Office programme operations. Mr. Brown controlled -the relays of the inaugural concerts of the orchestra, and established a standard microphone placement. At this stage, three microphones were used. After the first tour, station technicians were left to carry on, and the system was continued until last year, when it was decided that it would be an improvement to have one technician in each of the four main centres to look after all National Orchestra broadcasts in his district. These men have been selected for a period of about a year to 18 months, after which new selections will be made. This will ensure that there are plenty of technicians trained for the specific job of National Orchestra broadcasts. At this time, the number of microphones used was changed from three to four. One, an omni-directional microphone, is placed fairly well out in the

auditorium for the purpose of giving as much life to the performance as possible; it picks up reverberations and general atmosphere from the hall itself, as well as giving an overall picture of sound. One is placed over the violin section, one over the violas, cellos and double basses, and one over the woodwind section. The technician can then control the output from ‘the microphones to ensure that equal prominence is given to all sections. If the microphones are not in exactly the right place, or the microphone adjustment is not accurate, the effect of the performance can be greatly distorted. The overall microphone is used as much as possible, and the others to balance where this is necessary. Extra -microphones are used on such occasions as a choral concert or the performance of a concerto.. Mr. Brown pointed out that the system of having only four technicians on National Orchestra broadcasts had many advantages. A standard balance of the orchestra on the air was achieved in the four districts; and it had also been found that a technician who had worked at a concert in a main centre could achieve a satisfactory balance quickly in a smaller hall. In the original broadcasts of the National Orchestra headphones were used by the technician sitting in the circle, but recently broadcasting booths have been installed at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. These make the technician’s job considerably easier, as he can listen to the broadcast on a loudspeaker in the control booth, They have also made possible the employment.of score readers, who sit beside the technician and direct

him on the all-important matter of balance, pointing out the section to be given prominence at any time. A great deal of co-operation was received from James Robertson, said Mr. Brown. For example, on several occasions the position of various sections has been changed to suit the broadcast. All performances are put on tape for audition purposes, and Mr. Robertson and other NZBS officers listen carefully to the recordings, so that techniques can, if necessary, be improved on. future occasions, ;