LAWO Classics, a Norwegian record label, has completed its most ambitious audio project yet with help from Mergings Pyramix and Horus.

The occasion was Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony performed by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Vasily Petrenko, which took place at the Oslo Konserthus with a sell-out crowd of 1,400.

Merging Technologies Pyramix and Horus networked audio converters were chosen for the job, and Thomas Wolden of LAWO decided that 48 tracks of DXD (24 bit/352.8 kHz) was the best option for this particular show. The end result will be released in the Spring on SACD and hi-res download.

Two Horus converters were deployed; the first handled the suspended mics, while the second was set up on-stage to take feeds from the microphones in the orchestra. In the control room, Pyramix with MassCore was controlled by an Avid MC Control and MC Mix. A DirectOut Producer.com took care of monitoring, red light, talkback and headphones with a custom-built MADI sampling rate converter to convert from 352.8 to 176.4 kHz.

Monitoring was supplied by Sennheiser HD800 headphones and PSI A21 active loudspeakers.

Mics in the hall were a combination of Neumann, Schoeps and Sennheiser models, with three Neumann TLM50 omnidirectional microphones mounted on a Grace Design Decca Tree.

“We were absolutely amazed by the sound we heard from Horus. Compared with other systems we have used the dynamic reproduction was so detailed. It was free of any harmonic distortion and the extremely low noise floor was very noticeable on the pianissimo sections,” said producer, Vegard Landaas.

Wolden added: “This transparency coupled with the advantages of recording in DXD achieved the result we were dreaming of. Memorable performances demand this level of quality and Merging has provided the tools yet again.”

TAGS: dual wireless microphone, wireless vocal microphone