The Boston Symphony Orchestra has once again tapped DPA Microphones for its nationally broadcast, live Boston Pops Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular. Held annually in the Hatch Shell at the Esplanade along the Charles River, the concert and fireworks show hosts nearly 400,000 attendees. As the most watched Independence Day performance in the U.S. each year, the Pops have continued to rely on DPA Microphones to ensure that audio at the Spectacular is as magnificent as the rockets’ red glare.
With limited rehearsal time and more than 100 production inputs, the Pops needed gear that sounded good from the start and worked dependably. DPA Microphones fit the bill for miking the orchestra, and the audio crew made good use of several of the company’s equipment options during the event. DPA could be found across the stage throughout the evening’s performance, with the 4099 instrument microphones in the strings section, 4023 compact cardioid microphones on the piano and in the woodwinds section, and 4066 omni headset microphones worn by the vocalists and narrators.
Because the Fourth of July concert is held at an outdoor venue, the Pops needed microphones that could withstand the extreme weather changes of a summer day in Boston.
In addition to using DPA Microphones for the Fourth of July Concert each year, the Boston Pops Orchestra also relies on DPA’s 4023 and d:vote 4099 microphones for most of its theatrical performances, whether it’s a simple presentation or a full Broadway-style show.