Amplification and Recording Technology

To create the soundscape for The Phantom of the Opera, sound designers utilized both radio microphones and line array speakers to heighten the quality and volume of the sound for the production. Phantom is vocally demanding for many of its performers; the character Christine Daaé, for example, as the lead soprano of the show, is required to clearly hit notes in a high register in numerous songs, including “Think of Me,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” and “All I Ask of You.” Accounting for this demand, sound designers used miniature radio microphones, which were able to “scrub” vocal inputs “of all surface noise, producing what is often called a ‘pure’ sound… or simply a ‘studio sound’” (Burston 1998, 207-208). These microphones are taped directly to the performers, capturing and projecting their voices across the space, which ultimately lessens the burden to produce volume on the performer’s own vocal capacity (Burston 1998, 207).

Sound designers for Phantom also employed line-array speakers to supplement the effects of the body microphones and ensure that the production was properly amplified. These speakers were intended to provide optimal amplification in the most efficient way possible. As articulated by Timothy Tracey, this technology “allows several speaker elements to combine to operate as a single speaker from a single point source in the theater” (Tracey 2015, 76). This feature is critical for large musicals like Phantom; the interconnected stereo system of the line array speakers gives sound designers the ability to place speakers in such a way that allows those in the back of the audience to hear the clear outputs from the microphones, while also avoiding the projection of sound to unwanted parts of the theater (Tracey 2015, 76).

In order to create the distinct, booming sound experienced by Phantom viewers, sound designers also focused on the theater’s architecture, wanting to use the line array speakers and the body microphones in tandem with the effects of natural reverberation (Olson 2013). This effect comes from the sound from the stage moving throughout the space, bouncing from the ceiling to the walls and other structures in the theater, allowing for the listener to hear the performance all around them, much like an echo (Olson 2013). Since its original New York City opening on January 26th, 1988, Phantom has been performed on Broadway in the Majestic Theater, which was constructed in 1927 (Shubert Organization 2015). To heighten the impact of this effect on the audience, as mentioned earlier, Phantom’s sound designers installed the speakers in the Majestic Theater strategically, so that the sound would almost surround the audience members, mimicking a natural echo throughout the theater while still maintaining the proper studio quality and necessary volume (Olson 2013). This design aspect is particularly vital to the character of the Phantom; the characters in the musical perceive the Phantom as a ghostly and almost supernatural character, and the resonant sounds and mysterious echo from the speaker arrangement and reverberation allow for the audience to have this same, sonic experience of the Phantom and his voice. This experience is exemplified in the performance of “The Mirror (Angel of Music).” During this song, Christine meets and hears the Phantom for the first time. The Phantom’s voice bellows and echoes throughout the entire theater before he ever is physically present on stage; the speaker arrangement makes it difficult for the audience to discern where exactly in the theater the Phantom is, allowing them to feel just as jarred by his disembodied voice as Christine does (0:08-0:28). Because of the show’s technology, the Phantom’s shouts and whispers are cleanly projected throughout the space, adding to his mysterious character.

Performance of “The Mirror (Angel of Music)” and “The Phantom of the Opera” at Royal Albert Hall in 2011 (YouTube, 2021)

Without these sonic abilities, the ambiance necessary for Phantom in a musical form could not be achieved. Even though Phantom has been showing on Broadway for decades, sound designers are still updating the technology. In 2008, the production crew spent approximately $750,000 on an upgraded sound system, which included 155 line array speakers and 76 body microphones (Jones 2008). Significantly, because of these upgrades, the crew could afford to place an additional microphone on the Phantom himself, increasing the number of radio microphones attached to him from two to three (Jones 2008). Hence, sound designers are aware of the crucial aspect that amplification plays in Phantom and seek to enhance it as the show continues to run. 

Virtual Orchestras

A piece of technology that has been used for sound enhancement in Phantom was virtual orchestras. Virtual orchestras are manually run synthesizers which use the pre-recorded sounds of orchestral instruments in order to project the sounds of players in an orchestra (Gibbs 2019, 274). Production costs and larger sounds have increased in Broadway over time, but these show aspects can be very costly (Gibbs 2019, 279). Larger sounds can only be accomplished by adding more instruments to the mix, meaning more musicians have to be hired (Gibbs 2019, 279). Virtual orchestras solve this budget problem by adding more instrumentation without having to pay more musicians to pay (Gibbs 2019, 279).

Video of Ableton Live demonstration (Youtube, 2021)

People, especially players of Broadway musicals themselves, have shown reluctance, and sometimes even disgust, towards the use of pre-recorded music in Broadway; this thought comes from those who feel as though the Broadway experience was established to be enjoyed live (Gibbs 2019, 275). However, an important distinction could possibly be made to alleviate the anxieties that come with infusing Broadway with the products of advancing technology. Rather than completely replacing the sounds of a live performance, with the use of computer programs such as one called Ableton Live, virtual orchestras are capable of supporting and enhancing the sound quality that a live orchestra already offers (Gibbs 2019, 280) in musical theaters such as the Majestic Theater. The video above shows a demonstration of how Ableton Live creates an orchestral sound using pre-recorded voices (1:26-3:06).

Off-Broadway Pit Orchestra Recording of “Think of Me”, “Angel of Music”, “Little Lotte”, and “Phantom of the Opera” (Youtube, 2017)

An example of this pre-recording can be seen even from earlier Phantom performances. In the title track, some of both the Phantom and Christine’s vocals are already pre-recorded (Gibbs 2019, 289), meaning a proportion of the performance is being lip-synced. Additionally, the down beat in which the song starts is not actually played by the live orchestra, but rather it is played as a pre-recorded track (Gibbs 2019, 289). The live orchestra does not play at first, but joins in one minute after the start of the song (Gibbs 2019, 289). The playing of the pre-recorded track allows the beginning of the title song to sound consistent each time, and also allows for certain instruments that do not play in the pit to be represented, such as the pipe organ and electric guitar (Gibbs 2019, 290). Even with the use of the virtual orchestra, it is incredibly hard for the audience to tell that there is technological support behind the music. The transition is seamless, and the recorded start to the song ensures that the opening to the title track starts promptly as intended. The video above, while not part of the Broadway production, shows a good example of how a pre-recorded track is able to overlap with and support the sounds of a live orchestra (10:57-11:18).