Nelson Stoll recorded the multi-channel effects of the chase scene in the film Matrix 2. As often before, he used his
DPA 4060s and
4061 omni miniature mics for this job. Below Nelson shares his experiences:
"I continue to be impressed by the low distortion, wide bandwidth and capsule/generator efficiency of the mic. The noise floor is much lower than mics of similar diaphragm size and the low coloration is more like a quality studio mic.
I use the mics with my tweaked Audio Limited radio mic links and I regularly use the 4060 as hidden boundary layer mic plant. In that application, the mic has lower coloration than my Schoeps BLMs, which sit mostly idle now.
I recorded the 3-channel stereo sound effects of the high speed vehicles for the chase scene in the film Matrix 2. I had to design a mic array that imaged well in reference 3-channel theatrical playback settings and could handle the wind pressure of the high speed chase. The cars were going close to 100 mph and the Ducati race motorcycle hit 140 mph!
We got authorization from the various vehicle factories to modify the vehicles so they sounded more aggressive and louder, which was more appropriate to the intensity of the chase scene. Of the 500 plus film crew, we had mechanics, tuners, a special effects crew and machine shop to quickly fabricate the modifications.
I knew we couldn't base the array on directional mics, as the sensitivity to wind pressure is too great. We used omni capsules and boundary layer techniques to achieve the directional character; and experimented with spacing, angles and area to achieve the desired imaging and bandwidth.
We chose three of the DPA 4061 mics to install in the boundary surfaces of our surround array. Because of the high sound level of the vehicle effects, the elevated noise floor of the DPA 4061 was not an issue.
The clarity of the mics in the array installation was great, really immersing the listener in a powerful, involving sound field. The imaging, when played over a 3-channel, full bandwidth monitor system was surprising good. Excellent detail location specificity and integration in the sound field. The sweet spot was very large, a huge improvement over 2-channel stereo. Just what you need for 5.1 theatrical presentations."