Twenty Thousand Hertz Defying Gravity: The Audio Wizardry of Wicked's Live Vocals
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Nov 19, 2025 Simon Hayes, a production sound mixer celebrated for his work on film productions, dives into the groundbreaking audio techniques behind Wicked's live vocals. He explains the challenges of recording actors singing live on set, including the innovative use of lav mics and silent wind machines. Hayes discusses the importance of authenticity compared to ADR and shares secrets about matching sound with picture. Plus, he reveals how they captured the soaring performance of "Defying Gravity" while maintaining emotional truth and atmosphere. Prepare for some audio magic!
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Close Miking Keeps Vocal Tone Consistent
- Simon Hayes argues that live-recording vocals avoids the audible shift between spoken dialogue and singing.
- He wanted dialogue miked closely so there was no tonal transition into song during Wicked.
Prefer Close Mics For Musical Dialogue
- Close-miked dialogue gives more signal-to-noise so mixers can push the score without amplifying background noise.
- Simon chose intimate dialogue mics because the film frequently moves directly into songs and loud score.
Use VFX To Remove Visible Lavs
- When hidden lav placement fails, mount the mic externally and remove it with VFX in post.
- Simon accepted VFX removal as preferable to ADR because it preserves the original performance.