[78-L] Metropolitan Opera broadcasts in the old house

[Stewart, Joseph R]

Mike Biel wrote,
"You'll be even more surprised to know that before the ribbon mics they 
used the cube-shaped condenser mics.  The famous photo of Milton Cross 
shows that mic.  As for a row of them, I doubt they would ever have used 
more than maybe three.  I'm sure Liz or I can find some info about this, 
but it would have been nice to be able to ask David Hamilton."

Of course I'm familiar with that Cross photo with the 4-AA condenser mic, and you're right--they most likely did use them for the music pickup, at least in the earliest days pre-1934 or so.  

Kevin Mostyn suggested Altec 639s, but I have to agree that, being an NBC production, there's probably no way the Met broadcasts ever used anything but RCA mics prior to the sell-off of the Blue Network in the '40s. (Actually, the Met DID use Altec 639s in List Hall in the Lincoln Center house for the intermission features, but this was long after they'd established their own independent network.)  And while the Myto CDs may be from "n'th generation tapes," that 1941 "Tannhauser" has amazingly clean, clear sound for a Met transcription of this vintage (other than the severely rolled-off bass that I mentioned).  Presumably this one COULD have been derived at some point from genuine NBC lacquers, since as Liz McLeod says, NBC and the Met re-negotiated their contract ca.1940 to allow for NBC reference recordings to be made.  Liz, do you have any idea which mics they might have used for music pickup in the opera house in those years?

Thanks to everyone who replied to this question!

Randy Stewart
KSMU Arts Producer
Springfield MO