Houston, TX (July 1, 2025) — “How can we mic two nude opera singers?” was the provocative challenge posed to Soundmirror, a renowned Massachusetts-based classical music recording and production company, in the live recording of the Houston Grand Opera’s (HGO) acclaimed production of Missy Mazzoli's opera, Breaking the Waves. Undaunted by the production’s staging, Soundmirror and HGO successfully navigated the challenge through creative placement of Lectrosonics ultra-compact SSM digital hybrid wireless micro transmitter and Breaking the Waves was performed and recorded with nary a microphone in sight.  

The recording of Breaking the Waves, an operatic treatment of the Lars von Trier film, presented specific and considerable difficulties during the pivotal scene where two of the main characters, Bess and Jan, were staged to be "almost completely nude" for several minutes. This unique staging meant that the "usual practice of concealing a transmitter in a pocket or under a costume was not available," explains Soundmirror Senior Producer, Blanton Alspaugh.

Discussions ensued with the opera company's hair and costume departments to find a viable solution and the answer came with the Lectrosonics SSM micro transmitter, whose diminutive size proved to be the key. Alspaugh recalled, "When we learned about the small dimensions of Lectrosonics new SSM transmitters, we went to the team at HGO and we said, ‘can you conceal this transmitter in Bess's hair’?" 

For the soprano Lauren Snouffler, who was singing the role of Bess without a wig, the artists in HGO's wig and hair department ingeniously devised "a mesh pocket that they could attach at the back rim of her head, under her hair." The transmitter was secured with a couple of clips and the cable for the microphone ran "under her hair and the microphone was placed right at her hairline." Alspaugh lauded this innovative solution and confirmed that “The SSM performed brilliantly with the superior audio quality we get from Lectrosonics while being completely concealable and wearable for the singers. The SSM made all the difference in this stealthy application.”

Beyond this specific challenge, Lectrosonics wireless systems are a fundamental component of Soundmirror's regular opera kit. Alspaugh reports using "as many as 32 channels of Lectrosonics transmitters and venue receivers on any given opera recording." In addition to the SSM micro transmitters, their kit for Breaking the Waves included 4x DSQD 4-channel digital receivers, 14x DBu digital belt-pack transmitters, RF Venue Distro4 and Diversity Fin antennas, and 12x DPA 4071 Omni Lavalier microphones mounted at hairline with halos, or on ear rigs, depending on the hair style and costume. 4x 4071/DBu were also placed on the set to capture ensemble and difficult to reach dialog.

“Lectrosonics products were used to supplement the area micing on stage to bring out detail and to cover places where singers turned upstage to maintain consistent vocal characteristics,” described SoundMirror chief engineer, Mark Donahue. “The production used more than 80 inputs to cover orchestra, stage, main overall pick up, and immersive capture. Breaking the Waves was recorded in DXD (352.8kHz/24bit) to the Pyramix Digital Audio Workstation using Merging Technologies Horus and Hapi stage boxes. The final product will be released on SACD, along with stereo and Dolby Atmos immersive for digital distribution.”

"We rely on Lectrosonics products for doing live opera because of their audio quality, utter reliability, and the versatility that we find in using them in a theatrical setting,” Alspaugh emphasized. “This gear must consistently tolerate temperature extremes and movement in costumes. Furthermore, Lectrosonics products are crucial for navigating the oftentimes fraught wireless environment in a theater. The audio quality and the reliability of Lectrosonics in a taxing environment is unmatched."

“At Soundmirror, our philosophy is that technology should serve the art, but none of this is about the technology,” Alspaugh asserts. "In opera, it's about telling the story and Lectrosonics gear is always a transparent means to render words and music more intelligibly and more beautifully than you ever could without those tools. Lectrosonics removes the barrier between the artist and the listener by being so transparent."

About Soundmirror

For more than 50 years, Soundmirror has been the first-choice recording company for orchestras, choral groups, opera companies, solo artists, and record labels. The company combine world-class customer service, recording equipment, and industry knowledge to produce recordings that are consistently acknowledged by the press, industry peers, and have earned over 140 GRAMMY nominations and awards.

About Lectrosonics

Well-respected within the film, broadcast, and theatre technical communities since 1971, Lectrosonics wireless microphone systems and audio processing products are used daily in mission-critical applications by audio engineers familiar with the company’s dedication to quality, customer service, and innovation. Lectrosonics received an Academy Scientific and Technical Award for its Digital Hybrid Wireless® technology and is a US manufacturer based in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.