During my first meeting with Fort Worth Opera staff regarding what was being called inside the company, “Poe Project” which consisted of two different pieces called “Buried Alive” and “Embedded”, I was told that there would be no need for sound support. This statement took me by surprise because it was being staged at a venue across town that I’ve worked at on a number of Fort Worth Opera productions in the past and the venue has very little in the way of sound gear to do a Fort Worth Opera production. By the end of that first discussion it became clear that not only was there going to be a need for sound gear but also a sound engineer and a sound designer. This is just one example of how opera sound is still in the dark ages on many levels. Let’s be clear about what you might need on any opera production. COMM, backstage paging, dressing room feed, stage monitors (so the singers can hear the music), conductor camera (video falls to audio for whatever reason), conductor monitors (for singers and stage management to see the conductor), orchestra mics (so the singers can hear onstage), house camera (so the stage manager can see the stage), wireless mics for pre and post show announcements and discussions, audio playback for any sound cues, monitor for orchestra keyboard player to hear himself. You can probably get the idea by now. Literally everything I just described was ultimately needed for Buried Alive / Embedded. Details to follow…