Originally produced by Granada, Coronation Street has been on British television since its inception in December 1960, holding the Guinness World Record for the longest-running TV soap opera in the world. Since 1960, there have been over 11,700 episodes of “Corrie”, all shown on ITV.
Now celebrating their 65th year as a cornerstone of British culture, we spoke with the Head of Sound of Coronation Street (Neil Wareing) to get an exclusive insight into the audio of ITV’s flagship show, and how they have incorporated the Deity S-Mic into their production.
The Typical Audio Setup on Coronation Street
A standard audio setup for any scene in Corrie typically consists of up to three boom operators, plus the use of lav mics if required for location shooting. Mr Wareing said “We generally use booms as much as possible to preserve perspective and also to reduce the issues that can be inherent to concealed lav mics.”
Studio scenes are entirely reliant on fisher booms and poles due to the controlled environment of the set. Lav mics are only used whenever they feel they are necessary.
How Do Coronation Street Incorporate the Deity S-Mic?
A standard location setup using the Deity S-Mic consists of multiple components and various brands. The S-Mic is mounted on a Radius or Rycote mount, with a suitable blimp for wind protection. This will be mounted on a Panamic Maxi or Ambient QP pole with a quick release tip on the thread. It’s then combined with a Sound Devices A10 transmitter for wireless booming.
A behind the scenes shot of a nightclub scene using the Deity S-Mic
Why Did Coronation Street Choose the Deity S-Mic?
The Deity S-Mic has proven to be a great asset for the Corrie sound department. The low self-noise, durability and consistent performance made the S-Mic an ideal choice to expand their microphone options, whilst not compromising on quality or budget. The robust build quality and reliable performance are vital for Corrie’s sound department due to shooting on the ‘cobbles’ 50 out of 52 weeks of the year.
The S-Mic Solving a Challenge
Due to the S-Mic’s internal circuitry coating and water resistance level, the S-Mic helped Corrie’s sound department overcome a tricky bathroom scene. Neil said:
“We had a particularly tricky scene to shoot last year which entailed having to utilise the S-Mic in more challenging environments, specifically a steamy bathroom on location, where the humidity level was constantly kept up. The S-Mic was chosen above the other mics we utilise especially for damp conditions where they hold up very well.”
The S-Mic has held its own for Coronation Street’s sound department, whether indoor or outdoor. Neil added “The S-Mic performs well in any environment we choose to apply it.” The Deity S-Mic was added to their microphone selection to compliment the existing microphones and offers comparable audio quality to the more established and premium brands.
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