Interview: Ronan Hill, Game of Thrones production sound смеситель 

Interview: Ronan Hill, Game of Thrones production sound mixer

Recent Emmy winner on the challenges he regularly faces, what it\'s like working in such tough locations, and his gear collection.

Having recently won a second Primetime Emmy for Game of Thrones, production sound mixer Ronan Hill takes a break from filming Season 6 to talk to Adam Savage about the challenges he regularly faces, what it\'s like working in such tough locations, and the gear he relies on most…

gets bigger and better every year. Has your role therefore got more challenging since the beginning?

I don’t think my role has got more challenging but it certainly hasn’t got any easier. Scenes can be complex with a large character count and involved action. When you throw difficult costumes, smoke and snow into the mix there aren’t many easy days. However, the crew on Dragon unit, across all departments, give us great support and do everything they can to make it work for us.

Has sound become a more important part of the whole production?

Having producer Greg Spence attached to the project from the pilot ensured sound was always important. He has supported me through the seasons to ensure ADR is kept to a minimum. His influence with departments ensures their negative impact on production sound is negligible. He keeps a close ear to each episode right through to the final mix.

It must be difficult having to work in so many different environments? 

Where do I start! A lot of the show is shot exterior in difficult, inaccessible locations, which may also be hostile to RF. Our local weather is also a challenge. I remember one morning in particular when we were shooting the shoreline scenes on

(Season 5, Episode 8). There was horizontal rain. It was one of those rare occasions were you feel filming is impractical and someone will make the decision to send us home. When the decision was made it was to set up four cameras and shoot. In studios with up to 200kW of lighting power the equipment must also work at high temperatures.

What are the main items on your kit list that you couldn’t do without?

I am still mixing on a Cooper 208D. It sounds as good as ever and and the only reason I can imagine changing it is for a desk with more channels. The Sound Devices 788T SSD is my main recorder. The 788T has proved extremely durable and reliable for the job. I contacted Sound Devices at the end of Season 1 and during the subsequent seasons, to ask if they planned to release a recorder with more inputs, as on a show like

with only eight inputs I am maxed out a lot of the time. I can only hope a replacement with at least 16 fully-fledged inputs and bulletproof – or should I say swordproof – limiters is just around the corner.

I have used Audio Ltd 2040s since Season 1 and I am hoping any day now to receive one of the first of their new digital radio mic systems for testing. An internal SD card recorder seems like a great belt and braces idea and encryption I imagine will become mandatory in the future.

What are the main mics you’re using at the minute? Are you still mostly working with Sennheisers and DPAs?

I have three Sennheiser MKH 60s and an MKH 70, which I use for exteriors. For interiors I have four MKH 50s. I also have two MKH 8050s and two MKH 8040s with all the accessories, which allow us to break them down and place them in areas too small for the 50s. For Season 6 I purchased three of Rycote’s new Cyclone baskets and suspensions for the 60s, to cope with the local weather. They sound more open than the old baskets and are proving to be an asset in our fight against the elements. I also purchased a couple of their new softie wind covers for the MKH 60s and 50s.

The DPA 4071s are definitely the way to go for a natural sound with great isolation. The accessories are very useful, although at this stage we have adapted and created a few of our own. They are more fragile than other lavs but DPA has taken measures to rectify this. Time will tell.

Has your set-up changed much over the years?

My set-up hasn’t changed that much from Season 1. The most recent change was upgrading my IEM system from the Sennheiser 300 series to the Sennheiser 2050 transmitter and 2000 receivers, allowing greater flexibility. I don’t run a return for video playback to the mixer; instead I provide a transmitter for video on an adjacent channel. By pressing one button on the IEM receiver it can be switched from ‘Sound’ to ‘Video’ depending on whether you want direct sound or playback. It can also be utilised for two-zone use.

compare to other well-known projects you’ve been involved with, like

It has been great over the last few years to be able to work on a huge multi-award-winning show like

– a period fantasy drama – and contrast this with

, which is a highly acclaimed contemporary drama. In both shows we are trying to achieve the same results: pristine dialogue and stereo effects where possible.

gives me more scope to capture the texture of Belfast to give the drama an authentic feel.

Have you got anything else lined up at the moment, other than Season 6 of

There have been a few outline calls for potential jobs in the new year and it’s great to see Belfast busy and continuing to blossom as a centre of excellence for film and television drama. I haven’t agreed to a deal on any job yet and at the minute my head is full of

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

TOP TEN: This week\'s most popular articles..

Clap Studios completes \'world-class\' dubbing theatre build..

Sign up to receive our email news updates and access to other online products and services.

`Visionary chefs Sergio Herman and Nick Bril wanted The Jane to be a “total experience” for diners

\'Big\' Mick Hughes to host \'Mixing Metallica\' ...

Ex-TC Group trio forms Audio Distribution Group

The world of loudness is ever-evolving, with updates to standards and new recommended practices being adopted around the world at a seemingly unstoppable pace. As a result, users are demanding more from their loudness tools – and they’re also starting to see creative opportunities beyond simple compliance. At NUGEN Audio, we’re investing considerable time and […]

The post NUGEN Audio’s Loudness Toolkit 2 for Complete, Integrated, and Effortless Loudness Compliance appeared first on Newbay Connect.

NUGEN Audio’s Loudness Toolkit 2 for Complete, Integrated, and Effortless Loudness Compliance

Meyer Sound Labs developed the LEO family of speakers to produce the most ideal linear speakers possible: that is, to reduce distortion to the theoretical limit. LEOPARD is a small line array element in the LEO family that wasn’t targeted to a specific market. Instead, we gave it to our engineers as a challenge to […]

The post The LEOPARD Project appeared first on Newbay Connect.

In the heart of London, Envy Post Production is one of the leading post houses in the UK. With 160 operational areas in a tight cluster of five locations, ENVY provides complete audio and picture post production on programmes including factual, drama, comedy, documentaries and light entertainment, as well as collaborating on design, branding, and […]

The post ENVY puts iZotope RX audio repair at heart of audio post operations appeared first on Newbay Connect.

ENVY puts iZotope RX audio repair at heart of audio post operations

You are using an outdated browser. Upgrade your browser today or install Google Chrome Frame to better experience this site.