Summer 2026 – LOCAL695.COM 35
Time:
By Mark Ulano CAS AMPS
(with contributions from a global panel of Production Sound Mixers)
The Case for Authenticity
For many mixers, the argument begins with a simple premise: If
a microphone appears on screen, it should work—and it should
sound like itself.
Tod Maitland, whose recent work includes music-driven period
films, articulates this instinct clearly. Whenever a period
microphone is visible, he uses it. Not as a prop, but as a
functioning part of the sonic chain.
"I will always use them whenever I possibly can," he explains.
"Find the ones that work, find the ones that fit the time period,
and use them."
The goal is not nostalgia for its own sake. It is texture. The
tonal character of microphones evolved dramatically over the
decades—early designs emphasizing midrange presence, later
ones offering smoother frequency response and more robust
low end. These differences are not subtle when placed in context.
They shape how a voice sits in space, how a performance feels.
Chris Munro, reflecting on his work recreating the world of
Bob Marley, encountered this firsthand. Initially, the production
Photos from Chris Munro.
The functioning period
microphones used on the
recording sessions for
Bob Marley: One Love
Microphones Microphones
