why are two microphones used? (see picture)

[Wei Liang Yap]

So I was watching the Coronation Concert the other day and noticed that Bryn Terfal and Andre Bocelli using two microphones each.  What is the reason?  I am curious.  Is it redundancy (in case one "breaks")?  Is there some clever noise reduction technique (although I can't understand how it would work side-by-side but https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/q-why-do-sometimes-see-singers-using-two-microphones-stage describes what looks like a back/front method for noise reduction). 

I've used "two" microphones in studio before - but it was really that one of them was "fake" such that it could be touched, fiddled, etc (the singer was a playful child) whilst the other microphone further behind was doing the proper work, at the desired distance from the singer.

https://www.classicfm.com/artists/andrea-bocelli/bryn-terfel-youll-never-walk-alone-coronation-concert/

[jackson white]

one for front of house, one for recording has been a rather common technique for many years, 

but given the stakes, redundancy is most likely the reason.

Edited May 12, 2023 by jackson white
elaboration

[Bruno de Souza Lino]

If you pay close attention to the mics, they're not lined up. This looks to be differential miking. The slightly offset placement of the diaphragms caused audio sources that were not close to cancel out (like stage monitors or the Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound) but it allowed a proximate sound source (like the vocalist) to be captured. Considering both are surrounded by an orchestra and a choir, that would make sense.

Edited May 17, 2023 by Bruno de Souza Lino

[OutrageProductions]

As one who has been involved in staging and recording major operatic events, I can guarantee that those Geffel microphones are for redundancy. You can't just toss a handheld mic to an opera star if one fails... they wouldn't know how to use it. Any ancillary acoustic effects are completely incidental.

[Wei Liang Yap]

Ah thanks.  There were pop singers at that concert too - didn't occur to me that a backup mic could be passed to them quickly.  There was an "orchestra" there - and each instrument appeared to be individually mic-ed.  Some of the choir were clearly singing but I couldn't spot their mic(s).

[Bruno de Souza Lino]

5 hours ago, OutrageProductions said:

As one who has been involved in staging and recording major operatic events, I can guarantee that those Geffel microphones are for redundancy. You can't just toss a handheld mic to an opera star if one fails... they wouldn't know how to use it. Any ancillary acoustic effects are completely incidental.

They're not exactly lined up though.