Chicago, IL (February 18, 2026)―Scott D. Smith, a current CAS Award nominee for his production mixer work on FX’s hit series The Bear, has seen his share of unusual locations, ranging from bustling kitchens to chaotic dining rooms.
The series has often required Smith and his crew to manage dozens of inputs at once. For one specific wedding sequence, the sound team deployed an extraordinary setup, which included two mixing consoles, 32 microphones and a crew of eight—double the size of most sound departments.
“The biggest challenge was the scene where 16 actors were underneath a table,” Smith explains. “It was nearly impossible to boom, and lavaliers weren’t working because the actors were hunched over and moving around. After a couple of sleepless nights, the only solution was to mount the mics under the table, as they had to be hidden.”
To address this scene, Smith turned to DPA 6061 subminiature microphones. “We tested about five different mics before deciding on the 6061,” he recalls. “In the end, not only did the DPAs sound good, but they were also the only brand that could deliver as many as we needed in the timeframe. The consistency between capsules was critical, since the actors were moving from one position under the table to another.”
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While the mics did much of the heavy lifting, Wisycom antennas also played a vital supporting role in tackling the unique challenges of the restaurant set. “That set is brutal—it’s steel everywhere, with only one or two walls that pull out. We even had to drill holes under the floor to run cables,” he reports.
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“To make it work, we positioned Wisycom ADB2 wideband omnidirectional antennas above the ceiling flats. That setup allowed us to transition seamlessly between the kitchen and the front of house without losing signal. We had very few RF problems this season, which is saying a lot given the environment.”
Looking back, Smith says, “These products really helped us pull off some of the most complex scenes I’ve ever recorded.”