Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

KissFAQ has conducted an interview Australia-based producer/engineer Mark Opitz regarding his role as the producer/chief mixer on KISS’ 2003 project “KISS Symphony.”

In the first of a two-part interview, Opitz discusses the challenges of capturing KISS alongside a symphony orchestra, some of the technical demands inherent to the project, the project’s post-production schedule, and working with KISS’ Tommy Thayer and conductor David Campbell, among other topics.

The following are excerpts from Opitz’s interview with KissFAQ’s Tim McPhate:

KissFAQ: Mark, let’s start with the obvious question. How did you come to be involved with KISS on “KISS Symphony”?

Mark Opitz: Doc McGhee, the manager, asked a friend of mine, Michael Gudinski in Australia, for the names of three people he thought could get involved. And at this stage it was only [at] the mix level. Michael Gudinski said there was only one [person], and it was me. But once I got involved and I started to speak to a few people, I realized it was a lot bigger. I was living in Sydney at the time, so I flew myself and two of my crew down to oversee the operation of the recording aspect of the whole thing.

KF: Mark, live albums present a multitude of challenges. And even then, “KISS Symphony” isn’t your typical live album. What were the main challenges in capturing KISS alongside a symphony orchestra?

MO: The challenges were the fact that KISS are a very active band onstage, and not only active in the way they play but in the audio aspect. I mean you have things like Paul flying off the stage to the middle of the audience at one point. You have Peter Criss going 50 feet up in the air on a drum riser. And not only that, you have massive fireworks going off all the time. Those present a lot of challenges, not just for me but for David Campbell, in particular, when he can’t see the drummer. It’s very hard to keep time as an orchestra, Continue reading →