Hollyland’s Lark Max 2 wireless microphone system brings clarity, reliability, and creative control to large-scale documentary productions, enabling filmmakers to capture interviews and behind-the-scenes audio with confidence, even inside a 10,000-seat arena.

“The noise cancellation and internal recording saved us. Even in a loud concert environment, we still captured clean, usable dialogue.”

Meet Jed Regala

Based in Manila, Jed Regala is a filmmaker and director working with First Light Studios (FLS), a production company recognized as one of the pioneers of music film and concert documentary storytelling in the Philippines.
Specializing in music documentaries, concert films, and docu-series, FLS blends cinematic visual language with the emotional energy of live performance. Their work often follows musicians from rehearsal to backstage moments to full arena shows, capturing intimate stories inside high-pressure event environments.

For the three-day arena production Cup of Joe: Stardust, Jed and his team relied on the Hollyland Lark Max 2 to ensure every interview and spontaneous moment was recorded clearly and safely, despite the constant noise and unpredictable dynamics of a live concert.

Project & Setup

For this project, the team covered a three-day concert at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. With a capacity of 10,000 attendees, the venue introduced a range of audio challenges, including constant ambient noise from rehearsals, sound checks, and audience movement, as well as busy backstage conditions filled with overlapping conversations, equipment handling, and music bleeding from multiple directions. The crew also needed to record interviews and behind-the-scenes moments throughout the entire day, while ensuring dependable backups and stable monitoring for every member involved in the production.

FLS used a single set of the Lark Max 2, primarily for interviews with one or two people on camera. Its clip-on transmitter design allowed quick and secure placement during fast-paced shooting, and the team monitored audio wirelessly on their devices to stay aligned while working across different areas of the venue. The documentary workflow required smooth movement between dressing rooms, hallways, technical sections, and the main venue floor, making cable-free operation essential to maintaining both speed and flexibility.

Solving Real Production-Day Pain Points

Throughout the three-day shoot, the Lark Max 2 proved to be a reliable audio solution in a challenging, high-noise environment. Each day began with backstage preparations and artist interactions. The team clipped the transmitters onto the talent quickly and securely, allowing interviews to start almost immediately. Even with sound checks and crowd noise surrounding them, the noise cancellation feature filtered out ambient interference and preserved clear, intelligible voice recordings.

The internal recording function became essential during peak sound levels. As loud music filled the coliseum, the team depended on internal backups to avoid losing any material, even when wireless channels became congested by other production systems. The 32-bit full-chain audio transmission maintained consistent quality despite constant shifts in volume, reducing the risk of distortion during moments such as crowd surges or transitions in rehearsal audio. At the same time, wireless monitoring enabled both the director and the camera operator to check audio in real time without interrupting the shooting process.

As the concert intensified each night, the crew moved quickly between different areas of the venue, including stage wings, artist holding rooms, control areas, and backstage corridors. The Lark Max 2 remained stable and responsive throughout these transitions, allowing Jed and his team to capture authentic reactions, personal reflections, and emotional moments that shaped the documentary’s narrative.

“We had music coming from everywhere. Noise cancellation was the most important feature. It kept interviews clean no matter where we were.”

Takeaways

For Jed Regala and First Light Studios, the Lark Max 2 became an indispensable tool for music documentary production, delivering clean and stable voice capture in high-noise environments while providing reliable internal backups across three days of continuous shooting. Its 32-bit full-chain audio ensured professional-grade quality even during sudden volume shifts, and real-time wireless monitoring helped both the director and camera operator stay aligned without interrupting the workflow. Lightweight and flexible, the system fit perfectly into the fast-moving backstage rhythm of a major concert event. From concert films to artist-driven docu-series, the Lark Max 2 empowers filmmakers to capture sound that preserves the emotional depth of every moment without technical compromise.

“Noise cancellation, internal recording, and 32-bit audio made our work so much easier. The Lark Max 2 is a big upgrade for documentary teams like ours.”