Sound Pro Tapped for Spinal Tap II

New Orleans, LA (September 9, 2025)—Emmy-winning production sound mixer Chris Welcker knows his way around capturing fictional rock n’ rollers, having worked on projects like Bill and Ted Face the Music and the Amazon Prime series Daisy Jones & The Six. They were radically different from his most recent project: director Rob Reiner’s Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which opens Friday.

Following up the famed 1984 comedy This is Spinal Tap, which largely invented the mockumentary genre, the new film follows in the original’s footsteps by being largely improvised. While that can lead to comedic serendipity, it made capturing every off the cuff joke and unexpected twist a far greater challenge.

“The most unique aspect of this project was the script,” confirmed Welcker, whose previous music-centric film projects included Daisy Jones & The Six and Bill and Ted Face the Music. “It was only 10 pages long, just a rough outline, with minimal dialogue; it was mainly descriptions of situations and locations. We didn’t know who would be in each scene or how many people we’d be dealing with. This was all unusual for a movie.”

Watch: Spinal Tap Is Ready For Its Encore

For the demanding production, Welcker’s bag rig included two Lectrosonics DSR4 receivers, an SPDR 2-channel recorder, and a Bagframe 2. His cart utilized SRC, 411, DSQD, M2T, ALP 620 antennas, M2R receivers, IFB T4, IFBR1a, and IFBlue receivers. DCHT transmitters were also used. Transmitters for talent included SMD, SM, and SSM transmitters for up to twelve actor microphones at any given time, and HM plug-on transmitters were used for voice of god mics and booms.

“Constant transitions shifting between dialogue and musical performance kept us on our toes,” he recalls. “We needed to build a flexible system that could accommodate Rob and the actors’ requirements without causing delays. Early conversations emphasized being ready for anything at all times, which could vary significantly depending on the circumstances. In addition, the actors were performing the music live, rather pantomiming to pre-recorded tracks. They could play or do anything. Suffice to say, my recorder had to handle an insane number of tracks at all times.”

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“During the film’s peak performance, I realized that every single piece of Lectrosonics equipment I owned was in use, capturing all actors, guitars, vocals and a ridiculously huge drum kit that required 20 channels. As a gearhead, it was incredibly satisfying to see every piece of my equipment working together seamlessly to capture the movie’s sound.”