Are You Ready For Your Clients Demanding Immersive Music Mixing? 

The way we listen is changing. Our modern ears demand a more immersive sound, one that places the instruments and vocals in defined three-dimensional space. The movies we watch, the video games we play all put us into the soundscape; we are part of the experience. Music, with a few exceptions, has resisted, holding tight to our outdated stereo channel mentality. 

While 5.1 recordings never quite gained a foothold with the public or artists, the promise of a complete soundscape never diminished. Dolby Atmos is changing how musicians, engineers, and the listening public want to hear music. Streaming services like TIDAL, Amazon HD music currently support the format, with more platforms planning rollout in the coming year. 

The demand for your professional recording studio setup to support Dolby Atmos is growing. Is your Fort Lauderdale, FL location ready?  Perhaps you also have other studios throughout the world: The good news is we operate nationally and globally. Want to learn how the format will get you to the next level? Read more below. 

 

See Also: Take Your Recording Studio Installation to the Next Level!

A Sound Revolution

Dolby Atmos is not just an immersive format; it adds depth, clarity, and space to the music. Like surround sound, the format adds vertical and horizontal dimensions. The result is that instruments, tones, and effects are placed precisely in the space. The listening experience is one that more accurately reproduces how we hear in the real world. 

How important is the format? Mix magazine, which bills itself as ‘the world’s leading magazine for recording and sound production technology industry”, dedicated the entire May 2020 issue to it. The unprecedented move included a cover image with the statement: “It’s Here, It’s Real, And It’s A Whole New Experience.”  

Making Your Room Ready

The process of recording and, more precisely, mixing for Atmos, relies upon a specific setup.  As the mixing process allows you to float sound in any position, place, and depth, you need speakers that can replicate this.  

A critical part of the process is determining the placement of the speakers not just around you but also above; subwoofers require special attention. Just as with any of our audio gear, calibration is of the utmost importance requiring spatial and acoustic expertise. Care must be taken to ensure that the speakers do not introduce timbral shift from unmatched frequency responses and present a relative uniformity.  

Mix in the Right Space

Mixing should be done in a dedicated room with depth and height to accommodate the soundscape. While you can be confident that a single proper Atmos mix can translate to larger speaker setups, working from a single control room is not recommended. Our standard mixing spaces are filled with acoustic treatments, sound dampeners, etc., which alter the results when using sound reflective speakers. 

Digital desks allow us to bring in virtual components, keeping the actual number of inputs and outputs needed to a minimum. With Atmos, it is highly recommended that your monitor controller have enough IO’s to meet your complete workflow. The ability to have instant access to individual mutes and solos makes the process much more efficient. 

There is, of course, a lot more that goes into the design and implementation of an immersive music studio. Are you ready to meet the demands of your clients looking for the next era of music? 

When you’re ready to start working on your recording studio design, remember that you have an experienced professional in your corner. Contact us by giving us a call or filling out our online contact form to schedule a no-obligation consultation. We’re looking forward to getting started on your design!