Montreal’s “Le Lab” Goes Atmos with All-Focal Mastering Room
Legendary Montreal mastering studio adds Atmos mastering to its world-renowned stereo, vinyl mastering, and lacquer-cutting offerings
Legendary Montreal studio Le Lab Mastering has built an all-Focal Dolby® Atmos™ room, adding Atmos mastering to its offerings on top of fully analog stereo, vinyl mastering, and lacquer cutting. The 7.1.4 Atmos studio features an all-Focal powered monitor configuration with Trio11, Trio6, Solo6, and Sub6. The room has a unique layout with dual Sub6 subwoofers stacked under the left and right Trio11 monitors – four subwoofers total. This unique subwoofer configuration gives Le Lab’s Atmos room the ability to offer mastering for movie soundtracks and other formats that would need extended low-end response; It also offers a symmetrical low-frequency coverage in a smaller footprint. Trio6 monitors fill out the center and rear channels, while Solo6 are on the sides. Le Lab has already mastered a lot of legacy recordings remixed for Atmos, including Celine Dion, Sia, Whitney Houston, Usher, Yo-Yo Ma, and Eric Clapton, among many others.
Engineer Nick “Squids” Squillante Upgrades to an All-Focal Immersive 9.1.4 Mix Room
Upgraded immersive mix room features Focal Alpha 50 Evo monitors and Sub One subwoofers
Brooklyn-based, independent mixing and mastering engineer Nick “Squids” Squillante has expanded his mix room for Dolby® Atmos™ 9.1.4 immersive music. The studio features an all-Focal lineup of Alpha 50 Evo monitors for LCR, surround, and height speakers along with dual Focal Sub One subwoofers. Recent immersive mixes include “Rescue Me” by Dirty Heads, which went to Number 1 on the Billboard Alternative charts, “Psycho” by Asking Alexandria, which also scored a spot at Number 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts along with other immersive mixes for artists such as Tommy Lee, Papa Roach and Bad Wolves to name a few.
Interview with Paul de Benedictis – As told to Linda Jacobson
Interview with Paul de Benedictis – As told to Linda Jacobson
LJ: Paul, what were you doing in 1984 — the year before you became a founding staff member of Opcode Systems? How would you describe the “work lifestyle,” routine, and group dynamic behind-the-scenes in your world then? Was the SF Bay Area audio industry back then influenced more by the cultures of the computer industry and Silicon Valley, music industry, San Francisco scene, and/or film industry and Hollywood?
PdB: In 1982 I had purchased a Rhodes Chroma synth and in 1983 created one of the first computer-based electronic music “home” studios in the San Francisco Bay Area around that instrument. I had added the Apple II computer and the sequencing and editing software from Fender along with the SIMPLE System synchronizer for video and audio and the requisite mixers, mics, speakers, 2-channel and multitrack tape decks. I was composing music for film and television and through my friend Doug McKechnie’s connection at Lucas Film I even had a chance to write a demo cue for the final Ewok scene in the latest Star Wars: Return of the Jedi movie, apparently Lucas wanted to hear some other ideas than what John Williams had come up with. Three of us in the San Francisco Synthesizer Ensemble got to write a sketch for the cue. It was exciting to see part of the movie before it came out. [Full Interview HERE ]
Read More »Focal Releases “Mixed on Focal” Playlist #5
New HD Audio 21-track streaming playlist includes music from thirteen mix engineers using Focal Pro monitors
Focal Naim America, a leading North American importer and distributor of premium consumer and professional electronics brands, has released the fifth high-resolution audio playlist for “Mixed on Focal.” The program highlights the true sound of music as the artist, mix engineer, producer, and record label meant the songs to be heard. Each of the five playlists features a wide range of music genres from rock and R&B to electronic dance music, pop, country—and even instrumental synthesizer music—and are available to Focal HI-FI and Pro Audio dealers, as well as the Press Corps and current and prospective customers. Whether it be in a HI-FI dealer demonstration, a Pro Audio dealer demonstration, or listening in a home or pro recording studio using Focal speakers, the music will sound as the artist intended since each song was mixed on Focal.
For Your Grammy® Consideration: “Walking on Moonlight”
Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
https://www.recordingacademy.com/
“Walking on Moonlight”
The Arroyo Collective
The Arroyo Collective is a group of old and new friends who like to play and record music. The title ‘Six Ways Up’ refers to the six players Hal Coy, Scott Thunes, Matt Eakle, George Shaw, Johnnie Bamont, and Paul J. de Benedictis who each kept their spirits high through music during the recent pandemic. George Shaw is featured playing muted trumpet on the vibey “Walking On Moonlight,” We hope this music lifts you up too.
Musicians Rely on CEntrance to Live Stream During Quarantine
From LA to Dubai, artists around the world use MixerFace to reach their fans
As the music world stopped touring, musicians started streaming, and CEntrance, makers of the portable audio interface called MixerFace, found itself helping artists all over the globe to stream online. A great match for major online streaming platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, MixerFace upgrades the sound quality of smartphones and tablets based on iOS and Android. Using either built-in XY microphones or full-on home studio setups, MixerFace connects artists to their fans, with stunning audio quality.
When Quincy Jones called guitarist Jake Morelli (Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, The Roots) for a 3-month R&B gig in Dubai, Morelli (IG – @JMotone) couldn’t have anticipated getting stuck there in the middle of the residency. The club got closed and air traffic disappeared, so Morelli couldn’t return home to his family. Fortunately, he had the MixerFace with him and has been recording, communicating, and live streaming with it every day. “While quarantined in Dubai,” said Morelli, “I worked on several online collaborations—because an artist must create art, even under the most challenging circumstances. I’ve done projects remotely with drummer Daru Jones, eclectic UK artist Ivy Channel, bass pioneer Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and vocalist Rogelio Douglas Jr.” “I really cannot say enough great things about this little device” adds Morelli, “except that my guitar and bass have never sounded better! There is some serious mojo going on here. And if you plug in the CEntrance Pivot Mics, the exquisite detail that is picked up from vocals, or an entire band are simply astounding.”
See YouTube video of one collaboration: https://tinyurl.com/Jake-Morelli
PJ Hanke Scores With Dangerous
Composer/Producer believes in the analog advantages of Dangerous Music gear
Composer PJ Hanke in his studio with the Dangerous 2-Bus, Monitor and MQ
Almost ten years ago, composer and producer PJ Hanke realized that ‘in-the-box’ mixes from his personal composing studio just didn’t have the quality of previous projects he had completed on large format analog consoles in his past work. His search for a solution led him to purchase the Dangerous 2-Bus analog summing mixer, the Dangerous Monitor and the Dangerous MQ to get him back to the sound he liked and remembered. “For nearly a decade, my studio setup of 2-Bus, MQ, and Monitor has allowed me to treat my Pro Tools HD rig like an analog setup with a proper mixing desk,” says Hanke. “The Dangerous Music gear is fantastic.” Read More »
Guitarist and Composer Steve Ouimette
Guitar Hero’ Steve Ouimette Shreds Riffs with FOCAL Monitors
Possibly the Most Heard and ‘Studied’ Guitarist Today Creates Blistering Guitar Solos for “Guitar Hero” Video Game
Guitarist and composer Steve Ouimette
At last count Guitar Hero games sold over $800-million around the world in the various flavors up to the latest “Guitar Hero: World Tour.” And when players try to match many of the game’s blistering guitar solos note-for-note, they are actually copying true life ‘guitar hero’ Steve Ouimette who crafts each solo in his Scottsdale, Arizona recording studio. Recently Ouimette upgraded his studio with FOCAL Twin6 Be monitors, and loves the new sound he gets when recording, monitoring, and mixing.
“I needed self powered monitors and wanted a set that didn’t require a subwoofer, a monitor that had a natural top to bottom, but no hyped frequencies. Mercenary Audio suggested I try out the FOCAL Twin6 Be monitors to see if I liked them. They said they’d take them back if they didn’t suit my needs, but it’s been over a year they’re never getting them back!” said Ouimette with a laugh.
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