Focal Naim America Releases New Immersive Playlists: “Mixed on Focal” & “Mastered with Focal”
Two new immersive music streaming playlists feature songs mixed or mastered on Focal Speakers
Focal Naim America, a leading North American importer and distributor of premium consumer and professional electronics brands, has released two new immersive HD audio playlists, with songs “Mixed on Focal” pro monitors and some mastered with Focal Utopia Hi-Fi speakers. With the advent of Dolby® Atmos™ and Sony 360 Reality Audio™ sound formats, listeners can enjoy the ‘spatial experience’ of immersive music on their mobile devices and other playback systems. The playlists are available to Focal Hi-Fi and Pro Audio dealers, the Press Corps, and current and prospective customers.
Read More »Focal to Present Panel Discussions at May 11th “Immersive Music Production II” Event
At the May 11th Mix & Pro Sound News event, Focal will feature a 9.1.4 immersive music monitoring system and presentations from top mix and mastering engineers
Curb Studios, Nashville, TN (click to zoom)
Focal Professional will feature a 9.1.4 immersive music system with all-Focal studio monitors at Curb Studios for the May 11th Immersive Music Production II event in Nashville, TN produced by Mix & Pro Sound News. The three Focal/Universal Audio presentations at Curb Studios will spotlight engineers Nick “Squids” Squillante, Jeff Balding, and Michael Romanowski in discussion panels on immersive music.
Read More »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.
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.
Fates Warning Members Create New Group “A-Z” and Record Album Using Only Lauten Audio Microphones
New Album “A-Z” featuring vocalist Ray Alder and drummer Mark Zonder Available Now!
Photo: Mark Zonder
The new self-titled album from “A-Z” reunites former Fates Warning drummer Mark Zonder and Fates Warning lead vocalist Ray Alder during Covid lockdowns from across the world, and adds Steve Vai bassist Philip Bynoe, Prog Metal guitarist Joop Wolters, and keyboard synthesist Vivien Lalu.
Tracked entirely with Lauten Audio microphones, the new album was captured remotely, with each member recording in their respective home studios.
Lead vocalist Ray Alder has strong feelings for the Lauten Audio LA-320 after choosing it for his personal studio in Spain. “I love that it can be warm and crisp at the same time. It keeps the true vocal sound, is a very well-built microphone, and it sounds great. I’m very happy with it.”
Read More »Focal Naim America Announces “Mixed on Focal” Playlist #4
New HD Audio 23-track streaming playlist includes music from Drake’s latest album ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ mixed on Focal Trio11 monitors
Focal Naim America, a leading North American importer, and distributor of premium consumer and professional electronics brands, has announced the fourth playlist for “Mixed on Focal” a program to highlight the true sound of music as the artist, mix engineer, producer, and record label meant the songs to be heard. This new HD Audio 23-track streaming playlist includes music from Drake’s latest album Honestly, Nevermind mixed on Focal Trio11 monitors. All four “Mixed on Focal” playlists are available today for Apple Music, Qobuz, Tidal, and Amazon Music HD with new playlists to be released periodically. With Spotify set to release its HiFi-Audio tier, we are also making Spotify playlists available for all four playlists. Mixed on Focal high-resolution audio playlists 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 or Pro Audio dealer demonstration, or their home or 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.
Greg Kurstin Chooses Lauten Audio “Eden” Mic for Maren Morris
Hit-making producer reveals ‘Eden’ mic used on all Morris’ vocals; plus acoustic guitar, and drums
Country music superstar Maren Morris has released her third album, “Humble Quest,” (Columbia Nashville) with Grammy® award-winning producer Greg Kurstin (Adele, Paul McCartney, Foo Fighters), recording all of the vocals and many other sources with one of his two Lauten Audio ‘Eden’ microphones.
Detailing the simple yet effective recording setup he used for Morris, Kurstin explained, “I didn’t have any of the outboard mic pres or compressors that are in my LA studio…so all of Maren’s vocals…the acoustic guitar, and some of the drum kit…were [recorded] right into the Lauten Eden mic and [a] Universal Audio Apollo.”
Read More »Snarky Puppy Uses 26 Lauten Audio Mics on New “Empire Central” Album
Engineer Nic Hard talks about why Lauten Audio mics “worked out perfectly”
Snarky Puppy’s upcoming album “Empire Central” is a return-to-roots masterpiece tracked live in front of a studio audience and slated for release in the Fall. Tasked with capturing 19 musicians simultaneously, recording and mix engineer Nic Hard employed 26 Lauten Audio microphones for use on the group’s 14th album. “I really believe that without these mics, the record wouldn’t sound the same. Lauten Audio mics are now an important part of my arsenal,” said Hard.