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.
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 New ‘Trio6 ST6’ Monitors
Newly redesigned 3-way Trio6 ST6 studio monitors join the ‘ST6’ range along with Solo6 ST6 and Twin6 ST6
Focal Naim America today announced the release of the redesigned “Trio6 ST6” 3-way studio monitors, they join the other two monitors in the ST6 range, Solo6 ST6 and Twin6 ST6 which were released in 2022. The all-analog Trio6 ST6 features a more detailed and transparent sound while retaining Focal’s heritage of excellence in design and its renowned sound reproduction. Innovative speaker drivers, dual Focus mode, user-controlled automatic stand-by, a redesigned laminar port, and a structurally enhanced cabinet are just some of the features working together in Trio6 ST6 to deliver uncompromising performance. Trio6 ST6 monitors retail for $3499. USD each, and are available to order at retailers in the US and Canada on September 13, 2023. In North America, Focal is distributed exclusively by Focal Naim America.
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.
Focal Presents Discussion Panels at NAMM 2023
At the April music trade show in Anaheim, eight engineers will cover discussions on Creative Mixing in Dolby Atmos, The Art of Mastering, and Mixing with Focal Headphones at the Focal Booth #14902
Focal has announced three discussion panels to be presented to NAMM attendees during the April music tradeshow in Anaheim. Eight engineers will cover discussions ranging from Creative Mixing in Dolby Atmos®, and The Art of Mastering with Michael Romanowski, to Mixing with Focal Headphones at Focal’s booth #14902 in the North Hall, Level 1.
In the first discussion panel Creative Mixing in Dolby Atmos, Friday, April 14 at 2 pm, Ben Givarz, Senior Creative Relations Manager at Dolby, will act as the moderator for engineers Luca Pretolesi and Robert Guzman from Las Vegas’ Studio DMI, Fab Dupont from Flux Studios in NYC, and Brad Smalling from Evergroove Studio in Evergreen CO. Each of the studios feature a Dolby Atmos studio built around Focal professional monitors. The engineers will share their creative approaches to mixing in Dolby Atmos on albums by Skrillex, Snarky Puppy, Saves The Day, and more.
Read More »Studio DMI in Las Vegas Installs All-Focal 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos System
New Dolby Atmos mix room features Focal Trio11 Be for LCR and Solo6 ST6 for the surrounds and height speakers along with Sub12 subwoofers
Focal has announced the first all-Focal Dolby Atmos® mix room in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the famed Studio DMI headquarters. The new 7.1.4 ‘Studio D’ design features three of Focal’s flagship Trio11 Be pro monitors for LCR and eight of the company’s new Solo6 ST6 for the surrounds and height speakers. Two Focal Sub12 subwoofers handle LFE and bass management.
“A Focal system is great because it is a system that I trust and am comfortable with,” says Studio DMI Founder and world-renowned mixing and mastering engineer Luca Pretolesi. “It is an extension of my ears, allowing me to achieve a level of accuracy and precision in my sound stage that is unparalleled.” Pretolesi recently mixed Drake’s “Honestly, Nevermind” album at Studio DMI on their Focal Trio11 monitors. While engineer Robert Guzman mixed and mastered the new Skrillex album “Quest For Fire” in Dolby Atmos in the new Studio D.
Read More »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.”
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