Different studios have taken different approaches to settin up for Dolby Atmos mixing, but few share that of Seoul’s Sound360, a South Korean studio producing a variety of music genres, and claiming K-Pop sensation BlackPink among its clients.
After extensive experience using a 7.1.4 surround sound mixing studio, Sound360 owner Junghoon Choi designed his 9.1.6 studio in a circle for better loudspeaker positioning. Numerous simulations and much fine-tuning went into perfecting the sound, and Sound360 is now the first certified Dolby Atmos Music studio in Asia, and the only studio in South Korea capable of mixing and mastering in Dolby Atmos 9.1.6.
At the heart of the system is Focusrite RedNet and the Red Range of audio interfaces. ‘Ever since the early 1990s, when I first started working in music studios, I’ve used Focusrite products’ says Choi. ‘I had my eye on Red and RedNet since they first launched and was able to experience them working at a seminar held by Soundcat in my studio.’
Sound360 also has an individual take on mixing and rendering Dolby Atmos, using a single computer with Red interfaces and a RedNet network set-up, rather than using two separate computers which is more conventional for Dolby systems. ‘This simplified all the technicalities of the Dolby mixing environment’, says Choi.
‘All the recording at Sound360 is done through the Red 8Pre and the additional MP8R. I’ve used countless mic preamps in my career but the preamps on these devices are astounding and I don’t feel the need to use any external preamps.
‘When it comes to setting up a Dolby Atmos mixing system, monitor control is a crucial part, and that’s where the Red 16Line is used to simplify the set-up. A simple set0up means I can be more flexible when it comes to mixing in Atmos format, while having full confidence in my mixes with the excellent conversion that the Red 16Line provides.’
Aside from the control room, there is also a 9.1.6 channel monitoring system in the recording booth, providing a better experience of Dolby Atmos. The main hall within the studio is built with recording, video, and studio concerts in mind.
More: www.sound360studio.com
