Canadian producer/mix engineer Douglas Romanow recently equipped his Toronto studio with an all-Focal 7.1.4 system for stereo and Dolby Atmos mixing: Twin6 ST6 monitors for left, centre and right channels, Solo6 ST6 monitors for the surrounds and overheads, alongside a Sub12 subwoofer.
Romanow produced 5.1 surround music for DVD-Audio releases in the late1990s, but says, ‘It wasn’t until Atmos arrived in 2017, with enough industry support and a real push from Apple in particular, that it was clear Atmos would turn into something. My clients have loved our Focal 2.1 system with Twin6 ST6 and the Sub 12, so when it came time to invest in an immersive mix room, it made perfect sense to build it out with Focal.’
Working in other Atmos rooms over the years, Romanow identified one non-negotiable: ‘I need monitoring to stay consistent all around, not go smaller or change colour in the rears or ceiling speakers,’ he says. ‘When I pan Atmos objects from the Twin6s up to the tops or out to the sides, there’s no shift, because the Solo6s have the same tweeter and the same response. There’s no change in tonality. That’s really important to me.
‘You never want your monitors to remind you that you’re monitoring, you just want to be listening to music, as transparently as possible. When I say the beryllium tweeters are “silky in the top”, I don’t mean they’re overly pretty or add something that isn’t in the programme. The top-end is just easy to listen to. It’s not hyped, and it’s not rolled off. I don’t hear a shelf, a weird crispiness or any kind of processing. That’s what I love like about Focal’s beryllium tweeters. And I find the Focals really dynamic and exciting to work on.
‘Dolby Atmos mixing is a real joy for me as a songwriter and record producer,’ he adds. ‘From the very beginning of the writing process, I’ve found myself envisioning the possibilities in the mix. Songwriting is fundamentally a human and adventurous process and for me, the immersive mix is a natural extension of that experience. Some records I make are really organic, and we want to connect intimately to the vocalist, so detail and placement are paramount. Other records are highly electronic, with arpeggiations and synth swoops that aren’t locked to a front-facing stereo experience. ‘Immersive music is like the Wild West – it’s an incredibly rich opportunity for creativity and exploration.
‘We built the room with Focal monitoring in mind, and everyone who’s come into the studio over the last 12 months has been blown away by the clarity and the tight low ent. It’s a “wow” moment every single time. I’m super happy with the choice, and my clients are really excited about the music. I don’t tend to monitor particularly loudly - but we will go loud when we want to. You can crank it, and it still feels tight and clear.’
OMS Canada supplied the Focal speakers for Romanow’s Atmos system, consulted on the set-up, and handled the wiring. ‘Once everything was configured, sitting in the sweet spot and hearing how amazing his mixes sounded was hugely rewarding,’ says OMS Canada VP of Sales & Marketing, Dave Misener.
For surround monitor control, Romanow pairs Ginger Sphere software with Avid Pro Tools. He uses Universal Audio interfaces in the studio and portable UA interfaces on the road for consistent workflow. An Elgato Stream Deck controls his switching, letting him monitor a 7.1.4 Pro Tools Atmos mix, Apple streaming, the 7.1.4 Apple Dolby external renderer and Dolby Atmos in real time to compare formats side-by-side, which he finds especially useful. The set-up also handles 2.1 and 5.1 monitoring, plus binaural playback for Amazon and Tidal, and Apple spatial streaming.
More: www.focal.com