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.”
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 »“Six Ways Up” New 3-song EP set for May 11, 2022 Release to Streaming
Mnemonic Records is set to release a New 3-song EP by The Arroyo Collective, “Six Ways Up” on May 11, 2022. The initial release will be to all Streaming Services, such as Apple Music, TIDAL, Qobuz, Amazon Music HD, Spotify and dozens of others. May 11 Streaming update:
SPOTIFY
APPLE MUSIC
TIDAL
AMAZON MUSIC HD
SoundCloud Playlist
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
Corrado Rustici Chooses Atlantis
Italian producer Corrado Rustici, together with engineer Michael Rosen, auditioned many top mics for recent sessions at Rosen’s ‘East Bay Recorders’, but chose Lauten Audio’s ‘Atlantis’ FC-387 for Italian pop singer Virginio’s vocals.
Rustici has a body of work that surpasses 70-million in album sales, and although he is most well-known in Italy with his work on music from mega-stars such as Zucchero and Andrea Bocelli, he has made California his home-base for many years and has worked with Bristish and US superstars such as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Lee Hooker, and Stewart Copeland, to name a few. Most recently, during his production of new Italian breakout singer and songwriting star Virginio, Rustici booked the East Bay Recorders studio in Oakland and working with owner/engineer Michael Rosen recorded vocals for Virginio’s new album for Universal Music Italy. When evaluating microphones to best bring out Virginio’s pop-star voice, Rosen and Rustici auditioned a series of industry leading microphones as would any seasoned producer or engineer, after many models and trials they realized the best match was the ‘Atlantis’ FC-387— a mic originally designed especially for vocals.
Read More »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 »