8330A SAM™ Studio Monitor

Located behind the understated industrial façade of a warehouse in Burleigh Heads, on Queensland’s famous Gold Coast, is a new jewel in the immersive audio crown – Hype Republic. This high-end addition to Australia’s post-production industry is bedecked with stained wood, vintage leather, black steel and up-to-the-minute technology. The new post facility was built to empower filmmakers to create the highest quality work. Helping it achieve this aim is a Genelec 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos monitoring system complemented by Genelec GLM Loudspeaker Manager software.

“Hype Republic contacted us asking for an immersive solution for their new post-production studio,” recalls Paul Newcomb, business development manager at Studio Connections, Genelec’s Australian distribution partner. “They required an audio solution that would complement their film/video cinematography department and was capable of delivering 7.1.4 immersive playback. This studio would be open to many creative specialists and as such, the gear needed to be robust and reliable. The solution was a Genelec 7.1.4 Smart Active Monitoring system consisting of 8340s, 8330s and a 7360 subwoofer.

GLM was the key to bringing this system together. It just works flawlessly and even faster now with GLM 4.1.

“The reason for going with the Genelec Smart Active Monitoring range is that each monitor and subwoofer could be independently calibrated relative to its position in the room,” continues Newcomb. “Installing monitors in the ceiling can present many acoustic obstacles. Not only do they need to be frequency neutral, but their phase needs to be aligned with all the other monitors in the array. GLM calibration software is an invaluable tool in this situation, and Genelec’s unrivalled range of mounting options makes it so easy to install an immersive system in any room.”

Indeed, Genelec’s GLM software is credited as the critical element in ensuring the success of the installation. “GLM was the key to bringing this system together,” states Newcomb. “It just works flawlessly, and even faster now with the latest GLM 4.1 update. I know GLM has been in existence for a long time now, way before immersive audio was a thing, but it somehow seems like it was actually designed specifically with this in mind!”

The benefit that Hype Republic has seen from using Genelec monitors and GLM in its immersive setup is that each of the 11 monitors and the subwoofer is precisely calibrated for their specific position in the room. GLM sends a full frequency audio sweep through each monitor and subwoofer, and analyses the acoustics of the room via the GLM reference microphone and network adaptor. With the response of the room’s acoustics recorded, GLM software aligns the frequency response, playback level, distance delay and subwoofer phase of the entire monitoring setup.

Genelec Smart Active Monitoring provides the confidence that mixes will sound great, everywhere.

“The system was calibrated without a hitch, which is a testament to the simplicity of GLM,” continues Newcomb. “Once guided through the process, the in-house engineer can now easily recalibrate and tweak the system if and when necessary.

“The combination of a well-treated, free floating room-within-a-room that was minimal in design and the capabilities of GLM, meant that there really weren’t any major obstacles to overcome, and everything ran smoothly with the installation. This is reflected in the quality of the end result.

“As with any GLM calibration, the results speak for themselves, and this was no different,” says Newcomb. “The studio sounds amazing. It’s no surprise that when searching for the best studios in the world you will often find the choice has been Genelec. Genelec Smart Active Monitoring systems provide not only the sonic quality, but the confidence that mixes will sound great, everywhere. We believe the client is extremely happy with their system. It fulfils their brief, sounds fantastic and will be providing uncompromised sound quality for many years into the future.”

“Our goal has always been to create the most epic and ground-breaking work with the most creative humans, and enjoy every step of the journey,” reflects Allan Hardy, co-founder of Hype Republic. “Our new Gold Coast post-production studio brings together the most experienced award-winning specialists with the best equipment and a beautiful facility just minutes from the iconic Burleigh Heads. I have no doubt that the new studio and the projects and people it brings to the Gold Coast will nurture countless opportunities for our local creative community and emerging talent.”

What is your name and where are you based?

JT Roach. I’m from Madison, Wisconsin, but I’ve been based in Los Angeles, CA, for the last seven years.

What inspired you to start making or recording music?

I’ve always been passionate about music, but I think what made me want to take it seriously is that it’s such an efficient way to share your energy with others. You can create something, and millions of people can absorb its emotion and feel it at the same time from all over the world. You can have such a positive impact with music, which has always been my goal.

What was your first ever piece of recording gear?

A Talkboy; just like the one in Home Alone 2. I used to record myself playing guitar over it when I was a kid.

What was the last piece of gear that you bought?

I just got a 3 slot 500 Series Radial Workhorse, a Mäag EQ4, and a Chandler Opto. My first time using 500 series gear, but I’m really loving the sound I’m getting with them. Got my vocals and guitars coming into the box already sounding great, and it means less tweaking with plugins, plus I get to focus on things that are more fun to me.

In which room in your home is your studio based, and were there any challenges in setting it up?

My girlfriend and I live in a two-bedroom apartment in Studio City, and I turned one of the bedrooms into my studio. Street noise was an issue at first, but I hired LA Sound Panels to treat the room and they did an amazing job. I threw all my old treatment in the closet, so now it works great as a booth.

Which Genelec models do you have?

I have a pair of the 8330As.

What type of projects do you use your speakers for?

Most of what I write, and produce, is vocally driven pop over acoustic and electric guitars, but I write and record in many genres. Lately I have been doing a lot of EDM, which has been fun.

What you think of the speakers, and what do you like about them?

I had heard the hype about Genelec from several of my producer friends, so I was very excited that I could make it happen. The first time I used them and listened to some of my favorite songs, it honestly felt like I was hearing music for the first time, in a way. The first song I played was Really Love by D’Angelo, who is one of my favorite artists. The warmth and clarity of the high end is what stood out to me in comparison to other monitors I have owned before. The high end was warm and sticky in a way that makes the listening experience so much more enjoyable. The sound doesn’t feel forced though; just balanced, warm, and comforting. Like the speakers are giving your ears a big hug.

Describe your perfect day in the studio.

Any day that ends with a song I’m excited about. Some days, that happens quickly, and some days it’s very difficult. Despite this, if I get a song that I’m proud of; that I can share with the world and people can enjoy forever, then that was a good day. If I can really enjoy the process as well, then that’s the icing on the cake.

What’s your top tip for being creative at home?

The cliches you’ve heard are true, so if you hear it a lot, take it into consideration . . . But a tip you may not have heard? If you have a TV in your home studio, throw on a muted TV show with subtitles while you produce and write. Sometimes, the visuals or dialogue can inspire a headspace to create from for lyrics or sound design. I work all day and never feel like I’m working, because I’m “watching TV and just messing around”, but by the end of the day a great song happens if you stay moving and stay relaxed. It doesn’t work for everyone, but I’ve been enjoying that when I work solo lately.

Have you come across any new gear or apps to make home creating easier?

Suggester for iPhone is fun for finding new chord progressions, and you can export the MIDI via AirDrop to your computer. I always find that’s a fun way to stay inspired with new chord progressions. I also just got Scaler 2 recently, and it’s pretty awesome.

Which three artists would you love to collaborate with in a Zoom lockdown session?

Phoebe Bridgers. Skrillex. Jónsi.

Have you picked up any new skills during lockdown?

I’ve been writing a lot of EDM so I would say I’ve really spent time learning how to write songs for that genre this year. My artist project has always been Folk-leaning but I’m trying to embrace the electronic space and ride the momentum I have there for my project.

If there was one recording session you could have attended, which one would it have been and why?

I would love to have seen how Jónsi & Alex wrote and produced Riceboy Sleeps. That is my favorite album of all time.

Since working at home, what has become your ’Desert Island’ piece of gear? What can’t you live without?

Honest answer is any acoustic guitar. If you have a great song, the rest is downhill, and I write my best songs on guitar.

Do you want to be featured in our ‘At Home’ series? If so, just post some pictures of your home setup on Instagram using the #GenelecProAtHome hashtag. We’ll be keeping a look out for the most interesting home rigs, so who knows? We may be in touch with you!

"Marco Guadagno and Laura Ciafaloni wanted to keep this operation secret from the first steps to the last, and incredibly they did it," explains Donato Masci from Studio Sound Service, the acoustic design firm responsible for the design and construction of the facility.

As a company, 3Cycle had a history of using various studio facilities around Rome for dubbing work. But strong growth, combined with client support led to the decision to create a dedicated space of their own. While it was important that the dubbing element was catered to, the team wanted to expand the business further and took the opportunity to create a post-production hub that could offer much more. As a result, 3Cycle features seven ADR dubbing rooms, a pair of 5.1 QC rooms, two 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos Home Entertainment rooms and a Dolby Atmos theatrical room.

Genelec monitors were the right choice for 3Cycle because they are a standard for post-production facilities around the world.

The design work was carried out by Studio Sound Service’s team of designers made up of Donato Masci, Cecilia Torracchi and Giulia Bondielli, with the acoustic consultancy of Andy Munro. “We have designed a lot of studios together and created a sort of standard for post-production and dubbing, which is recognised and appreciated by numerous broadcasters,” says Donato Masci from Studio Sound Service. “3Cycle wanted to reach an international level and therefore we decided to also involve Andy.”

“3Cycle’s studios have been designed and built following the latest R&D in acoustics,” he continues. “In particular, the acoustics of the recording rooms have been given a neutral balance with the reduction of colouration and artifacts that can affect the final mixing of voices in all forms of media. The control rooms and mixing environments have been given a different approach, to match established international standards and Dolby certification requirements.”

Alongside the cutting-edge acoustics, Genelec Smart Active Monitors feature prominently throughout the facility. Each of the seven ADR rooms feature L-R 8330 monitors with an 8340 for the centre channel. The QC rooms are both equipped with 8340 monitors and a 7380 subwoofer for the 5.1 setup. Finally, the two Dolby Atmos Home Entertainment rooms have been installed with flush-mounted L-C-R S360 monitors, 8340s for the surrounds and overheads, and a 7382 subwoofer delivering the low frequencies.

“Genelec monitors were the right choice for 3Cycle because they are a standard for post-production facilities around the world,” states Masci, explaining the reasons behind selecting the studio monitors. “In addition to this, the GLM loudspeaker manager software helps a lot for the fine tuning, even if the rooms already sound really good.”

With this project taking place during the pandemic, there were obvious challenges. The Studio Sound Service team had difficulty travelling from their headquarters in Florence to the site in northern Rome (as Tuscany remained isolated from Rome for months) meaning that the supervision of the construction site was carried out from a distance. “It definetely wasn't a walk in the park,” notes Masci. “The construction was slowed down by numerous inconveniences related to the pandemic, but nevertheless all the collaborators made all the leaps so as not to accumulate large delays.”

Another major challenge came from isolating the facility. However, With Munro’s assistance, the team managed to create perfectly floating rooms that were mechanically decoupled from the structure. “All the recording rooms have been isolated using floated, room-within-room construction with vibration isolation throughout,” explains Masci. “Control rooms have also been given appropriate isolation, to avoid interference and also to allow accurate monitoring of the recordings themselves.”

the GLM loudspeaker manager software helps a lot for the fine tuning, even if the rooms already sound really good.

Reflecting on the overall project, Masci is proud of the end results. “The 3Cycle facility is the largest post-production facility that we’ve designed. It was a challenge but in the end it gave us great satisfaction. 3Cycle’s partners Marco Guadagno and Laura Ciafaloni, and CTO Simone Nobili, believed in us from the beginning and this was very important for us. Of course, during the implementation phases there were difficult moments, especially linked to respecting deadlines which were affected by the pandemic, but the 3Cycle guys have always shown a great and sincere sense of satisfaction.”

This reaction has been mirrored by the local industry, particularly following the secrecy around its creation. “Obviously when the facility opened, it was a big surprise for the city, and talent and producers are still talking positively about the first experiences they had,” says Masci. “It seems they really appreciate the acoustics, but also the general comfort of the rooms that have a particularly refined design.”

The Music Industry Studies program at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, offers a Bachelor of Science degree with a minor in Business. Offering three concentrations – Recording and Production, Marketing and Promotion, and Manufacturing and Merchandising – the program has its hub in the Robert F. Gilley Recording Studio on campus. That facility, which is housed in the Mariam Cannon Hayes School of Music, has just opened its newest room, a Dolby Atmos® mix classroom, which is fitted with a 7.1.4 monitoring array of Genelec RAW 8320 and 8330 speakers plus a 7360 subwoofer. Genelec RAW models, designed specifically with sustainability in mind, provide a stylish matte “industrial aluminum” aesthetic that particularly suits this facility. The monitors were purchased through Guitar Center Professional in Greensboro, NC, and the array was installed by a team of over a dozen seniors in the Music Industry Studies program, who also built much of the rest of the Atmos room, under the supervision of Scott Wynne, the Director for the Gilley Recording Studio and Professor for the Music Industry Studies program.

“In 2003, they finished construction on an actual recording facility, which meant that they wouldn’t have students running a 16-channel snake across the hallway and tracking on semi-pro gear, and that’s when the Robert F. Gilley recording studios started,” says Wynne, who arrived in 2006 after teaching at Florida Atlantic University. “Now, we have four different control rooms and several million dollars of gear, because I want the students to actually learn on the equipment that plug-ins are designed from.” That desire for authenticity led to the choice of Genelec speakers for the Atmos monitoring array. After the university’s facilities team strengthened the room’s ceiling infrastructure to better support the new speakers, the Atmos array was installed by the students, with seven 8330s comprising the horizontal array – three as the L-C-R on stands and four others wall mounted as left-right front surrounds and left-right rear surrounds – and four 8320s installed in the ceiling using Genelec 442BS brackets. The 7360 subwoofer is freestanding on the floor. “We used a laser protractor and determined the exact positions with the students, and they literally screwed the brackets into those joists, trying to make sure that they got as much experience out of this as possible,” Wynne explains.

The choice of Genelec speakers for such a pivotal space as the Atmos studio had to do with Genelec’s reputation as an incredibly accurate monitoring solution, the choice of professional production studios worldwide, as well as the proprietary self-calibrating GLM software for the Genelec Smart Active Monitors™. Wynne says GLM allows the production program to move the monitors around the room as needed for various types of productions, without ever losing ideal speaker placement for imaging and phasing. In the process, he adds, the GLM software became part of the teaching process. “It becomes a lesson about acoustics,” he says. “What I love about them is their ability to show you the frequency response in the GLM software, in order to notice where the frequency dips are, where you’re getting too much push. You can then physically show that to your students and say, all right, what do you think these problems are culminating from? And they can make suggestions: what if we moved the speakers back? What if we moved them a little bit closer? What could we do in the room acoustically to fix some of these anomalies that we’re seeing? There are a lot of great software programs that are out there that can show you this, but because GLM’s functionality is so seamlessly integrated with the speakers, we can make a change in the classroom and in less than a minute they can immediately see that response change.” But just as important as Genelec’s feature set and sonic quality is its support of education. “They’ve always been great at creating an educational experience for students, and for having their tech come out and do lectures and share knowledge with classes,” he says.

Finally, there’s the RAW look. “That's exactly the finish I wanted,” says Wynne. “That was the look that I felt like the facility needed to set it apart. I think they complement the space and the students all love it. Everything about them allowed us to feel like we have a very unique room here.”

So says Philip Eriksson, Hazelight’s Lead Sound Designer, and we couldn’t wait to visit Philip and Senior Sound Designer Anne-Sophie Mongeau in Stockholm to film them talking about It Takes Two, Hazelight’s brand new co-op 3D action adventure game ….and their love of Genelec monitors, of course!

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Having started his career as a sound engineer, Philip studied film sound before joining EA Dice and working on their Star Wars Battlefront and Battlefield titles. Two years ago he transitioned to Hazelight to take responsibility for the audio production on It Takes Two.

Originally hailing from Montreal, Anne-Sophie’s experience in the game audio industry is complemented by a Master’s degree in Sound Design from the University of Edinburgh, and her role in It Takes Two has been dedicated to creating and delivering high quality soundscapes and interactive audio.

In our exclusive video, Philip and Anne-Sophie discuss the process of sound design in game audio – revealing how recording underwater with hydrophones, home-made kazoos and the use of slime and compressed air all played a part in their latest project!

With sound being so important in the creation of atmosphere and realism in games, it’s no surprise that Philip and Anne-Sophie rely on Genelec monitoring in their daily work. Philip’s room is equipped with a 5.1 Smart Active Monitoring system comprising 8331s in the LCR positions, 8330s as surrounds and an ‘awesome’ 7360 subwoofer handling the LF duties.

“I need speakers just to be able to sit and make sounds for eight hours a day,” says Philip. “I also need to have that representation of the sound so that I know that it's clear enough, so that I have the depth and I have the width. And then this usually translates pretty well to headphones.”

Anne-Sophie agrees, and adds that “You want something that translates as clearly as possible what's coming out of the game like what you put in, in terms of assets and implemented work, and how that translates to the end user - so you want the best reference you can get.”

The gaming company, best known for selling over 2 million copies of ‘Human: Fall Flat in China’ within a week of launch, has opted for Genelec Smart Active Monitors in each of these spaces to deliver a pristine audio experience that helps the developers understand the environment that they are creating.

We found that not only does its smart calibration system provide an enormous advantage, the Genelec brand also has a fantastic reputation in the industry.

“In the early stages of the project planning, we decided to go with the Dolby Atmos monitoring system, so that both production and post production could be carried out,” stated Fang Wan, Audio Director of XD Inc. "After conducting extensive research on similar products, we opted for the Genelec system. We found that not only does its smart calibration system provide an enormous advantage, the Genelec brand also has a fantastic reputation in the industry.”

While Suzhou Pineapple Acoustic Engineering Co., Ltd, designed the acoustics for the Dolby Atmos mixing room and editing suites, the system integration and installation was handled by MusicKing (Shanghai) Cultural Development Co., Ltd. All three editing suites are equipped with 8330 nearfield monitors. For the immersive room, the designers chose the three-way coaxial 8351s for the LCR positions, and 8330s for the surround and overhead channels - with a 7360 subwoofer delivering the lower frequencies.

The entire system has been finely calibrated to produce the most accurate sounds for us to be able to create with confidence.

The new audio production spaces have already proven to be advantageous to XD Inc., providing the 20-person team with the space and technology to research and create the right audio for the games they are working on. The facility has received unanimous praise from the entire audio team, with the monitors proving particularly popular.

“The soundfield is immersive and the positioning is accurate,” reflected Fang Wan on the mixing space. “In addition, it has great resolution and sufficient detail. The entire system has been finely calibrated to produce the most accurate sounds for us to be able to create with confidence.”

One such post production house is Aurom Post Sound, who have deepened their commitment to immersive audio with the addition of a second 7.1.4 room, powered by Genelec Smart Active Monitors.

“With customers impressed with the kind of performance we were getting from our first immersive studio, we decided to upgrade our original 5.1 room to a 7.1.4 configuration,” explains Aurom’s owner Akhilesh Acharya – who is a sound designer and mix engineer in his own right. “That would mean we would have two rooms with Genelec 7.1.4 monitoring that can both offer multi-format post production.”

(L-R) Ajaykumar PB, Abhilasha Gautama and Aishwarya Acharya.

We all know as mixing engineers that if you want to get the right sound and translation, Genelec is the only option.

The project saw Genelec’s Indian distribution partner, Sound Team, work closely with acoustic consultant Ajay Kumar PB and the local team from Dolby to ensure that the room would offer the translation between the studio and the movie theatre that Aurom required, as well as meeting Dolby’s exacting standards in a challenging space. The facility’s first Atmos studio used 8240A monitors and a 7270A subwoofer for the 7.1.4 configuration, but due to the size of the second room a different solution was found for the new space.

“We all know as mixing engineers that if you want to get the right sound and translation, Genelec is the only option available,” says Acharya. “For the new room we are using 8340As as LCR, with 8330As for surrounds and overheads plus a 7370A subwoofer and 9301A Multichannel AES/EBU interface,” he adds. “These monitors were suggested by both Dolby and Sound Team in accordance with the room size, so that we can work on both theatre mixes and OTT platforms. We are absolutely happy with our monitoring chain.”

We were impressed with the way GLM’s Auto Calibration works, and gets you very accurate results.

With the solution designed, installation was a smooth process, taking five days from cabling to commissioning. One of the reasons for this was Genelec’s GLM calibration software.

“We were impressed with the way GLM’s Auto Calibration works, and gets you very accurate results,” says Acharya. “The ability to then manually tweak after the AutoCal stage really gives a lot of flexibility to the person calibrating the room. We have also made different setups in GLM so that we can switch at any time between presets for a 5.1 film mix, theatrical Atmos, OTT Atmos and stereo too.”

Reflecting on the overall project, Acharya is clearly satisfied with the choices that Aurom has made. “For a mix room everything is results oriented,” he reasons. “It’s all about translation. We have not lost a single client in the past 5 years. The main reason is, they have heard more or less the same mix in the theatres or at home. Customers are happy and we have been getting regular work. We have found a high-performance product with very good reliability, and we are extremely happy with our purchase of Genelec monitors.”

The multi-room project - which includes both immersive and 5.1 surround studios as well as a host of video edit suites - was handled by SES-Audio, and all 15 rooms feature Genelec Smart Active Monitoring.

Studio 1 - which has been awarded Dolby Atmos HE certification – features a 7.1.4 system based entirely on the 8341 coaxial monitors from The Ones series. Eleven 8341s handle the LCR, surround and height positions, complemented by a 7380 subwoofer.

Studio 2 is also a 7.1.4 immersive room, again with 8341s in all positions supported by two 7360 subwoofers, and has complete compatibility with Studio 1 for maximum flexibility in optimising workflows.

Studio 3 is a 5.1 space powered by five 8320 nearfield two-way monitors and a 7350 subwoofer, while a separate Quality Control room has been equipped with eleven 8330 two-way nearfield models and a 7360 subwoofer. This room is designed to guarantee sound quality throughout the post-production chain, to meet the highest standards required by cinema and OTT platforms, and is capable of playing back content in all formats.

Finally, there are a total of 11 video editing rooms, each one equipped with 8330 monitors.

Charly Schmukler, head of Drago's Sound Post Production department, comments that “The Dolby Atmos certification allows us to adapt to the latest trends in the audiovisual industry with the certainty that we are working in an environment that meets the highest quality. This in turn guarantees a perfect transcription of our work to the domestic environment.”

Audio Lisbon had been working in 5.1 for a long time, so the ability to handle fully immersive content was a natural progression. “Being a new facility designed from scratch, it seemed logical to plan and install this format early, to avoid making changes in the future,” explains Pedro Carvalho, Partner at Audio Lisbon. “It is also a way for us to be able to offer other solutions to regular customers, as well as attracting new clients from other markets.”

Having made this decision, the next challenge was to find the right tools to enhance the studio’s workflow. “We considered several brands and systems for immersive audio monitoring,” recalls Carvalho. “We wanted auto-calibrated nearfield active monitors with an SPL that suited the room volume, and had AES/EBU connectivity so as to integrate with our Avid MTRX interface. Of course, they also had to sound good.”

It was at this point that Genelec’s local distribution partner Garrett Audiovisuais became involved in the project. “Ever since Genelec launched The Ones series of coaxial three–way monitors, we had been curious to hear what they could do,” says Carvalho. “After a visit to hear the 8351s at Garrett’s listening room, which happens to be nearby, all of our doubts were dispelled.”

It is a huge advantage to have a system that corrects minor anomalies in room acoustics.

Working with Marcelo Tavares from Audiodesigner for the acoustic design and Paulo Mendes for the technical design and installation, Audio Lisbon ultimately opted for an all–Genelec 7.1.4 Smart Active Monitoring solution. 8341A coaxial monitors have been installed in the LCR positions, while 8340A two-way monitors have been used for side and rear surrounds, and 8330A two-way monitors handle the ceiling channels. Two subwoofers have also been employed, to handle the LF content and provide bass management for the system. A 7370A subwoofer is coupled with the front and surround monitors, while the more compact 7360A model was chosen to partner the ceiling monitors.

Following the installation of the system, Carvalho describes the fine tuning possible with the GLM calibration software as “the icing on the cake”. “Although I had absolute confidence in Marcelo's work acoustically, it is a huge advantage to have a system that corrects minor anomalies in room acoustics, and makes it possible to store different calibration settings from 2.0 to 7.1.4 in a practical and effective way,” he reflects.

I'm a fan of these coaxial models. The quality and sound detail is impressive and the size/power ratio is amazing.

With the new post facility now fully operational, Carvalho is certainly happy with the results it has achieved and the new monitors in particular. “I'm a fan of these coaxial models. The quality and sound detail is impressive and the size/power ratio is amazing. Even though we have chosen a mixture of coaxial and conventional two–way models for our system, the balance obtained is really good. They also have a good dynamic range and good transient response. This investment represents an opportunity for expansion into other markets at both national and international level.”

Building on the previous successful projects, Morel was brought in early in the architectural design process for the Caribbean house. “I became involved with the design directly from the start,” he recalls. “When the first drawings were made for the new house it was clear a studio had to be in it as well. The architect gave me the location and the space in the house for the studio, and with this information I had to figure out how to make it possible.”

The aesthetic requirements for the new studio demanded a different design from Hardwell’s all-white main studio in the Netherlands, with the style, colours and architecture mirroring the house in Curacao itself. However, there was only ever one choice for the monitoring solution.

“He is used to Genelec, his main studio is equipped with 1034Bs, a 7073A and 8341As,” says Morel. “For him there is no other option to go for, or work with.”

While the monitoring brand has remained the same, Morel opted for a slightly different Genelec solution in response to the different acoustic environment of the new Curacao space. A pair of 1237A studio monitors have been installed as the main monitoring solution – about 6 feet from the listening position – with two 8330A monitors positioned about 4 feet away to provide the nearfield system. Finally, a 7071A dual 12-inch subwoofer has been placed under the desk but off centre, close to the wall to manage low frequencies. As part of Genelec’s Smart Active Monitoring family, the 1237A and 8330A monitors were configured and calibrated using Genelec’s own GLM software.

Initially, Morel remotely managed a team of local contractors and craftsmen who had been employed to handle the build. With the construction phase complete, he then travelled to Curacao for the commissioning stage.

“We used GLM to do the first auto-calibration,” he explains. “When this had been done, we further calibrated it manually within GLM to get the most satisfying personal result for the engineer. In this case of course, the engineer is Hardwell himself!”

Having overcome some challenges within the construction phase, the final result is something both Morel and, more importantly Hardwell, are happy with. “He had seen the design before I started finishing the room, and when we finished the room for real, he was really flabbergasted and blown away by the result both in sound and looks,” says Morel. “It was beyond his expectation.”

Combining an ambient music performance with a multi-channel listening experience, both the performers and the live audience were surrounded by a ring array of Genelec loudspeakers, creating a truly unique listening environment. This type of playback system is tailor-made for ambient music, emphasising the sense of space and the abstract nature of the compositions – and creating an incredibly thought-provoking and stimulating live event.

The planning and creation of the show took place over a two month period, using the demonstration space in Modern Sky to evaluate how the sound elements combined, how they moved, and what type of speaker configuration would be best suited to the ambient material. The creative team included electronic musician Wang Lu, also known as L + R, music producer/mixer Shen Lijia and visual artist Tami-musiXgal, and working alongside our colleagues at Genelec China, a system comprising eight S360 high-SPL smart active monitors and a 7382 subwoofer was used to surround the audience, while a smaller smart active array of four 8330 two-ways, four 8331 coaxial three-ways and a 7360 subwoofer was used to envelop the musician and the VJ. Genelec GLM software was then used to analyse the room and optimise the frequency response, distance delay and playback level of each speaker in the system – thereby delivering the best possible listening experience to both performers and audience alike.

In planning the event, the team were seeking a good combination of manual control, programming and random machine triggering, with the pre-programmed foundation of the 8.1 audio mix being handled by Ableton Live, with Cycling 74’s Max allowing communication with external hardware instruments – and plenty of real-time musical improvisation was included too!

Prior to the event, the demand for tickets was so high that it was decided to stage three separate performances, to allow every listener to position themselves comfortably within the speaker array and experience the finest sound quality. And from our own perspective, the whole process of planning and executing the event gave us a much deeper understanding of the shaping of space, the precise positioning of sound and the design of moving trajectories in music.

There’s no doubt to us at Genelec that as the world’s exposure to immersive audio becomes greater, the future of multi-channel live music performances is increasingly looking brighter. There are a whole new generation of music fans who are seeking more and more ‘experiential’ live performances, and Genelec is excited to play its part in the growth of this exciting medium.

A wholly-owned R&D subsidiary of G-bits, the company employs enthusiastic games fans with one simple mission - to produce ‘unique and great games’. As a result of Leiting’s dedication to creating all-round immersive experiences for its users, the company recently commissioned a 5.1.4 game audio studio based around Genelec Smart Active Monitors.

"For a games company like ours, an audio studio is a must," commented composer and game sound designer Knuckles (Jianyu) Zhang, who led the studio project. "Our requirements are quite special, though. What we want is not just a recording studio, nor a standard mixing studio or a reviewing studio. To be precise, what we want is a ‘Game Sound Lab’ to assist us in the conceptual design of games.”

Originally conceived as a surround sound studio, the acoustic design and construction of the project was handled by Qiao Zhenyu of Huanyu Acoustics, who persuaded Knuckles to go fully immersive. “I knew that many games had already used the 5.1 format to produce sound. But Qiao suggested that since it was already 5.1, why not make it 5.1.4 by adding the 4 height channels? I realised then that immersive audio technology is no longer a new thing, and we as creators surely have to learn to master this format."

The studio then engaged the system integrator DMT to install a pair of Genelec 1234As as its main stereo monitoring system, with a 5.1.4 immersive system comprising eleven 8330A nearfield two-way monitors in all positions - complemented by a 7370A subwoofer. All the monitors were supplied in a stunning Polar White finish, and the entire system was configured and calibrated by DMT using GLM loudspeaker manager software.

Genelec's sound is very reliable. You can trust what you’re hearing.

Knuckles’ choice of Genelec monitoring was arrived at after many years of experience of working with other monitors - and actually avoiding Genelec in his earlier years, believing them to be too flat! “I used various monitors to evaluate my work in different rooms. Sometimes, it would sound fine on my own monitors in my own room, but the results would often vary when I’d listen to material in other spaces. So I’d start to doubt what I was hearing.”

He goes on to say “It was then that I realised that I needed a genuinely truthful monitoring system to do my work. Genelec's sound is very reliable. You can trust what you’re hearing, and you can be certain about what you create using them. When I use the 1234s to listen to material, I can immediately evaluate the quality of mixing.”

Knuckles is convinced that immersive audio is the format of the future for games developers. “In recent years, the domestic games industry has attached greater importance to the sound experience. As we look to the international market, we’re finding that more and more games with big-budget production are using immersive audio to create the sound experience. Because sometimes, we just want to step into another world and forget about real life, or even ourselves, for a while.”

He concludes by saying “While others here are still at the learning and building phase with immersive rooms, we already have the experience and a place to create immersive audio. Now we’re one step ahead, we’re ready to take the lead!"

Game sound designer Knuckles (Jianyu) Zhang