Immersive Talk with Audioblend Studio

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m the director and chief sound engineer at Audioblend, based in northern France. I spend most of my time working with artists and labels, sometimes composing, but more often recording, mixing, and mastering music. This career was born out of a passion that struck me as a teenager, and which I nurtured until I made it my profession in 2011.

What type of space did you use to create the studio?

I set up the studio on the ground floor of a building in Roubaix. The premises have the advantage of not being directly connected to any residential units.

What are the key pieces of equipment you rely on?

The studio is based on a Universal Audio Apollo system consisting of three cards: an x16, an x8, and a Twin that serves as a remote control. All of this is connected to a Mac Mini running Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Ableton Live, or Cubase.

We also have preamps such as the Heritage Britstrip and the Universal Audio 4-710d, as well as Elysia, Tegeler, and Dangerous Music equalisers and compressors.

And of course, we use a Genelec 7.1.4 monitoring system – calibrated with GLM.

What type of projects do you work on at Audioblend?

We mainly do music recording, mixing, and mastering, whether in stereo or Dolby Atmos. But we also work on music creation and various audio projects outside the music industry.

Is there a particular immersive format that you work with?

Yes, we specialise in Atmos music mixing.

How and when did you become interested in immersive?

I became interested in immersive sound, and Dolby Atmos in particular, in 2021 – mainly after Apple Music introduced their Spatial Audio feature. I was intrigued by several versions of songs I liked, first in binaural, then I was able to listen to a 7.1.4 system and I was hooked. I then contacted Dolby France to find out about the studio's certification options.

How did you go about upgrading to Atmos?

At the same time as I was looking into the possibilities of adapting my room for Atmos, I spoke with other sound engineers who were already equipped with the technology, and they were able to advise me on the equipment, as did Dolby France. To do this, I needed to check whether my space met the standards, but also to calculate the investment required for my business and determine whether I could recoup it. I also had a few discussions with potential customers interested in this format, which reinforced my decision to go ahead.

Now that you’re working in immersive, how do you approach it?

I think there's a completely different approach. First of all, the space available to place elements, but also the dynamic range, and the possibilities for moving certain audio objects. Depending on the project, this can really add a new dimension to the listening experience of a track. In terms of opportunities, it allows me to reach new clients and also to get involved in more global creative projects.

Tell us about your monitoring system, and why you chose Genelec.

The system consists of three 8340s for the LCR, four 8330s for the surrounds, four 8320s for the tops, and a 7370 subwoofer for the LFE. Gilles Pétrotey from Audio-Technica France (Genelec’s distributor here) came to give me a demonstration of a pair of 8340s with the GLM calibration software, and it was a revelation. That test was one of the factors that influenced my choice, along with the brand's international reputation.

What difference does GLM make to your system?

I use GLM in two different configurations: 7.1.4, and also in stereo with two 8340s. In both cases, it gives me real precision in the bass frequencies and transient impacts. There is a really big change in these aspects with GLM calibration.

Can you talk about some of the immersive projects you’ve been involved with recently, and was upgrading to Atmos a good commercial decision?

Yes, I recently worked on Sofiane Pamart's album “Noche Deluxe” – which is a re-release of the album “Noche” that I was also involved with – and I also worked on the album “Diamond Tears” with YG Pablo. I've been working on several singles that should be released soon, and I'm in talks for another album, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Equipping the room with Atmos has brought me some new business, but I’m finding that the development of Atmos for music in France is slower than in the United States. I'll know if it was a good business decision in two years' time, but for now, it's on the right track.

How do you see the future of immersive audio over the next few years?

I think immersive sound will gradually spread into homes, with solutions such as Dolby Atmos Flex Connect. And I also have high expectations for the automotive market. I feel that it could be fairly easy to deploy an Atmos sound system in the vehicles of tomorrow, and I think that when it arrives in more modest car models, even more listeners will be able to enjoy Atmos mixes.

To find out more about the Audioblend, click here.

Photo credits: Sully P

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