Audioguy Studios, in the heart of Seoul, is a unique recording space which has taken a different approach to many Korean studios: focusing on acoustic music including classical jazz and the “Gukak” style of Korean classical music, the facility has chosen a Genelec 7.1.4 monitoring system based around “The Ones” coaxial three-way monitors
Immersive recording methods: here is the innovation proposed by Audioguy Studios, and realized thanks to Genelec. The main recording space at Audioguy differs from others in the country since it consists of one large room which accommodates multiple artists together – rather than a series of isolated recording booths.
“Typically, studios make the reverberation time as short as possible in order to record mostly the direct sound from the source”, explains Jung-Hoon Choi, founder of Audioguy Studios. “We have, instead, a longer reverberation time of 2,7 seconds, more like a concert hall. We are able to record not only the direct sound from the source to the mic, but also a lot of reflected sound from the walls, ceiling and the floor. Our intention here is to produce music with a unique and colourful sound. With the very long reverberation time, our recordings can emphasise the full benefits of 7.1.4 immersive audio by capturing all the resonances and the reverberation of the room”, continues Choi. “We can record using an ambisonic microphone to capture the immersive atmosphere, and spot mics to capture the individual instruments.”
The results of this process are monitored and mixed using Genelec coaxial Smart Active Monitors, supplied by Genelec’s local Korean distribution partner Sama Sound. The system comprises three 8351As as LCR, eight 8331A monitors as surrounds and overheads – with a 7370A subwoofer handling LF duties, and the entire system configured, calibrated and controlled using Genelec GLM software.
“When you need to mix 7.1.4 immersive audio properly in a limited space, accurate monitoring is essential”, concludes Choi. “Using this system, we can mix in the most precise and accurate way, and when the mixing is done, GLM makes it very convenient and easy to switch between 3D, binaural and stereo formats and analyse the differences.”
Having supplied the system, Sama Sound have themselves been able to deploy the studios as the perfect location for listening sessions and seminars, such is the extremely high quality of the monitoring environment. And the future of Audioguy Studios seems already traced, with active recording and mixing of increasingly enveloping and immersive audio content.
