8361A SAM™ Studiomonitori

The recent renovation of JMC Academy’s Sydney campus has seen two of its studios equipped with Genelec Smart Active Monitoring solutions. The new studios needed to give JMC’s students the experience of working with high-end professional equipment while also providing the longevity required by educational institutions.

JMC’s Sydney campus studios were fully redesigned from the ground up by architect Shaun Carter and interior designer Julie Niass, from architectural firm Carter Williamson. The renovation required the multifunction Studio A and the adjacent Studio C to have both surround and stereo monitoring configurations. Acoustic engineer Glenn Leembruggen of Acoustic Directions specified Genelec’s ‘The Ones’ series for the studio redesign and, with the help of Genelec’s Australian distributor Studio Connections, was able to deliver a quality design solution.

being able to automatically calibrate the monitor to sound neutral within any given room is a real benefit.

Having previously relied on a pair of 20-year-old 1034As in Studio A, JMC was aware of Genelec’s longevity. Centring around a 48 channel SSL Duality Console, the design team opted for 8361A monitors to be soffit-mounted into the wall in the LCR positions, with a pair of 8351Bs straddling the console bridge as stereo nearfields. Supporting these are 8340As for the rears and a 7360A for the sub, resulting in a fully independent 5.1 surround system. “For students to work on post-production video mixes or record a full band, Genelec monitors offer an amazing sonic performance,” says Paul Newcomb, Business Development Manager at Studio Connections.

Studio C was ultimately fitted out with a pair of Genelec 8351Bs, also seamlessly soffit-mounted into the wall and reproducing every subtle nuance of the music being heard in incredible detail. “The music seemed to float mid-air like a transparent three-dimensional puzzle,” adds Newcomb. “Robust and durable, they were able to perform at their breath-taking best and sounded fantastic.”

Due to the diversity of mixes and applications in each studio, the design team calibrated the entire installation with Genelec’s GLM loudspeaker management software, fully optimising every monitor for the room and allowing users to switch between monitors and maintain precise control of listening levels in each studio. “GLM always plays a major role in the sound of the monitors,” Newcomb explains. “Each space is different, and being able to automatically calibrate the monitor to sound neutral within any given room is a real benefit. The flexibility to set up and store groups, settings and listening positions is extraordinary – Genelec is definitely in a class of its own with this technology.”

JMC have provided their students with a great opportunity to learn their craft using monitors which tell the truth, sonically.

The final result has impressed the team at JMC as they’re now able to offer a space that audio engineers and producers are happy to work in. The studios boast an inspiring, world-class atmosphere, allowing students to access real-world experiences of audio engineering and production during their training.

“For students, facilities like JMC Academy are often the first time they get to experience a professional recording environment,” Newcomb concludes. “JMC have provided them with a great opportunity to learn their craft using monitors which tell the truth, sonically. We’re confident that their experience will be a positive one and that working with Genelec will become a partnership that they can trust in for many years to come.”

Olemme varmasti tottuneet kuulemaan, että Genelecin lippulaivan, SAM (Smart Active Monitor) -sarjan The Ones -aktiivikaiuttimet ovat suosittuja huippuluokan tuotantostudioissa. Tiedämme pitkän luettelon tuottajia ja muusikoita ympäri maailmaa, jotka arvostavat laadukkaiden ja kompaktien kolmitiestudiomonitorien toiston laatua, tarkkuutta ja läpinäkyvyyttä. Ei kuitenkaan ole mitään syytä, miksi kotona ei voisi hyödyntää samaa suorituskykyä kuin ammattistudiossa – ja juuri tämän joensuulainen Jarno Vihonen päätti toteuttaa omaan asuntoonsa.

Audiofiiliksi tunnustautuva Jarno tiesi Genelecin jo entuudestaan, sillä hän on käyttänyt heidän tuotteita olohuoneessaan vuosien ajan parantaakseen elokuvien katselu- ja pelaamiskokemustaan. "Lukuisat luovan alan tekijät muusikoista videopelien äänisuunnittelijoihin luottavat Genelecin kaiuttimiin työvälineinään", hän selittää. "Ennen kaikkea haluan luoda kotiini ääniympäristön, jossa kuulen ammattilaisten työn juuri sellaisena kuin he ovat tarkoittaneet sen kuultavan. Genelecin GLM-kalibrointiohjelmisto korjaa taajuusvasteen pahimmat korostumat ja vaimentumat jotka tämä erikoisen muotoinen kuuntelutila muuten aiheuttaisi."

"Alkuperäinen settini oli 5.1 -järjestelmä, joka toteutettiin kompakteilla 8020B-kaiuttimilla ja 7050B-subwooferilla", hän jatkaa. "Kun tuo olohuoneen setti asennettiin, se oli jo aika edistyksellinen... Mutta kun The Ones:it julkaistiin, ei ollut kysymystäkään siitä, ettenkö investoisi niihin. Hankin ensimmäisen Ones-settini lisäämällä kolme 8351A:ta eturiviin sekä 8340A-parin takariviin. Kokonsa puolesta se toimi täydellisesti olohuoneeni tilaan ja äänentoistonkin kannalta se oli ensiluokkainen. Kuitenkin, kun tapasin Genelecin Pasi Pönkän yhden heidän kalibrointitapahtumansa kautta, hän sai sen kuulostamaan vieläkin paremmalta."

Ennen kaikkea haluan kuulla äänet kotonani täsmälleen niin kuin ne on tarkoitettu kuultavan

Genelec tarjoaa Suomessa säännöllisesti kalibrointikiertueita, joihin asiakkaat voivat rekisteröityä verkossa ja kertoa millainen Genelecin SAM-setti heillä on. Genelecin asiantuntijat järjestävät sen jälkeen ajan vieraillakseen jokaisen asiakkaan luona, jolloin he voivat keskustella kaiuttimien sijoittelusta ja huoneen akustiikasta. Tämän jälkeen kokeneen asiantuntijan on helppo auttaa asiakasta hienosäätämään asetukset täydellisiksi. "Huomasin, että asetuksista keskustelu Pasin ja muiden asiakkaiden kanssa oli erittäin antoisaa", muistelee Jarno. "Hänellä oli selvästi todella paljon kokemusta siitä, kuinka asiakkaita autetaan saamaan paras mahdollinen lopputulos erilaisissa tiloissa, olipa kyseessä The Ones -aktiivikaiuttimia kotonaan käyttävä asiakas tai ammattilaisstudio, jossa äänitetään huippuartisteille."

"Pasin manuaalinen hienosäätö järjestelmän GLM-kalibrointiasetuksiin tuotti vielä parempia tuloksia kuin oma puhtaasti automaattinen kalibrointini. Sain myös vinkkejä siitä, kuinka voisin korjata joitain epäsymmetrisen tilan asettamia haasteita."

"Jarnon epätavallisen muotoinen tila ansaitsi ehdottomasti erityistä huomiota kalibroinnissa", sanoo myös Pasi. ”GLM:n AutoCal, automaattinen kalibrointialgoritmi on loistava työkalu useimmissa tilanteissa, mutta kun on korjattava tiettyjä poikkeavuuksia, kuten tässä tapauksessa, niin pieni manuaalinen säätö voi vaikuttaa todella paljon. On myös tilanteita, että jotkut asiakkaat haluavat kotiympäristössä mieluummin hieman enemmän "ilmaa" tai "maustetta" äänensävyyn, kuin täysin tasaista kalibrointia, jolloin pieni manuaalinen hienosäätö voi auttaa. Uusi GLM 4.1 -päivitys, joka sisältää uuden sukupolven AutoCal 2 -algoritmin, tekee kuitenkin suurimman osan työstä automaattisesti, joten asiakkaiden kannattaa huomioida, että hienosäätöä tarvitaan nykyään paljon vähemmän kuin alkuperäisen AutoCal-kalibroinnin jälkeen.”

GLM:n päivitetty, uuden sukupolven AutoCal 2 -algoritmi on vaikuttanut valtavasti lopputulokseen

Kun Genelec laajensi Ones-valikoimaa uusilla malleilla sekä 8351A:n päivityksellä 8351B:ksi, Jarnoa houkutteli uusia oman settinsä 8351A-kaiuttimet. ”Olin alun perin harkinnut päivittämistä samankokoisiin kaiuttimiin, siirtymällä 8351A:sta 8351B:hen, jotka tarjoaisivat paremman äänenpaineen, laajemman bassotoiston ja monipuolisemmat akustiset säädöt. Lopulta päädyin kuitenkin isompaan ja tehokkaampaan lippulaivatuotteeseen: 8361A:han, joka lupasi ylivoimaisen kuuntelukokemuksen. Tavoitteeni oli myös varmistaa settini tulevaisuuden varalta, jos minulla on joskus mahdollisuus rakentaa räätälöity tila immersiiviselle Dolby Atmos tms. -järjestelmälle.”

Hankkiessaan 8361A:t Jarno päätti pureutua myös joihinkin akustisiin haasteisiin, jotka liittyvät hänen epätavallisen muotoiseen kuuntelutilaansa, jonka korkeus on osassa huonetta kaksinkertainen. Kaikki kaiuttimet sijoiteltiin uudelleen, mukaan lukien äskettäin päivitetyt surround-kaiuttimet (nyt 8341A:t) ja 7380A-subwoofer. Hän asensi laskostetut verhot vaimentamaan äänen heijastumista olohuoneen paljaista pinnoista sekä muutamia taitavasti piilotettuja akustointipaneeleja vaimentamaan kaiuntaa.

Nyt kun uusi kokoonpano on valmis, kiinnostaa tietää, mitä mieltä Jarno on lopputuloksesta? "Ensi silmäyksellä ajattelin, että 8361A:t ovat koomisen suuret, sillä kuvien perusteella on vaikea hahmottaa niiden oikeaa kokoa", hän sanoo hymyillen. "Nyt olen kuitenkin jo tottunut niihin, joten se ei ole enää shokki!”

”Mitä tulee kuuntelukokemukseen, niin nautin siitä todella! Uudet kaiuttimet lisäävät merkittävän kerroksen vivahteita, etenkin alemmilla taajuuksilla. Vertaisin eroa siihen, että 8351A:ta käytetään kalibroimattomana ja kalibroituna – bassotaajuudet olivat aina kuultavissa, mutta kalibroimattomana ne saattoivat kuulostaa tilassani dominoivalta. Luulen, että laitteistopäivityksen lisäksi (samoin kuin kaiuttimien fyysinen koko aiempaan verrattuna), 8361A-mallin laajempi kalibrointisäätimien valikoima ja GLM:n uusi AutoCal 2 -kalibrointialgoritmi ovat vaikuttaneet valtavasti lopputulokseen.

"Vaihdettaessa isompiin kaiuttimiin olen myös huomannut, että subwooferini tekee paljon vähemmän töitä, koska siitä lähtien en ole ohjannut pääkaiuttimien alempia taajuuksia siihen. Näin ollen se voi nyt käsitellä yksinomaan bassoa, kun toistetaan surround-mediaa, kuten elokuvia tai pelejä, mikä tekee myös merkittävän eron. Rakastan todella sitä, mitä olemme saaneet aikaan, se on paljon enemmän kuin olisin osannut toivoa.”

Vaikka Jarno on innoissaan nykyisestä setistään, hänen kunnianhimoiset suunnitelmansa eivät lopu tähän – tavoitteena on laajentaa kokoonpanoa immersiiviseksi lisäämällä siihen yläkaiuttimet. ”Videopelien kehittäjät siirtyvät hitaasti mutta varmasti pois perinteisestä surround-äänestä ja ottavat Dolby Atmosin käyttöön seuraavien sukupolvien peleihin. Se on myös minun tavoitteeni tulevissa päivityksissä – vaikkakin luultavasti joudun lykkämään sitä, kunnes minulla on uusi tila jota työstää!"

When Fracchia was looking to move away from his previous 2.1 system at his mastering studio to full range monitors, Genelec was not originally a brand he had considered. However, having researched the technology behind The Ones and then hearing the monitors in action for himself, he was convinced that these would provide the perfect solution to meet his needs.

“My background is in live sound, so I know the advantage that coaxial systems bring to stage monitors, and reading all the positive comments about The Ones intrigued me,” recalls Fracchia. “When I was able to hear them at the CAPER show in Buenos Aires I immediately wanted to hear more.”

The stereo image was just amazing, and I didn’t need to listen to anything else to make a decision. All the information I needed was there.

Genelec’s local distributor Equaphon agreed to set up a demo of the 8351s at Fracchia’s studio so he could get a clearer picture of the capabilities of The Ones range. “Listening to the 8351s in my studio just made me smile,” says Fracchia. “The stereo image was just amazing, and I didn’t need to listen to anything else to make a decision. All the information I needed was there.”

While the 8351s were almost perfect, there was one issue. Fracchia works mostly with urban music and needed his monitors to reproduce the lowest frequencies at high levels, to remove the need for a sub. The 8351 didn’t provide quite enough low end for Fracchia both in terms of frequency range and SPL. As an alternative, the Equaphon team suggested the flagship 8361s. Having already heard the 8351s, Fracchia knew that the technical specs of the 8361s would be able to solve the minor issues he had, and agreed with Equaphon’s proposed solution, keeping the 8351s at his studio until the 8361s arrived.

The acoustic treatment that is already installed at the studio meant that Fracchia was less concerned with the calibration of the monitors. However, he has found the GLM loudspeaker management software to be a very useful tool. Since the mastering process relies on monitoring at consistent and well-defined levels, he is making use of GLM’s powerful monitor control features. “Controlling volume is an essential part of my work,” he explains. “So I connect a microphone to GLM so that I can get a real-time SPL reading of my listening level.”

The extra headroom in the low frequencies, the pristine stereo image and the wider sweet spot all provide clear improvements to my mastering work.

Reflecting on what his new monitoring solution has brought him, Fracchia is clearly very happy with his decision to invest in the 8361s. “The extra headroom in the low frequencies, the pristine stereo image and the wider sweet spot all provide clear improvements to my mastering work,” he states. “I am now able to perceive even 1 dB of difference at any frequency, and I can now work at high levels without distortion.”

The 1,700-square-foot studio continued a winning streak for subsequent owners and artists right through its acquisition, in 2015, by Matthew DeFreitas, who renamed it Bay Eight after an acoustical update by acoustician Ross Alexander. Most recently, the studio took another leap forward with the purchase of a pair of Genelec 8361A “The Ones” Smart Active Monitors™ in white. These two-way speakers include Genelec’s acclaimed GLM™ calibration software, which allowed DeFreitas to create distinct, highly accurate monitoring zones for mixers seated at Studio A’s SSL AWS 900+ console or producers seated on the couch at the mix room’s producer’s desk island.

The 8361s, which were purchased through Mike Harris at Harris Audio Systems in Miami, have taken what was already a great mix room to a completely new level, says DeFreitas. “We were looking to change things up a little, and people had been telling me how good the Genelecs sound,” he says. “So we went for the 8361s, and we demoed them for two weeks. We were getting great response from everyone who heard them, and the GLM software added a lot of flexibility to the studio’s workflow, so we went for it.”

As good as the 8361s sound, they also look great, which is no small matter in a design capital like Miami. “They look very cool — the white design option was a great move on Genelec’s part,” he says, noting how well they pair aesthetically with the studio’s vintage-modern interior, which fuses the studio’s history with modern design elements such as Aztec and contemporary-inspired accents, and custom hand-painted murals by local Miami artists Lola Blu, Ariel Cruz and Weiyi Fan. “They have the perfect look for Miami. And the perfect sound.”

He credits his versatility in part to his history as a bass player: “Being a bassist first, I think, gave me an advantage in my work. It trained my ears in a particular way, to hear the big picture, support the ensemble, listen to the drums and singer, and when to trim the fat, so to speak. And I think it also got me thinking in terms across genres, whether it’s jazz, rock, R&B, or something else. Not every producer is an instrumentalist first, but for me I think it’s shaped the way I approach this work, and it’s led to some great projects and successes in my career.” Recently his path led to a relocation from L.A. (where he was based for over 15 years) to Gallatin, TN – just north of Nashville, where he now lives and works in a 5000-square-foot state-of-the-art studio. And a key component of his new setup is his pair of W371A Smart Active Woofer Systems and 8361A Smart Active Monitors™ from Genelec, which he sourced through Vintage King in Nashville.

He recalls, “I had made the decision to move to the Nashville area, but the original plan was to move into a small setup where I could do just some pre-production work but do the real work at Nashville’s great studios. But this five-acre property came up in Gallatin, and I couldn’t really turn it down! Its previous owner built it, and he was a studio designer by trade. It’s a gorgeous space. And then tragically the pandemic hit, but I’m now fortunate to have a fully-decked-out space to call my own. I often work with a dedicated tracking engineer, and this setup is great for that. It’s my dream scenario.”

Elizondo has been a Genelec user for years, having previously relied on a pair of 1031’s for much of his work. So when he reached out to a trusted friend who has his finger on the pulse of the latest and greatest audio products, and the friend recommended Genelec 8361A monitors and the W371A systems for the new space, Elizondo did not hesitate to commit. “I ordered them right away, ‘sight-unheard,’” he laughs.

Other gear at the new space includes an SSL 4056 E/G console, a Neve BCM10, an Ampex MM1000 tape machine, an eight-track Scully 280B tape machine and an Endless Analog CLASP tape-to-digital converter. And the Genelecs fit right in. He recalls, “Initially, I figured the Genelec 8361A’s and the W371A’s would be my ‘mains,’ and I’d rely on a different set as nearfields, but I’ve ended up using the Genelecs for both applications. I remember when we got the monitors set up, and I brought up some of my go-to test mixes and favorite albums to listen to, and I just instantly felt like I was immersed in this music. The low end is important to me, and the low end felt punchy and defined and not at all muddy – I knew that what I was hearing was totally accurate. I kept on pulling up more records, trying to find some fault with my new Genelec five-way system, but there wasn’t any fault to be found. After several hours listening to different records, everything just felt great. And I recognized the feeling in terms of continuity from my previous Genelecs – this is definitely part of that heritage, but the next generation of it.”

Elizondo is particularly fond of Genelec’s GLM software and the AutoCal protocol, which automatically calibrates the monitors for a room and allows for multiple adjustable sweet spots as presets. “Currently I have three sweet spots set up in the control room that I can toggle between – one for my main position, one at the client sofa behind me, and one at a sidecar workstation, where I do some programming work on another rig at the side of the room. I can push a button, and it feels like the Genelecs are right in front of me no matter where I’m positioned. It’s a game changer. And with clients, to be able give them the sweet spot where they’re already seated – that can really help keep the flow of ideas going, rather than stopping everything to say, ‘hey, come sit in my chair and hear what I’m hearing.’ AutoCal is like magic.”

And he’s been putting the new setup to good use, with new projects from Lake Street Dive and Twenty One Pilots in the works, as well as a major country artist. “I try to put a high level of polish into everything I work on, so even if it’s at the pre-production stage of a project, it can sound like a final mix when it leaves my facility. The combination of the Genelec 8361A’s and the W371A’s really let me apply that level of professionalism to this music, so my engineer and I know that what we hear is accurate and will translate across different setups and speaker rigs and car stereos. I’m proud to be able to offer that level of detail in what I do, and Genelec helps make it happen.”

In many ways, the fundamentals of music production have not changed: writing a song, then going into a recording studio with an engineer and a producer and putting it all together. On the other hand, Tyler Costantino — TyCo, to his friends and colleagues — and his PNDA Studios, in Haddonfield, NJ, just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, are emblematic of how music production has evolved with the rise of social media. The Full Sail University graduate and his partner, Kate Nece, who does video editing, have some of what would be considered traditional music clients, including several successful singer-songwriters. But much of PNDA’s success is based around TyCo’s astute understanding of how music and social media intertwine.

He produces and also manages several high-profile influencers — creatives whose talents are often less traditional but no less impactful on a digital landscape. They include Mark Thomas, aka Duhitzmark, who boasts millions of followers and was one of the first and biggest stars on the social media app Musical.ly (later merged with the wildly popular app TikTok), Nashville country/pop artist Dalton Mauldin, and JJ Hannon, whose Instagram account has 1.3 million followers. Tyco, knowing the influencer space on all social media platforms, has also used TikTok to market artists for major record labels.

Collectively, PNDA’s network of influencers has over 500 million followers and has millions of fans on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

TyCo’s studio is equally unconventional. A console was kept in place for a while after it was opened nearly five years ago, mainly as a reference point for new clients who might have been expecting a more typical studio environment. But the facility’s black & white design aesthetic and its spare, modernistic vibe reflect how music production has moved into an almost post-technological, software-driven space – the console wasn’t being used, so it was an easy decision to sell it to a more conventional studio space that would put it to great use. But beneath its minimalistic sheen, PNDA Studios is built to let creativity flourish, to let those who work there hear what needs to be heard, just as the best classic studios of the last century were able to. So the console may be gone, but one traditional element of elite studios cannot be sacrificed: state-of-the-art studio monitoring.

That’s where Genelec comes in. TyCo first heard Genelec 1031s as a student at Full Sail. “I fell in love with them immediately,” he recalls. “When it came time for my first studio, which was more traditional, I went with the 8050s. I stayed with those for eight years.” For the latest iteration of his workspace, TyCo continued with Genelec, but this time moved on to the 8361A 3-Way Coaxial Smart Active Studio Monitors – the largest system in Genelec’s “The Ones” series.

And while they offered him the same accuracy and authenticity that Genelec is revered for (as well as Genelec’s Smart Active Monitoring technology and GLM calibration software that adapts itself to the room), this generation of Genelec also satisfied his design-aesthetic needs, with a stark white-and-black motif that perfectly matches the rest of the studio. “I literally built this studio around these speakers, both in terms of monitoring and in terms of the look,” he says. “The 8361s give me the sound, the low end, that I need to mix pop and R&B records without the need for a sub. I can turn them up and not lose the sound quality. They’re the perfect speakers for what I do. And they look great.”