W371A SAM™ Woofer System

Now, the famous London facility is leading the way forward again, this time with a top-to-bottom rebuild of its historic Studio 4 into a Gold Standard space for immersive mixing, complete with a scalable 9.1.4 monitoring solution based around Genelec’s ‘The Ones’ Smart Active Monitor family.

RAK had been having creative and commercial discussions about building an immersive space for a number of years, with Studio 4 always earmarked for the project. However, it was clear that flexibility needed to be a key factor so it could adapt to any project that came through the door. The space had to be a state-of-the-art immersive studio while also offering a world-class stereo experience, creating the multi-functional room that RAK needed.

“In a project like this, you either do it properly, or you don’t do it at all,” states Emma Townsend, Studio Manager at RAK. “We just had to tear the whole thing down and start from an empty shell.”

The decision to rebuild rather than retrofit gave RAK the opportunity to work out exactly what it wanted to achieve with the space, a process it went through with the support of Level Acoustic Design for the acoustic design and Studio Creations for the build. “From the get-go we knew this could be more than just an Atmos room,” explains Andy Leese, RAK’s General Manager. “We wanted a room that was a master of all trades, so that you could do Atmos or stereo mixing, or you could sit in there to have a writing session and collaborate. We wanted it to be a really nice place to spend time.”

Photo credit: Bennie Curnow

“From a design perspective we worked with the RAK team to balance a number of objectives,” adds Matt Ward, Technical Manager at Level Acoustic Design. “Obviously, the internal room acoustic had to be world class. We needed to dramatically improve the isolation, both from the street outside and to/from the accommodation above – which could be hosting producers and artists working in the other studios within the facility. Lastly, the room needed to feel like part of RAK, both in aesthetic and vibe, maintaining the natural daylight of the windows opening out onto Chalbert Street, and providing connection to the other studios.”

Finding the right equipment to achieve its vision led RAK to embark on a thorough due-diligence process. The studio’s engineering team spent time in various different rooms listening to monitors from every major brand, before reaching a unanimous decision to choose Genelec.

“We invited the entire engineering team to our London Experience Centre,” recalls Andy Bensley, Regional Business Development Manager at Genelec. “They were quite taken with some of the technology that’s inherent in The Ones – things like the very consistent and controlled dispersion characteristics, wide stereo imaging and the LF extension of the W371 adaptive woofer systems. Our ethos matched theirs in terms of how they envisaged working in this new format.”

The resulting solution features nine 8361 three-way coaxial monitors in the front and surround positions, with three W371 woofer systems extending the low frequency LCR performance. Four 8351s serve as the height channels, with a pair of 7380 subwoofers handling system LF duties. GLM software was employed for the main system calibration, taking care of in-room frequency response compensation, distance delay and level alignment. “The precision of Level Acoustic’s design and Studio Creation’s build provided the ideal foundation for the system to be calibrated,” says Bensley. “From the initial GLM measurements we were incredibly happy with the setup, and it gave us a fantastic starting point to refine the performance and ultimately deliver a Gold Standard immersive system.”

In addition to the Genelec monitors, Studio 4 runs Pro Tools via Avid MTRX and HDX 3 plus S1 control surfaces, and also features a Grace Design m908 immersive monitor controller and the classic selection of outboard that you would expect from RAK.

With the project complete, Studio 4 is now a cutting-edge space that still fits with the aesthetic of RAK while also allowing it to offer artists new creative possibilities. “We already had three absolutely excellent tracking rooms, but different clients prefer different rooms for different things. The one thing that we were missing was a really good listening, writing and mixing room, and that’s what we’ve got now,” reflects Townsend. “Everyone who’s been in there so far is really happy with the sound of the room. It sounds great.”

“We couldn’t be more delighted with how Studio Creations have realised the design, and how the Genelec monitoring system and room interact,” reflects Ward. “The point source design and close-to-ideal impulse response of The Ones series, managed with GLM, gives incredible three-dimensional imaging and detailed articulation to the Atmos array, and the W371 woofers provide a smooth and clear low frequency extension way down below 20 Hz.”

“We wanted to be able to represent all the diversity of everything that goes on at RAK, and it dovetails so beautifully into all the things we’ve got planned in the future,” concludes Leese. “It sounds truly amazing, and I think it’s going to sound better over time when the room beds in. We’re so pleased about how it’s all come out. The look of it, the feel and the location itself of the room in the building was always really lovely – and now it’s even better because the internals are just so well done.”

It completely fixes every last detail in the room and is therefore at the heart of our mastering process.

“We had never had this type of combined system in the studio before and at first we were a bit unsure about the idea,” admits Axelsson. “But once it was installed, we were completely blown away! The concept of combining the W371 woofer system with ‘The Ones’ coaxial design of the 8351 allowed a free-standing full range system for us, and we are planning to install that type of hybrid more in the future – it completely fixes every last detail in the room and is therefore at the heart of our mastering process.”

The 8351s in Studio 3.

The combined Genelec system created directivity for Axelsson as well as total freedom from negative room influences. “We originally had the Genelec 1038ACs as mains in the mastering room, and this was a great monitor to use for this. We loved the sound of these three-way centre speakers in a stereo setup and we were really happy with them, but then we had a problem with the bass that we couldn’t really fix,” he explains. “So, we decided to get in the W371s, not really thinking it would be the final solution, but after the second calibration was set up and combined with the back wall reflections, it managed to take care of exactly what we needed it to – we had never seen that type of installation work before. We are not disappointed, we love the system!”

The new mastering setup in Studio 2.

To get the best out of the new setup, Axelsson chose to use GLM loudspeaker manager software for both the studio’s final configuration as well as for its day-to-day operation. “I always use the GLM setup,” he explains. “It’s more than a good speaker calibration system, it’s great for comparing levels while we’re mastering as well as finalising little details. We also use it as a monitor controller, especially with the new GLM 4 version, and we always have the reference mic and GLM connected which creates a nice flow.”

The technology surpasses all of our expectations every time, and we are working with an amazing set up.

This new mastering suite is just one example of where Axelsson’s passion for Genelec can be seen. But away from the mastering suite, Genelec monitoring is also seen everywhere throughout the building. In Studio 1, which is primarily used for EdTech’s e-learning projects, 8341 and 1037 three-way studio monitors combine with a 7071 subwoofer. While in Studio 3, PAMA’s music studios, Axelsson has opted for 8010, 8351 and 1234 monitoring solutions.

The Genelec collection in Studio 3.

“Genelec is the standard that we are happy to work around,” says Axelsson. “It is our reference wherever we go. The technology surpasses all of our expectations every time, and we are working with an amazing set up at the moment which is by far the perfect solution for us.”

Having embarked on his recording career back in 1992 through his production company Lindberg Lyd, Lindberg set up the 2L record label to specialise in high quality recordings featuring Norwegian composers and performers and an international repertoire. To raise the bar of sonic excellence even further, Lindberg has recently upgraded the monitoring system in his post production studio, deploying Genelec smart active monitors and woofer systems in a 7.1.4 configuration.

Lindberg explains that “Once you've experienced immersive audio, then coming back to stereo is really difficult. When I started doing recordings back in the early 90s, stereo was our perspective to work with, it was what we had. Then came surround sound in the early 2000s, and that opened up a whole new wide image to music reproduction. When we started to experiment with immersive audio, what we expected to gain with adding the height dimension was to simply increase the level of detail and resolution. How much space would be available to the instruments and to the musical lines, the size of the canvas available to the chords, and so on. But, that was not what we got. What we got was an emotional component. By adding the third dimension of the soundscape, the emotional impact to the listener was increased tenfold.”

Lindberg’s newly upgraded post production facility is designed specifically for the editing, mixing and mastering of immersive audio. Compatible with both Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D, the monitoring system is largely based on models from ‘The Ones’ series, starting with seven 8351B coaxial three-way monitors in the bed layer, all complemented by W371A adaptive woofer systems. The height positions are handled by four of the lighter, more compact 8341A models, with a 7380A subwoofer handling the LFE. Additionally, an 8320A compact two-way nearfield monitor sits atop the 7380A, to provide an upwards frequency extension above 120 Hz. This acts as a checkpoint into the true content of the LFE channel before it is distributed.

The intention with the W371A was really to reach down into that tactile, haptic aspect of sound, to reach down into the part of the sound experience which transitions from audio into the vibration range.

“I found that the coaxial design of The Ones gives amazing imaging not only in surround, but it actually adds to the full surround and extends to the height dimension, preserving that precise detail of our source,” he continues. “All The Ones models that we used have full bandwidth capabilities on their own, so the intention with the W371A was really to reach down into that tactile, haptic aspect of sound, to reach down into the part of the sound experience which transitions from audio into the vibration range.”

Lindberg goes on to explain that “Our whole body is actually a very sophisticated sensory system and the body’s experience of music is much broader than our traditional definition of audio. There are different directivity modes you can use on the W371A woofer which might help out if you’re in a smaller or compromised room - but in a room like this, which is spacious and has an overall good sound quality - I found that the basic complementary mode of the W371A sounds to me the most open and natural extension into the tactile area, where it kind of moves your belly.”

What I found most useful about GLM is how ‘elastic’ it is in terms of how many speakers we can connect to the network, and how they are placed and configured.

Lindberg uses Genelec GLM loudspeaker manager software to connect, calibrate and control the monitoring system. “By measuring out our listening positions and our workspace we can do some pretty clever optimising of the speakers to this particular room,” he comments. “What I found most useful about GLM is how ‘elastic’ it is in terms of how many speakers we can connect to the network, and how they are placed and configured. Additionally, GLM can also act as a monitor controller, giving you access to all the speakers.”

But while experience, expertise and the finest technology are obviously essential components in Lindberg’s impressive recording toolbox, it’s also clear that he has never lost sight of his real mission in music. “A perfect recording for us, is if we can make you cry…or laugh. It’s about emotions.”

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.”