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In this month's Staff Picks blog, we're chatting with Vintage King Audio Consultant James Good about his go-to gear for immersive mixing.
With close to 20 years of experience in pro audio, James has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Max Martin, Blackbird Studios, Apple Music, and Bruno Mars.
Throughout his career, James has helped build, design, and maintain some of the best studios in Los Angeles and around the world. Today, he uses that expertise to help clients of all levels—from Grammy-winning producers to home studio enthusiasts—build their dream setups.
Read on to learn about James’s recommendations for an affordable yet professional immersive mixing rig, complete with suggested monitors, subwoofers, interfaces, and more.
When it comes to immersive mixing, speakers are the foundation of any great setup. For James, the Genelec 8341A monitors are the perfect choice for the front LCR and surround positions in a 7.1.4 system.
"If I'm on a reasonable budget, I would probably steer myself towards Genelec's Smart series, specifically the 8341A," James explains. "They're reliable, built like tanks, and as far as sound quality, they do exactly what I need them to do."
The 8341A combines extraordinary imaging with extended frequency response in a compact enclosure, making it ideal for immersive mixing environments. As a three-way point source monitor, it delivers unparalleled accuracy and offers consistent performance from both horizontal and vertical orientations.
"That's why I like Genelec – they're top quality. One of the best speaker brands in the world. And, if you want to spend the money, you can scale up in size, range, and format."
For the height speakers in his immersive setup, James recommends the slightly smaller Genelec 8331A monitors, which offer all the benefits of the 8341A in a more compact form factor.
"For the height speakers, I would switch to the 8331, which uses a slightly smaller woofer," James notes. "Your average room isn't too tall, so you don't want to get hit in the head with a giant speaker above you. Plus, Genelec speakers will mount to anything."
The 8331A is an incredible three-way point source that's roughly the size of a compact two-way monitor, making it perfect for height channels where space is at a premium. Despite its small size, it delivers the same extraordinary imaging and extended frequency response as its larger siblings.
"I like the amount of options they have, including color choices. They also make their own floor stands as well as wall, ceiling, and truss-mounts."
To handle the low-end in his immersive setup, James recommends a pair of Genelec 7360A subwoofers.
"I would put in two of the 7360A subwoofers," James says. "They're reliable, durable, and powerful enough to support larger systems if you decide to upgrade later."
The 7360A is a compact yet powerful 10-inch subwoofer with a 300W Class D amplifier and a peak SPL of 109 dB. It's the perfect partner for any Genelec Smart series monitoring system and supports distributed bass management architecture, offering support for 7.1 multi-channel setups.
With six analog XLR inputs and outputs plus stereo AES/EBU digital connections, the 7360A provides plenty of connectivity options and eliminates the need for additional external A/D converters.
Another key component in James' immersive mixing setup is the Genelec GLM 2.0 SAM Loudspeaker Management System, which allows for precise calibration and management of the entire speaker system.
"I also like Genelec because they have automatic tuning capabilities built within the GLM system," James explains. "You can use the calibration from your room and move that remotely if you need to travel with just the 9320A controller and your room calibration."
The GLM 2.0 software is both easy to use and loaded with professional features. It gives you the tools you need to optimize your SAM system and guides you through the process of making the most of your environment.
With the ability to manage and control up to 30 Smart monitors and subwoofers, GLM 2.0 makes it easy to create systems to suit all types of multichannel or 3D immersive audio formats. The AutoCal feature automatically adjusts levels, distance delays, subwoofer crossover phase, and room response compensation equalization to deliver neutral sound reproduction.
For the heart of his immersive mixing system, James turns to the Avid Pro Tools MTRX Studio, a powerful all-in-one I/O, monitoring, and routing solution.
"From there, I'd look into audio interfaces, and on a budget, I would look at the Avid MTRX Studio," James says. “The MTRX Studio is a good place to start, giving you plenty of options at a professional level. Add the Thunderbolt option card to connect with any computer.”
The MTRX Studio makes it easy to connect all of your gear and quickly route any input to any output. With up to 64 channels of analog and digital I/O, it's the perfect centerpiece for professional music and audio post facilities of all sizes.
"It's a really powerful interface with plenty of routing options. You get 16 line-level inputs and outputs, two mic pres, and built-in monitor control. Add a EUCON controller, like the Avid S1, and you get a whole ecosystem."
Ideal for surround sound and immersive mixing, the MTRX Studio provides 18 channels of analog I/O for 7.1.4 and also supports Dolby Atmos renderers via Dante. The built-in SPQ speaker calibration makes it easy to tune your room for optimal sound.
"It also includes DAD MAN SPQ, giving you tuning options and bass management, which you don’t get with a lot of interfaces.”
To complete his immersive mixing setup, James recommends adding the Digital Audio Denmark DAD-MOM Monitor Operating Module for tactile control of your monitoring system.
"I'd also add a DAD-MOM controller," James says. "That will give you desktop monitor control for the Avid side of things, plus talkback control and assignable options that work with the DADman software."
The DAD-MOM is the perfect tactile match for the MTRX Studio, providing hands-on control in a world that seems to be gradually moving towards working and mixing "in the box." Connected via Ethernet, the MOM is a remote control unit that works seamlessly with the DADman software.
The LAYER function allows you to tailor several different roles in the configuration settings, essentially giving you up to four different versions of the controller – each tailored for specific tasks within your production workflow – that you can switch between in seconds.
Thanks to its compatibility with the EUCON control protocol, the DAD-MOM will easily synchronize and co-exist with other control surfaces, including Avid's S1, S3, and S6 consoles, Dock Control, and the Pro Tools Control App for Apple's iPad.
While James' core immersive mixing rig is complete and fully functional on its own, he suggests a few optional additions for those looking to expand their setup.
"That whole rig in itself is complete. You don't need to add much more," James explains. "But maybe I could add an Avid S1 Controller, giving myself some fader and plugin control."
The Avid S1 Desktop Control Surface is a compact yet powerful addition to any Pro Tools-based system, providing hands-on control of your mix with eight touch-sensitive, motorized faders and dedicated knobs and buttons for recording and editing tasks.
For those who need additional processing power, James recommends a Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite.
"Maybe I would add a UAD Satellite, giving myself some additional processing. Although it's not used for Atmos processing, I would still run stems through it in a mono or stereo situation."
Finally, James suggests adding a smaller set of stereo monitors to complement the immersive system.
"From there, I may add a smaller set, a two-way set of speakers. If I had the budget, maybe some ATC SCM20s, which are active. Have that as my B set of monitors. Switching between Atmos and stereo, having ATC and Genelec as a combo would be great."
The ATC Loudspeakers SCM20A Pro MK2 are professional active two-way monitors known for their exceptional accuracy and detail. Perfect for critical stereo mixing and referencing, they're the ideal complement to a full immersive setup.
"If this was a dream setup, I would most likely go with all ATC monitors like they did at Blackbird and Philharmonic Studios in Chicago – those couple-hundred-thousand-dollar ATC Atmos rigs are the best-sounding rigs I've ever heard," James admits. "But you can't fit that into a normal budget. Those tend to be kind of dream rigs, and that's another conversation altogether.”
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