Our inaugural seminar featured Michael Romanowski, a Grammy Award-Winning Mastering Engineer who has specialized in immersive audio since 2001. We delved into topics such as client references, best practices, mastering, and deliverables in the Dolby Atmos format.
During our discussion, we were fortunate to have producer and engineer Ryan Ulyate join us. He recently released his immersive album, Act 3, earning a Grammy nomination. Michael Romanowski mastered it.
Launching this seminar series was an awesome achievement after months of planning, and I couldn’t have accomplished it without the invaluable support of David Ivory, Director of the Sound Recording and Music Technology Department at Montgomery County Community College, and Chip Powell, Chair of the Audio Engineering Society in Philadelphia.
Dolby Atmos 2024 Seminars
Dolby Atmos 2024 is designed to enhance the art of Dolby Atmos productions. With the participation of leading producers and engineers, our seminars explore the techniques and strategies employed in creating these mixes.
These seminars, available on-line and on-site, take place at The Mix Room, located at Montgomery County Community College just outside of Philadelphia. This hybrid facility is equipped with a Dolby Atmos studio featuring a 7.2.4 monitoring system, which includes a 56-channel SSL automated console.
Sponsored by the Audio Engineering Society, Dolby Atmos 2024 attracts a diverse audience, ranging from bedroom engineers to award-winning producers.
“My Mother Thinks I’m Spatial”, According To Michael…Trademark Pending
Michael is a compelling conversationalist and, as a pioneer of immersive audio, possesses a wealth of knowledge. Despite Dolby Atmos being an established immersive technology for over 10 years, there is still a lack of established rules for its use in a mix. Essentially, it remains a free-for-all, a point that Michael has emphatically reiterated.
For instance, when discussing the assignment of instruments and effects to beds and objects, it was observed that these assignments varied widely amongst engineers. Some, such as Andrew Scheps, exclusively assign effects to beds and all instruments to objects, while others rely on aesthetic discretion to make these decisions.
Drawing from his experience as an immersive mastering engineer, Michael has found various approaches in the use of beds and objects to be successful.
Despite the existence of many poorly executed Dolby Atmos mixes, he firmly believes there is one effective way to ensure a good mix: use your ears and reference your mix on a high-quality Dolby Atmos-compatible soundbar or, ideally, in a Dolby Atmos studio.
Next Up! Grammy Nominated Producer & Engineer Ryan Ulyate
This Grammy-nominated producer and engineer, who has created Dolby Atmos mixes for Tom Petty and recently released his first immersive album, Act 3, will engage in a discussion with me about his simplistic approach to mixing in Dolby Atmos.
On Tuesday, February 27th, Ryan Ulyate and I will discuss his straightforward mixing philosophy, which, according to him, is to “just put people inside the music and let the music do the work.”
Take a listen to some of his Tom Petty and Act 3 tracks in Atmos, and join us with your questions and observations for a fun and passionate discussion!
