Halo upgrades its Dolby Atmos studio

Halo has completed a major update to its recently installed Dolby Atmos Studio 1 film mixing stage, upgrading the mixing console to align the facilities with those of the main US mix stages.

A 24 fader Avid S6 M40 mixing console has been integrated into the existing AMS Neve DFC surface, which itself has been updated to the latest v11 DFC3D software and DAWSYNC plugin, providing a “streamlined and more flexible” hybrid mixing experience.

“We seized the opportunity to do the Atmos installation at relatively short notice, so didn’t have much time to think about anything other than the main build at the time!” says Richard Addis, Halo’s Head of Audio Operations. “Since the studio relaunch, we’ve turned our sights to the one major aspect which wasn’t addressed as part of the main build, namely the mixing console. The DFC continues to be the gold standard in film mixing and AMS Neve’s ongoing commitment to developing for and streamlining the Dolby Atmos mixing experience is fantastic. That said, with Pro Tools 12.8’s Atmos integration, there are other options out there, which means Atmos is now highly accessible to projects of all sizes and budgets, and not just for film. We needed a solution to cater for all, and with the S6 integration, we now have that.”

“A great many films want to either mix entirely ‘in-the-box’, or work in a hybrid fashion, whereby certain elements are mixed using the much beloved DFC” says David Turner, Head of Film at halo. “We have upcoming projects coming with the FX being mixed entirely in the box, and Dialogues and Music on the DFC. This has been case for a number of years, but now with S6 integration we have a solution that is both progressive and ergonomic. With Dolby Atmos deliverables also beginning to appear on delivery specs for providers such as Netflix, investing in upgrades that streamline the Dolby Atmos production workflow are of clear benefit to us across the business as a whole, not just for film.”