Dolby Atmos Music Mixer Talks Immersive Plug-Ins
LOS ANGELES, DECEMBER 12, 2023 ― Music producer and mixing engineer Alex Solano, the owner of Alex Pro Mix, discusses his Atmos mixing plug-in preferences.
Music producer and mixing engineer Alex Solano, owner of Alex Pro Mix and a go-to Dolby Atmos mixer for several record labels, has added Nugen Audio’s Halo Upmix and Paragon Reverb solutions to his workflow.
Solano taught himself the ins and outs of immersive audio and later built a Dolby-certified room in his own studio. A certified mixer with Universal Music Group and Warner Music group, Solano has reportedly become a go-to Atmos mixer for record labels including Atlantic Records, Photo Finish, Cinq Music, and M.A.D Solutions.
The addition of the new space led Solano to start looking for software plug-ins specifically tailored to Dolby Atmos mixing and ultimately to Nugen Audio’s solutions. “We have all been accustomed to listening to stereo for the past 60 years, but Dolby Atmos is a much different experience,” he says. “With stereo, you have two channels, left and right, whereas, with Dolby Atmos, you have a three-dimensional cone comprised of 12 speakers. As soon as I discovered this was the future of music distribution and creation, I jumped on board. Dolby Atmos adds value to labels and publishers because it futureproofs their music and gives them exposure through spatial audio playlisting.”
Nugen’s Halo Upmix plug-in enables users to turn a stereo mix into a surround production. “I like to use Upmix to enhance a music arrangement,” Solano says. “For example, if there are piano pads and vocals in a song intro, but no drums, I’ll use Upmix to spread the piano pads or synths around all the speakers so that it doesn’t sound so empty.”
As a 3D convolution reverb, Paragon allows for creating audio spaces that did not previously exist. “Paragon is unique in that it’s the only immersive audio reverb I’ve come across that I can use for Dolby Atmos mixing,” Solano says. “I love using it across vocals. I also like using the chamber preset because it allows me to put the leading voice in front of me and then thread the vocal reverb around and above me. It gives me this immersive sound while still focusing the lead voice in the front.”
