The Essential Michael Bublé, a new immersive collection from the multiple GRAMMY-winning vocalist that was recently released on Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music, was helmed by producer Humberto Gatica and recording engineer Carlos Rodriguez (a.k.a., Carlos Rodgarman) working in the Dolby Atmos format using active monitors from Genelec.
The new LP utilizes stems of previous Bublé recordings, most of them dating back to 2006’s It’s Time, which were also mixed on Genelec 1031A and 1032A loudspeakers. Gatica has produced six of Bublé’s last LPs, all of which were GRAMMY nominated and four of which won their respective categories.
“I’m still using my original 1031s for mixing to this day,” Gatica says. “I cannot imagine recording and mixing without them. Wherever in the world I was recording, if I needed to, I’d fly in some 1031s. So naturally, for Michael’s first Atmos mixes, we had to work on Genelecs.”
Gatica had recently begun working with Rodgarman in the latter’s Los Angeles-area studio, RG Music, where Rodgarman recently implemented a 7.1.4 Atmos monitoring array. It houses numerous Genelec Smart Active Monitors, including 8341As for the left-center-right front array, four 8331As as the left and right side and rear surrounds, and four 8320As as the overhead array, as well as both a 7370A subwoofer matched to the L-C-R array and a 7350A sub matched to the surround and overhead speakers.
“Between the sound of the Genelecs and the technology, like the GLM automatic calibration, this was a no-brainer for the project with Humberto and Michael,” says Rodgarman, who has recorded, arranged and produced for artists including vocal trio The Serenad3, Juan Gabriel and the Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra. “The GLM did an excellent job of calibrating the entire Atmos speaker array, but even for stereo work, I’ve come to rely more and more on the Genelecs.
“The imaging is spectacular, and just as important, when moving from the stem recordings that were done years ago to mixing in Atmos now, we can trust that the Genelecs are showing us what the actual sounds are. The move to immersive in Atmos means that perspectives will change, from front to back to above, for instance, but we know we’ll always be hearing exactly what was originally recorded and mixed on the original Genelecs years earlier.”
