Atmos? Spatial Audio? Yes, Please.

When mixing my album Expand, I was presented with a choice: Do we mix and master just in stereo, or do we take the time to produce everything for Dolby Atmos. What would that mean?

In the Atmos universe, tracks within a song aren’t just assigned panning in left and right stereo speakers— they’re given a 3D location within a virtual space. So maybe that snare doesn’t show up “a bit to the left” but rather “6 feet behind you at your 7 o’clock, 4 feet above your head.” And however you listen to it, whether through a 30-Channel speaker system or a set of appropriate headphones, it should sound like that. 

This has a few clear benefits. First, of course, it’s just cool as hell. 

Second, it can give you a much more immersive sound. You may not realize you wanted to hear Sting playing bass 3 feet behind you until you’re hearing Sting play bass 3 feet behind you. You feel much more part of the performance. 

But third: There’s no crowding all your tracks into two speakers. The mix can be a lot more open. And after all: my album is called Expand. 

So that’s what we did. You’ll hear the album on Apple Music and Tidal in proper Spatial Audio. If you’re on my mailing list, I’ll let you know where proper multi-channel listening parties might happen pre-release in San Francisco. I think you’re gonna like it.  

Incidentally, while Sting is certainly an influence, I couldn’t actually get him to play bass on the album. It’s just me.