Dolby Atmos & Sweetwater Studios
Your resource for all things immersive audio.
The Basics
01. What is Dolby Atmos?
Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology developed by Dolby Laboratories. It expands on traditional surround sound systems by adding height channels, allowing sounds to be interpreted as three-dimensional objects. In simpler terms, it lets you hear sounds from all around you, even from above, creating a more immersive experience. This is great not just for movies and home theaters but also for music production, giving listeners a feeling of being right in the middle of the action or performance.
02. Why is it important?
Atmos was originally designed for film and TV, limiting its first few years to movie theaters and home entertainment systems. In 2018 things began to shift when Capitol Studios installed the first Dolby Atmos mixing room. Shortly after, the format was adopted by major labels. With Apple’s release of Spatial Audio in 2021, immersive audio established itself as a permanent format in the landscape of music production.
03. Staying Ahead of the Curve
Because Atmos is challenged by a plethora of variables (room size, speaker choice and placement, acoustic limitations, and more), the installation and mixing process has been subject to frequent changes. Sweetwater works hand-in-hand with Dolby, Apple, and industry-leading immersive equipment manufacturers like Avid and PMC Speakers to stay up to date on the latest best practices.
04. Exclusive Education
Utilizing our partnership with artists and manufacturers, Sweetwater periodically hosts recording and mixing workshops with industry-leading Atmos engineers like Steve Genewick, Brian Lucey, Nick Reeves, and more.
05. Mixing Services
Senior engineer and studio director Shawn Dealey is a veteran engineer whose Atmos mixing work can be heard on tracks from Animals As Leaders, Carly Rae Jepsen, Bootsy Collins, and many more.
06. Studio Rental
Take your pick from two premium Atmos mixing rooms for mixing your next project. Studio B features a 9.1.4 system with PMC speakers, while Studio C hosts 9.1.4 on Focals, both using Avid converters. Learn more about our studios from the menu above.
