Focal’s Trio6 monitors are $3,499 each but worth every penny£2,599 / $3,499.00 each, focal.com
Focal’s Trio6 studio monitor is a dual heavyweight monitor with a price tag of $7,000 per-pair and a combined mass of 50kg. It certainly doesn’t come cheap but this isn’t an unusual price in the world of pro studio monitoring, where performance gains require ever-increasing investments in materials, R&D and ingenuity; gains which are expected by highly demanding professionals and manufacturers alike.

READ MORE: Sonos’ Move 2 might just be 2023’s best portable speaker

Those who’ve experienced the older Trio6 Be, or either of the ST6 stablemates will expect a high level of accuracy and finesse from this new 3-way monitor.
Such an expectation is met in full as the Trio6 immediately delivers supreme fidelity.

Apex mids
The critical mid-range detail that is a consistent hallmark of Focal monitors appears at its apex with this three-way design.
The two crossover areas between the mid and high-/low-end drivers have been expertly managed to appear seamless with no audible losses or phase shifts, just wrinkle-free audio that brings the source to the room with stunning precision.
High end
Up top, there are no hyped brightness bumps or presence losses; transients fire out untamed and complex high-frequency overlaps are as easy to identify as you’ll find anywhere.
Some monitors initially appear crystal clear but eventually, after hours of use, result in ear fatigue. After many hours with a pair of Trio6, we experience no such weariness. Getting into the nitty-gritty with high-frequency EQs is as easy as it gets and small differences are quick to perceive.
Focal Trio6 studio monitor (vertical)
Mass and lows
The sheer mass of the front-ported Trio6 is explained at the other end of the spectrum where, again, there is so much to love.
These monitors have a rated -3dB range cutoff of 35Hz, though there’s still some juice down at 30 Hz. In use, this makes them capable of handling most of the sub-bass found in many musical as well as post-production contexts.
For those wanting to get their rumble on down to 20 Hz, a sub unit will slot right in (such as Focal’s Sub12 or the more affordable Sub One), with the aid of the onboard three-position high-pass filter.
In reality, there is little need for extending the Trio6 any further as they are effortless in rendering 808-style booms, film/gaming explosions and all the unwanted crud mastering engineers need to identify and neutralise.
Of course, it’s not just about how low they go. The Trio6s project an immaculate sound from the low mids down, revealing lumps, bumps and resonances without blurring overlapped sources. As it’s across the audio range, you’re offered an unexaggerated sonic window that allows big-picture analysis and microscopic examination simultaneously.
When it comes to mixing bass and kick drums, there is a true sense of being able to reach in and detangle sounds, quickly hearing subtle changes as they take effect. It’s not just about subtlety either; with the confidence the highly sensitive Trio6s bring, you can be more radical with a mix.
Focal Trio6 studio monitor (horizontal)
Sweet dynamics
The Trio6s bring you all the punch without losing the delicate transient details, as well as highlighting when they’re missing in action. Compression effects, too, are easy to pick out.
Coupled with the dynamic delivery is the reproduction of sustained sounds, from instrument tones to reverb tails. Reverb decays of any length can be singled out from dense mixes, as can problem hums and resonances, both of which are essential for effective mixing and mastering.
The stereo imaging is also in the same league, which not only makes lush mixes a pleasure to behold but their creation a far easier and more creative process. The soundstage remains stable off-axis – as should be expected of monitors in this price range – and for those who prefer a horizontal orientation, the mid and high-frequency driver section can be rotated 90 degrees to keep them vertically aligned.
There are many opinions on the efficacy of horizontal or vertical positioning but, in practice, a pair of Trio6 monitors can create a wide listening sweet spot either way. The phase shift that comes with moving off-axis horizontally with monitors on their sides does come into play a little in the low mids, as physics dictates, but the sweet spot is well worth it. In their vertical position, they are hard to beat.
A couple of Focal Trio6 studio monitors
Room power
The Trio6s require either heavy-duty speaker stands or a substantial platform to bear their 25kg weight and, due to their mass, low-frequency extension and power handling, they will also benefit from high-quality isolation, such as the ISO-200s from IsoAcoustics.
Their imposing size suggests they are best suited to medium to large rooms, and they pack enough power to drive highly absorptive rooms.
During testing, we cannot find their point of maximum undistorted output – it gets way too loud to discern. Even for those who work loud, the efficient Class G mid and low-driver amplifiers will keep these high-powered monitors from killing your electricity budget, even if they kill your hearing in the process.
Focal Trio6 studio monitor in use horizontally
Simple, focused
They may work beautifully right out of the box, but there are also simple, detented EQ controls on the rear panels for gently shelving the high and low-frequency ranges and allowing a cut/boost around 160 Hz to counter the effects of surfaces such as mixing consoles and work desks. These are all effective without bamboozling you, and frankly little adjustment will be needed; if they don’t sound right it’ll be the room, not the Trio6s.
For added flexibility is the Focus Mode which allows, via a footswitch (not supplied), the sole use of either the mid or the mid and high drivers, effectively soloing the mid-range during mixing/mastering. It may not be fancy but it’s a very useful addition.
Focal Trio6 studio monitors on top of mixing console
Three-way quality
If you are looking to invest in top-quality monitoring for a non-small room, the Trio6 should always be among your top choices. When executed at this level, three-way monitors are unbeatable for everyday professional audio work and, across a variety of disciplines, Trio6s will eventually pay for themselves. Yes, they are expensive, but they are undoubtedly worth every pound they cost. Quality tools in experienced hands (ears?) make quality work.
References
Beck’s Waking Light is a sonic feast of a track that challenges most playback mediums due to the sheer weight of instrumentation and those enormous toms, and yet the effortless representation of the Trio6s make it clear how the mix was assembled to cram in so many elements. Everything can be picked out, from the bite of compressors to reverb decays to Beck’s tonsils.
In The Opposite from The Smile every detail of Tom Skinner’s deliciously bone dry opening groove committed to tape is laid bare by the Trio6s. The addition of in-your-face stereo spread guitar, chonky bass and Thom Yorke’s pitch-delayed vocal produces a thick mid-rich mix that is rendered all the more pleasurable, thanks to the sheer clarity of the Trio6s.
Focal Trio6 studio monitors on mixing desk in recording studio
Key features

Ported 3-way active monitor
Focus Mode to switch to 1-/2-way for checking translation
Drivers: 8-inch (16.5cm) and 5-inch (12.7cm) low/mid cones; 1.5-inch (38mm) beryllium inverted cone tweeter
Contour controls: ±3dB LF & HF shelving; ±3dB LMF (160 Hz); 3-position high pass filter
Amplifiers: 100W RMS Class-G for low and mid drivers; 50W RMS Class-AB for tweeter
Frequency Response (-3dB): 35 Hz to 40 kHz
Max. SPL: 115dB
Input: Balanced XLR
Dimensions (H x W x D): 53.7cm x 29.2cm x 36.9cm
Weight: 25kg

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SoundCloud gears up for sale with potential $1bn+ price-tag (report)Raine Group and Temasek reportedly looking at banks to handle sale process
Source

CES 2024 or bust, Superpedestrian e-scooters hit the auction block and Fisker struggles to meet sales goalsThe Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click The Station — to receive the newsletter every weekend in your inbox. Subscribe for free. Hey-o! Howdy readers and welcome back to The Station, your weekly newsletter on all things transportation. I hope you enjoyed the New Year! I appreciated a […]
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ADDAC System launch ADDAC309 module ADDAC System's latest Eurorack module makes it possible to control effects units equipped with expression pedal inputs from a modular synth setup.

ADDAC309 Eurorack module launched ADDAC System's latest Eurorack module makes it possible to control effects units equipped with expression pedal inputs from a modular synth setup.

Harvard’s robotic exoskeleton can improve walking, decrease falls in people with Parkinson’sIf you follow the world of robotic exoskeletons with any frequency, you’re no doubt aware of the two primary categories. The first is aimed firmly at workers with strenuous or repetitive jobs such as lifting and transporting packages. The second is assistive, largely focused at individuals with mobility impairments. The latter category is often the […]
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Getting It Done: The Week in D.I.Y. & Indie MusicLast week, our tips and advice for the independent, do-it-yourselfers out there covered how to get better at social media, how musicians can utilize AI, and more…
The post Getting It Done: The Week in D.I.Y. & Indie Music appeared first on Hypebot.

REWIND: The new music industry’s week in reviewA busy week by any definition, the music industry was no exception, with expert 2024 predictions, Queen guitarist standing up for fans, and more…
The post REWIND: The new music industry’s week in review appeared first on Hypebot.

MixWave’s new CA-70S plug-in MixWave's first dedicated mixing plug-in emulates the sought-after sound of Coil Audio's CA-70S valve preamp. 

DWe Drums - Craftsmanship Electrified

Every aspect of the DWe playing experience was designed to be familiar to drummers. DWe drums offer natural playability with intuitive features like pressure sensing, pitch bend capabilities, and more.

Each DWe acoustic shell is handcrafted in America from 100% North American Pure Maple in our most-popular shell type, the 333. Played acoustically or electronically, every drum shell is precision-crafted with five decades of expertise to deliver the feel, tone, and resonance you’re accustomed to with DW Drums.

More info here: dwdrums.com/dwe/craftsmanship

The Sound of A.I. in HollywoodActors and writers reached their agreement with A.I. What about sound designers?

After some long and painful fights, the issue of A.I. — at least for actors and writers — has been resolved. For the rest of us in Hollywood, however, the unpacking of A.I. has only just begun. Navigating the future of the sound design industry will depend on engineers and editors understanding how to maximize the capability and productivity of A.I. tools. 

While filmmaking and production were shut down for most of the year by the long and painful strike, the industry of Hollywood has continued to churn. Though the “Barbenheimer” craze over the summer cushioned the economic blow for some studios, the last six months have seen major Hollywood studios bend over backward to improve profitability. 

Studios direct-to-consumer offerings — streamers — have borne the brunt of these efforts; in this grand experimentation, everything from storytelling structure to pricing models have been on the table. Streamers have merged, shifted, and cut entire projects in an attempt to impress investors with their bottom line. 

It’s a reasonable concern, then, that having failed with the actors and writers, other, less powerful and more technical groups — such as sound engineering — may be on the line for A.I. replacement and the presumed associated cost savings. And it’s not necessarily a wild leap: it’s inevitable that A.I. will, as with other industries, dramatically shift what the workflow for sound engineers will look like.

Sound engineers looking to forge their future not only during these tumultuous times in Hollywood, but also in the “civilian” sector, need to be smart about how they deploy A.I. There are already tools available that can help us speed up our processes and projects. Two good examples:

Sound cataloging and library management: Finding a specific sound in a sound library can be an incredibly time intensive process. I know that my own library is made up of over two terabytes of various sounds, and digging through it to find a specific one can take hours. There are A.I. tools on the market that can not only uncover a sound, but also generate timestamps inside each audio clip.

Audio description mixing: Mixing for audio description can be a rote process. Clients have specifications they want met, and save for a bit of artistry, the process is fairly straightforward. A program’s audio needs to drop at a certain point before the narratives begin, and resume shortly after it ends. A.I. can automate the process, doing an effective first draft of the work, creating time for the engineer to check and fix any mixing issues after the first rendering. 

As in other industries, these tools offer methods of speeding up delivery and service, and will eventually become the standard practice. As cost savings continue to be a major priority for studios, expect to see A.I. technologies implemented to a greater and greater extent. 

But will sound engineers face an existential crisis as a result of A.I.? 

Yes — and no. 

As the more basic tasks of sound design — such as sound effects cataloging and audio description mixing — are outsourced to A.I. tools, other novice positions, like interns and PA roles, will likely dry up. If companies can find cost savings by using technology, they will, and the impact will likely be fewer roles for individuals just getting started and learning the business. 

At the same time, sound design — like many other post-production positions — is both an art and a science. The best among us have the technical skills needed to create a cohesive soundscape, while also having the artful ear that can create a character out of the audio. Part of being a sound designer is having the ability to translate a director’s vision into a rich and immersive sound experience. 

In an industry that runs on connections and creativity, removing the position of sound engineer likely won’t happen, especially at the highest levels. Certainly, the lower tier and newer streaming services — those who are just creating content for content’s sake — may turn to some emerging A.I. tools to churn out fast, good enough sound designs that simply gets the job done. As TikTok and TikTok-like mini productions grow in popularity, rapid turnaround will be prioritized over quality. 

But there will continue to be a happy medium for sound design and engineering. Work in this industry long enough, and you know that relationships are everything. Directors are on the lookout for partners who have the emotional sensibility and creativity to translate their vision, add to it, and produce something even better. 

The Oscar-winning directors of the world aren’t likely to give up that relationship soon, attached as they are to the individuals who help to drive the creative process alongside them. Similarly, independent artists and filmmakers, who are driven by creativity and passion, aren’t likely to pursue ease over art. 

Soft skills will still win the day for sound designers, but smart studios can, and will, start bracing themselves for an A.I.-driven future. 

DAVID ZANG is the owner of AsparTateSounds in Los Angeles. He is an award-winning re-recording mixer, a sound editor, and a location sound mixer. Feel free to reach out to David on his website, www.aspartaterecords.com

A timeline of Sam Altman’s firing from OpenAI — and the falloutIn a dramatic turn of events late Friday, ex-Y Combinator president Sam Altman was fired as CEO of AI startup OpenAI, the company behind viral AI hits like ChatGPT, GPT-4 and DALL-E 3, by OpenAI’s board of directors. Then, the company’s longtime president and co-founder, Greg Brockman, resigned — as did three senior OpenAI researchers. […]
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Audiomovers launches New Year Collection with six new bundles focusing on immersive content production Audiomovers has launched six new bundles as part of a New Year Collection to celebrate the beginning of 2024.
The collection offers three bundles aimed at “The Pros” and three branded as “The Essentials”.  Each covers different audio production workflows with a focus on immersive content production, according to the brand.

READ MORE: Audiomovers launches Binaural Renderer plugin providing ability to hear how audio will sound on Apple Music while still in any DAW

The “Pro” bundles include The Studio Suite, The Audiomovers Suite, and The Immersive Suite. For those seeking the “Essentials”, you can get your hands on the Immersive Essentials, Production Essentials, or the LISTENTO + Renderer bundle.
Let’s take a closer look at each:
For The Pros

The Studio Suite – 6x seats (licences) of The Audiomovers Suite: Three years of LISTENTO Pro, Binaural Renderer and OMNIBUS (both perpetual), plus one free year of product upgrades. $3749.99 (total value of $4979.94).
The Audiomovers Suite – Three-year LISTENTO Pro licence, Binaural Renderer and OMNIBUS (both perpetual), and one free year of product upgrades. $649.99 (total value of $829.99).
The Immersive Suite – Stream, route, review and share your immersive audio in 7.1.4 and Binaural. Includes annual LISTENTO Pro subscription, Binaural Renderer and Omnibus (both perpetual). $329.99 (total value of $429.99).

For The Essentials

Immersive Essentials – Features the Binaural Renderer and OMNIBUS (perpetual licences) for a one-off payment. $184.99 (total value of $229.99).
Production Essentials – An annual LISTENTO Pro subscription plus INJECT (perpetual licence). $199.99 (total value of $249.99).
LISTENTO + Renderer – Exactly what it says on the tin – an annual LISTENTO Pro subscription and the Binaural Renderer (perpetual licence) paired together. $224.99 (total value of $279.99).

Dominika Dronska, Ops Director of Audiomovers, says “After a successful 2023 where we delivered a portfolio of ground-breaking immersive production tools, we wanted to present packs designed around particular working scenarios; multi-room studios, mixing for Apple Music, monitoring, routing and sharing Dolby Atmos content, as well as recording and production workflows.
“We are focused on serving the needs of our loyal base, and continuing to innovate to super-charge audio professionals,” Dronska concludes.
Visit Audiomovers to find out more.
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Universal Audio cuts bundle prices by up to 96% for a limited timeThe Christmas holiday and Black Friday sale season may be over, but deals on music tech keep coming, with Universal Audio now offering 96 per cent off on its Guitar FX bundle and up to 90 per cent off on a number of its UAD producer bundles

READ MORE: Producers: these songs are now in the public domain and free to sample

The biggest discount is on the Guitar FX bundle. It’s a selection of sought-after studio effects meticulously crafted to emulate iconic vintage hardware units. In it, there’s the Brigade Chorus Pedavl, the Galaxy Tape Echo, the Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb, the Studio D Chorus, the Teletronix LA-3A Compressor and the Waterfall Rotary Speaker.
In the bundle, users gain access to a range of plugins such as Brigade Chorus Pedal, offering lush analogue chorus and vibrant vibrato effects ideal for guitars, vocals, and synths.
Alongside this, the Galaxy Tape Echo replicates the versatile tape delay and spring reverb effects of the Roland RE-201 Space Echo.

The Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb plugin recreates the tactile slider-based controls and lush reverb tails of the iconic Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb unit, known for its use on classic albums such as Talking Heads’ 1980 LP, //Remain in Light//.
Studio D Chorus emulates the analogue widening effects used by legendary artists, providing spatial enhancement for guitars, drums, synths, and vocals.
Additionally, the Teletronix LA-3A Audio Leveler plugin replicates the character and dynamics of the rare hardware LA-3A compressor.

Finally, the Waterfall Rotary Speaker plugin recreates the immersive modulation effects of the Leslie 147 rotary speaker cabinet, offering three-dimensional textures that go beyond traditional chorus and flange effects.
Universal Audio is also slashing prices on a number of its other effects bundles. Over on Plugin Boutique, you can grab the LA-2A Leveller Collection Crossgrade Bundle for 90 per cent off its original price, making it just $36.  The Producer Edition Crossgrade bundle, the Signature Edition Crossgrade bundle and the Studio Editon Crossgrade bundle are all now 50 per cent off. If you buy any of these bundles, you also receive a free LA-2A tube compressor – an exclusive offer to Plugin Boutique. These offers run until 17 January and are available at Plugin Boutique.
Universal Audio isn’t the only brand to be slashing the price of a plugin bundle at the moment. UVI, a brand owned by Native Instruments, is now offering its own UVI Select bundle for just £179, down by 89 per cent from £1619. This suite consists of 10 soft synths and a cool filter effect.
Universal Audio’s Guitar FX Bundle is now just $49, down from $1,586. This offer ends on 7 January.
Take advantage of this deal at Plugin Boutique.
The post Universal Audio cuts bundle prices by up to 96% for a limited time appeared first on MusicTech.

UK MI industry sector reveals 37% drop in imports of synthsA new independent report on the state of the UK MI sector has shown a substantial drop in imports of numerous instruments.
The report, compiled by industry veteran Alan Greensall, found that imports of almost all categories of MI products recorded huge falls in 2023, painting a troubled picture for UK retailers and distributors.

READ MORE: UVI Select Bundle is now 89% off until 22 January

There was a 37 percent reduction in imports of synths and 48 percent reduction in imports of digital pianos. “We have accurate figures for both item numbers and value and neither picture is good,” Greensall says.
Elsewhere, the numbers of electric guitars imported last year were down 31 percent, while acoustic guitar imports were down 56 percent and drums and percussion decreased by 11 percent.
Explaining his methods of data collection, Greensall says: “The industry desperately needs facts and figures, not vague feelings about what might or might not be happening. Relying on that is like driving a car with your eyes closed and waiting until you hit something. How can retailers and manufacturers plan what to order or stock if they have no idea where the market is heading?”
“If you want to know where an industry is going it’s vital to understand where it’s been and how it got where it is today so as to get some idea what will happen next and plan for this year and next.”
“There are are a lot of questions these statistics raise, for example, are there enough guitars arriving to sustain the historic sales numbers, or is the UK stock holding in distributors and retailers able to bridge the gap? Are the instruments in stock actually selling through?”
The post UK MI industry sector reveals 37% drop in imports of synths appeared first on MusicTech.