Joni Mitchell producer opts for KRK at Marshmellow Skies Dolby Atmos studio

California-based Marshmellow Skies is a Dolby Atmos certified recording studio led by GRAMMY-winning record producer and engineer, Ken Caillat, chief engineer Claus Trelby and business manager Nitanee Paris.

The state-of-the-art space has mixed and produced music for a plethora of artists, including notable projects such as Joni Mitchell’s Live at Newport and jazz guitarist David Becker’s album Gravitationally Bound.

Establishing a modern studio with Dolby Atmos capabilities was initially difficult to achieve, as the studio operated from a production space that led to complications in mixing immersive music. The previous setup required the team to adapt stereo mixes into Atmos formats after the original production was complete, making it difficult to achieve the desired sound quality.

The team recognised the need to create an environment conducive to both recording and mixing in immersive audio to enhance the overall creative process. “We built a new studio from the ground up, designing the control room specifically for immersive audio mixing,” explained Trelby. 

This included installing high-quality KRK loudspeakers, known for clarity and precision, which ensures that the monitors can handle the demands of both low and high-volume levels. “We have a 9.1.6 setup with the KRK V8 Studio Monitors on the horizontal and the V6s above us. We also have two KRK subwoofer cabinets on a single channel.”

The studio also incorporated a reference theatre that allows for group listening experiences. “The reference theatre creates an immersive setup that features a 7.1.4 configuration, enabling artists to experience a richer audio environment during recording,” added Trelby. He also emphasised that the importance of working in an immersive space while recording is “to inspire creativity and facilitate the transition into immersive audio formats.”

“The KRK loudspeakers are affordable and sound great. They are beneficial for Dolby – light, airy, and transparent. Overall, the V-Series present a nice sound,” shares Caillat. “The KRKs translate very well, and I trust them. The monitors are flat enough so that it’s easy to EQ to any production curve we need, and we don’t have to reach far to achieve these curves,” adds Trelby.

The studio’s new setup has been involved with the successful production of multiple immersive projects for artists, including the first album completed in the space, Joni Mitchell’s Live at Newport, which won a GRAMMY Award for Folk Album of the Year.

“Feedback from listeners has been overwhelmingly positive,” shares Paris. “Many people have shown a lot of emotion while experiencing the immersive audio for the first time, sharing with us how it transformed the way they will listen to music in the future.”