Brand’s Halo Upmix and Paragon Reverb Plug-ins Advance Creativity and Enhance Sound for Immersive Audio Projects
LOS ANGELES ― With the rise of immersive audio in the music industry, increasingly more music professionals are looking to take their work to the next level with Dolby Atmos. As a specialist in immersive mixes, professional Music Producer, Mixing Engineer and Owner of Alex Pro Mix, Alex Solano is one of the industry’s go-to professionals for Dolby Atmos Music mixing and his notable portfolio is proof of that. A certified mixer with Universal Music Group and Warner Music group, Solano has quickly become the go-to Atmos mixer for various record labels, including Atlantic Records, Photo Finish, CINQ Music and EMPIRE.
After discovering the wonder of Dolby Atmos Music, Solano taught himself the ins and outs of immersive audio and later built a Dolby-certified room in his own studio. The addition of the new space led him to start looking for software plug-ins specifically tailored to Dolby Atmos mixing, and ultimately to NUGEN Audio’s Halo Upmix and Paragon Reverb solutions. “NUGEN was a brand that I came across early on, and once I started using the software, it really opened up the opportunities for me to be creative in my mixes,” he explains.
“We have all been accustomed to listening to stereo for the past 60 years, but Dolby Atmos is a much different experience,” he continues. “With stereo, you have two channels―left and right, whereas with Dolby Atmos, you have a three-dimensional cone comprised of twelve speakers. As soon as I discovered that this was the future of music distribution and creation, I jumped right on board. Dolby Atmos adds value to labels and publishers because it futureproofs their music and gives them exposure through spatial audio playlisting.”
NUGEN’s Halo Upmix plug-in is especially useful for remastering projects, enabling users to take a stereo mix and turn it into a surround production. “I like to use Upmix to enhance a music arrangement,” adds Solano. “For example, if there are piano pads and vocals in a song intro, but no drums, I’ll use Upmix to spread the piano pads or synths around all the speakers so that it doesn’t sound so empty.”
As a 3D convolution reverb, Paragon also proves necessary for the creation of immersive audio as it allows for the creation of audio spaces that did not previously exist. “Paragon is unique in that it’s the only immersive audio reverb I’ve come across that I can use for Dolby Atmos mixing,” says Solano. “I love using it across vocals. I also like using the chamber preset because it allows me to put the main voice in front of me and then thread the vocal reverb around and above me. It gives me this immersive sound while still focusing the lead voice in the front.”
For Solano, NUGEN has been an essential asset to his work. “I want to invest in a brand that gives me resources to improve my skill and also feed my creative experience,” he says. “My experience with NUGEN has been really positive―not only with using the products, but also because the team is always there if I’m ever in need of support.”
In addition to producing tracks for hit artists across the globe, Alex Solano also produces immersive audio tutorials on YouTube and taught audio production in India and South America. For more about Alex Solano, visit: www.alexpromix.com/.
For more information about NUGEN Audio products, visit: https://nugenaudio.com.