KRK Provides Dynamic Reference Monitoring and Playback for GRAMMY Award Nominated Projects Mixed at Art House Academy
MIAMI – As a Latin GRAMMY Award-winning and GRAMMY-nominated mixing and recording engineer, musician and sound supervisor, Nicolas Ramirez’ impressive resume also includes head mixing and recording engineer at Art House Academy & Abbey Road Institute Miami, a music performance/production and sound engineering school. He recently implemented KRK Systems’ V6 Series 4 powered reference monitors into the space. Ramirez was elated to continue working with the KRK brand as he also uses the ROKIT 5s and 7s in various home studio applications. Using his KRKs to produce award-winning tracks, Ramirez is up for three Latin GRAMMYs this year with nominations for two “Record of the Year” awards as well as an “Album of the Year” nomination.
Ramirez has worked with high-profile recording artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Marc Anthony and Bad Bunny, and knows quality matters. “KRK makes a variety of superior studio monitors that align perfectly with my workflow; the brand’s solutions are ideal for both professional and home studio applications,” he says. “Not only do they sound spectacular, but they are also very budget friendly. I especially love that I can use KRK’s Audio Tools app to adjust the monitors to best suit each unique environment I work in. Overall, deploying KRKs is easy. You don’t need any amplifiers for them to sound good — they are amazing on their own.”
Ramirez not only has used KRKs at Art House, but has also used both the monitors and Audio Tools app at recording artists’ home studios.
This has been especially beneficial amidst the pandemic. “The KRK ROKITs are lightweight and perfect for anyone mixing while out on the road,” he says. “Recently, while setting up to mix at Latin GRAMMY-nominated artist Camilo’s home studio, I was able to use the app to make all the necessary adjustments and help assign presets to ensure his KRK ROKIT 7 G4s are perfectly calibrated to his environment.”
Ramirez knows he can always rely on his KRKs to deliver the most accurate sound. “KRK monitors help me to guarantee that my mixes will sound good in the car, on a cell phone, on headphones or anywhere else. Additionally, I love that I can use the Audio Tools app to align multiple pairs of speakers while mixing in-studio. In the past, I would have to use measuring tape to make sure that everything was spaced out evenly and positioned correctly. With the KRK app, this process is much easier.”
Additionally, Ramirez appreciates the dynamic response of his new V6s.
“The V Series monitors are amazing as they deliver an extremely dynamic sound. It’s been interesting to see how the V6 monitors compare to the ROKIT 5 G4s. The ROKITs have a less dynamic output, making the two pairs of KRKs complement each other perfectly. With the ROKITs, I can really work with the sound and make sure I’m putting punches in the right place to ensure that the kick isn’t fighting with the bass.”
Throughout Ramirez’s experience with KRK monitors, he has developed preferences for each monitor’s application. He prefers the V6 monitors for playback use and the ROKITs as reference monitors. “I’m so excited about my relationship with KRK — they really know what they’re talking about,” says Ramirez. “Working with the KRK team is an absolute joy. Most brands solely focus on pushing their product lines, but with KRK, they want to hear customer feedback so that they can improve their offerings in any way possible. KRK monitors are simply the best and I would recommend them to anyone. I’m really happy that we upgraded to the V6 monitors at Art House, but I will forever be a fan of the classic ROKIT sound—it just can’t be beat!”