Ever wondered what goes into building a world-class Dolby Atmos music studio—from scratch?
Let’s take you behind the scenes at Gatwick Production Studios (GPS), where a team of passionate engineers and visionaries have created one of the UK’s most advanced immersive audio environments. This isn’t just a room with some extra speakers—it’s a purpose-built, acoustically perfect space designed to bring music to life in 3D.
Why Build a Dolby Atmos Music Studio?
Brandon Knights, co-founder of Gatwick Production Studios, originally set out to build a live studio. But while working on the Pink Floyd exhibition at the V&A Museum, he was inspired to shift gears. He wanted something more immersive, something future-facing. Enter: Dolby Atmos.
They paused their original plans and began constructing a full-spec Atmos studio before Apple even rolled out spatial audio. Why? Because they saw Atmos not as a trend, but as the next big leap—“the new stereo,” as Brandon calls it.
The Vision Behind “Visions”: Making Music for Atmos
A standout moment in Gatwick Production Studios journey came when they worked with drum & bass artist AC13. The result? A track called Visions, built from the ground up with Atmos in mind.
AC13 wasn’t just handing over stems. He reimagined his composition for the 3D environment—thinking beyond left and right, imagining sounds above, behind, and around the listener.
The outcome: a spatial audio track that not only sounds great on Apple Spatial and Amazon Music but fully showcases what’s possible when artists embrace the immersive format.
As mix engineer Zach Smithson put it:
“You’re not compromising the sound of your instruments anymore. You’re not carving EQ just to fit it into stereo. You’re placing sounds exactly where they belong.”
Designing the Studio from the Ground Up
Technical Director Simon Ryder was instrumental (pun intended) in building the studio to Dolby’s Gold Standard:
🛠️ Acoustic Design Highlights:
- Custom Room Shape: Designed specifically around their monitoring system for optimal acoustics.
- Massive Isolation: Multi-layered walls, floating oak floors, silent air conditioning—nothing gets in or out.
- Custom-Built Treatments: DIY bass traps and diffusers tuned with measurement mics and software.
“It’s not just quiet—it’s beautifully flat. You hear the music, not the room.”
The Monitoring System: Zero Compromises
🎧 9.1.4 Genelec Atmos Monitoring System
- Front Mains: Genelec 8351s with W371A woofer stands—acting as a single speaker with distortion-free bass down to 22 Hz.
- Subwoofer: Triple 15-inch Genelec beast, flat down to 15 Hz, ideal for both music and film.
- No Bass Management: Every speaker covers the full range, ensuring time-aligned accuracy.
And the alignment? Done with an Avid MTRX SPQ card and an 8-mic measurement array—achieving near-zero EQ correction.
Behind the Scenes Tech Stack
- DAWs: Primarily Avid Pro Tools, with Logic and Reaper also available.
- Audio Routing: Dante protocol for 128-track send/receive to a separate Atmos renderer.
- Monitoring Control: Digital Audio Denmark MOM system.
- Remote Collaboration: Sessions with artists across Europe using AudioMovers.
It’s a studio designed not only for excellence but also for flexibility. From headphone-only orchestral mixes to full-blown theatrical Atmos, GPS can handle it all.
Atmos Is Here—And It’s Not Just for the Pros
What makes this even more exciting is how accessible Atmos mixing is becoming. While Gatwick Production Studios went all-in on specs, Simon emphasises that you don’t need a mega-budget to get started. You can start exploring Atmos on headphones and work your way up.
As Brandon says:
“Atmos brings back dynamics. You don’t have to squash everything. You can let sounds breathe—because now, you’ve got space.”
What’s Next? Taking It Live
The Gatwick Production Studios team isn’t stopping here. Their ultimate dream? Taking immersive audio into live environments—stadiums, clubs, and beyond. From stereo mixes in front-of-house racks to object-based audio floating all around the listener… the future’s already being built.
Final Thoughts
Gatwick Production Studios shows what happens when creative vision meets technical precision. From custom acoustics to immersive artist development, it’s a model for how modern music can—and should—be experienced.
Watch the full interview here:
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