Means Street Studios is the latest to step into the world of spatial audio.
Last week, the iconic Atlanta studio showcased its new Dolby Atmos mixing room. The room already existed as one of the several studio spaces at Means Street, but now it has adopted the Dolby Atmos technology — which includes a 3D surround system that allows sounds to be seen as 3D circles for artists and engineers to use while making music.
The Midtown studio, which opened in 2013, was founded by DJ Drama. Artists like Cardi B, Young Thug, Jack Harlow and more have recorded music there. Means Street has partnered with Dolby since 2018. But this is the first time that the studio has had its own Dolby Atmos room. Means Street is one of six Atlanta recording studios to have such a space.
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
“It’s not just about listening,” legendary mix engineer Leslie Braithwaite said during a tour of the new room. “It’s also about how we create. It inspires our intent. This room gives us the ability to start a different process, from how we think about it, to how we create, how we make the songs and when artists come in, they’ll be excited about it.”
Braithwaite is an Atlanta-based Grammy-winning engineer who has worked with Outkast, Pharrell, Beyoncé and more. He mainly works out of Means Street Studios. Braithwaite most recently mixed rapper Rapsody’s upcoming album “Please Don’t Cry” using Dolby Atmos technology. He said the experience gave the North Carolina MC more ideas on how to blend different sounds on her music.
And listening to one song with the new system makes the case for why an artist would feel that inspired. During the tour, the studio played songs like Elton John’s “Rocket Man” and Roddy Rich’s “Late at Night.” Listening to both songs made you feel like you were experiencing the live recording of them — each sound element taking center stage and being illuminated by the 3D circles that make the listening experience more interesting.
With Atmos, each sound isn’t dependent on one speaker. They sound equal.
“In stereo music, the sound has to compete,” said Christine Thomas, head of music industry relations at Dolby Laboratories. “Each piece of instrumentation has to compete with each other, so something has to be louder. With Atmos, they don’t have to be louder. You can hear each one clearly. It’s like they unpacked it.”
For producer Don Cannon, the room brings new life into Atlanta’s music scene. Cannon, along with DJ Drama, is a founder of the Atlantic Records imprint Generation Now. The label, known for acts like Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow, operates within Means Street.
Cannon said the new room is a part of helping ensure that Atlanta’s music scene has the same infrastructure as Los Angeles and New York.
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
“We often have to run to L.A. to get the Dolby mix or the Dolby room or go to New York to get the studio, so I’m like, man, we need to continue the legacy here. It’s something about the culture of Means Street and how everybody came through here. We just had to beef it up and stop people from going anywhere else but here. It’s so awesome to have a room where you can look at the equipment and see where the placement for sounds are.”
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
Credit: NATRICE MILLER
The Dolby Atmos room signifies a new chapter for Means Street and Generation Now that further proves both entities are always looking for ways to reinvent themselves, according to DJ Drama.
“With us having a company called Generation Now, I think the key word in there is ‘now,’” DJ Drama said. “What Dolby Atmos represents, what it stands for, what comes from is just centered in what’s current and going forward in music and how people listen and discover music. Having these studios has been so culturally important to Atlanta, to hip-hop for literally the last 10, 15 years. It’s like we wouldn’t even want to move forward without being a part of what tomorrow is.”
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