ABBA’s Benny Andersson Voyages into Immersive Mixing
Mix Staff —
ABBA co-founder Benny Andersson upgraded his studio in Stockholm to create immersive mixes of the band’s long-awaited Voyage album.
Bernard Löhr (left) and Avid audio partner msonic’s Marcus Bergqvist inside the immersive mix studio owned by ABBA co-founder Benny Andersson.
Stockholm, Sweden (May 23, 2024)—With Dolby Atmos now a mandatory deliverable on certain platforms, ABBA co-founder Benny Andersson upgraded his studio in Stockholm to create immersive mixes of the band’s long-awaited Voyage album.
As ABBA prepared to release Voyage in 2021, Andersson learned that both Universal Music and Apple Music wanted the album to be mixed in immersive Dolby Atmos, requiring an extensive renovation of the analog studio. Andersson and his engineer, mixer Bernard Löhr, have been working in the facility, which is in a building of cultural and historical significance on the island of Skeppsholmen in Stockholm, since the 1990s.
Avid Pro Tools | S6 with 32 faders replaced the old analog mixing console, enabling both Andersson and Löhr to work on the control surface at the same time. “The Avid S6 control surface is the right size and easy to use. For example, we can access all the reverbs in a way that suits Benny,” Löhr reports.
The audio interface was upgraded to an Avid Pro Tools | MTRX Studio, which is controlled directly from the Avid S6 surface and supports Dolby Atmos monitoring as well as processing of the speaker alignment and bass management. An immersive Genelec 7.2.4 system of “The Ones” speakers with two subwoofers was also installed.
The building is owned by the Swedish state, which meant that the renovation required careful planning and execution. The renovation project was extensive; for example, the original studio was moved from downstairs to upstairs. “The studio is now much smaller than before, but way more cozy,” Löhr says.
The Synclavier synthesizer is an important part of Andersson’s compositional and creative process. It is integrated directly from the composition room downstairs into the Pro Tools system upstairs.
The renovation of the studio started in spring 2022 and continued until almost the turn of the year. The technical installation was completed at the end of 2022 and the new studio was opened in spring of 2023.
Löhr comments, “The Dolby Atmos format sounds great—not just to me, but also to Benny and our external customers. We have already been able to use Dolby Atmos successfully in a number of projects.”
https://www.mixonline.com/recording/facilities/abbas-benny-andersson-voyages-into-immersive-mixing
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WORDS BY MIXDOWN STAFF
In a building of cultural and historical significance, Benny and his engineer, mixer Bernard Löhr, have been creating musical masterpieces since the 1990s.
ABBA legend Benny Andersson is a composer and musician who needs no introduction. He has left his mark on the history of music, and also created a unique place for creativity in the heart of Stockholm – his own studio on Skeppsholmen.
Read all the latest product & music industry news here.
In recent years, the studio has undergone a thorough renovation and upgrade from an analogue studio to a Dolby Atmos room for immersive audio work.
ABBA
As ABBA prepared to release their long-awaited Voyage album in 2021, Benny Andersson faced a new and exciting challenge. Universal Music and Apple Music demanded that the album would be mixed in the immersive Dolby Atmos format. This required an extensive renovation of the entire Skeppsholmen studio.
The culturally significant studio building is owned by the Swedish state, which meant that the renovation required careful planning and execution. The renovation project was extensive – for example, the original studio was moved from downstairs to upstairs. “The studio is now much smaller than before, but way more cosy,” says Bernard Löhr.
Avid Pro Tools
Bernard has been Benny Andersson’s engineer since the early 90s. He records and mixes all of Benny’s projects. An Avid Pro Tools | S6 with 32 faders was chosen as the new control surface. This allows for a more efficient workflow and allows both Benny and Bernard to work on the surface at the same time.
“The Avid S6 control surface is the right size and easy to use. For example, we can access all the reverbs in a way that suits Benny,” says Bernard.
https://mixdownmag.com.au/news/pratley-guitars-in-stock-now-at-national-music/
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Abba legend’s Stockholm studio upgraded for a new era
By AV Magazine in Audio, Europe May 29, 2024 0
An Avid Pro Tools S6 with 32 faders has been installed at Benny Andersson’s 30-year-old analogue studio to transform it into a Dolby Atmos facility for immersive audio work.
Abba legend Benny Andersson is a composer and musician who has not just left his mark on the history of music, but has also created a place for creativity in the heart of Stockholm.
In his studio on the island of Skeppsholmen, Andersson and his sound engineer, Bernard Löhr, have been creating musical masterpieces since the 1990s.
But in 2021, as ABBA prepared to release their long-awaited Voyage album, Andersson faced a new challenge.
Universal Music and Apple Music demanded that the album was mixed in the immersive Dolby Atmos format – which would require an extensive renovation of the analogue studio.
An Avid Pro Tools S6 with 32 faders was installed as the new control surface, as it facilitates a more efficient workflow that allows Andersson and Löhr to work at the same time.
"The Avid S6 control surface is the right size and easy to use," says Löhr. "For example, we can access all the reverbs in a way that suits Benny."
The audio interface was upgraded to an Avid Pro Tools MTRX Studio, which supports Dolby Atmos monitoring, as well as allowing versatile processing of the speaker alignment and bass management.
MTRX Studio is controlled directly from the Avid S6 surface, providing a seamless workflow. To add more inputs and outputs, the MTRX Studio was extended with an Avid Pro Tools Carbon PRE audio production hybrid system.
Genelec 7.2.4 'The Ones' speakers with two subwoofers provide the audio output for the Dolby Atmos system.
To lighten the load of heavy Dolby Atmos mixes, the studio deploys an external Dolby Atmos RMU, which lightens the Pro Tools machine's processor and ensures smooth sound production.
The Synclavier synthesiser – an important facet of Andersson's compositional process – is integrated directly from the composition room downstairs into the Pro Tools system upstairs. The integration allows for a seamless transition from composing to mixing.
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