S(e)oul Searching & Spatial Audio – Rui Studio meets Amphion Immersive Audio
Amphion’s BaseTwo25 and Two18 “delivers sound the most honestly and accurately” in an immersive audio studio environment.
Seoul, South Korea – K-Pop, and in fact a wide range of other Korean music styles (soft rock, hard rock, Korean ballads etc) has amassed an enormous global following. We’ve previously posted various interviews and stories on this phenomenon, naming notable entertainment conglomerates in South Korea equipped with Amphions that release this content. However, this time,we tapped a prominent studio – Rui Studio, established by veteran star Lee Seung Chul, and its studio recording director Lee Jung Hyung – for a fresh angle, though firstly putting to them the question “why” Amphion was selected for their Studio A (7.1.4), and secondly, seeking their opinion on the “demand” for spatial audio recordings in South Korea. Touted by Apple Music VP Oliver Schusser as the “biggest advancement ever in sound quality”, this interview aimed to capture an Eastern perspective on immersive audio consumption, and how listeners of the future will prefer to absorb music that emulates how we listen to all sound ie. in a 360° environment, as opposed to stereo recordings. Lee Jung Hyung provided some thoughts …
Regarding your selection of Amphion for your immersive audio room, with such a large range of brands to choose from in the marketplace, what were the Amphion points-of-difference that helped shape your decision ? Performance ? Design Style ? DSP-free ?
An accurate monitoring system is the most important part of a recording studio. Additionally, sincere honesty is really important. That way, when the audience listens to my work, they can truly feel the sound image that I am conveying. After testing various speakers, Amphion’s BaseTwo25 and Two18 deliver sound the most honestly and accurately. They have almost all of the advantages that I always consider important, so I chose them without any hesitation.
Do you plan to use your Amphion room for Stereo, Surround, and Immersive recordings ? ie. a multi-function studio ? Or will this space be a dedicated, single-purpose immersive room ?
In the case of immersive mixing, there are differences from conventional stereo mixing in the way space is represented. As the spatial arrangement changes, the balance must be reorganized, and there are advantages in being able to add a little imagination. Moving forward, we plan to expand the range of music and continue our Atmos work. All sound sources completed at Rui Studio undergo pre- or post-production Atmos creation. In addition, we plan to provide a differentiated performance environment by implementing a new sound system at live venues such as musicals, concerts, and festivals that are linked to us.
How is the demand for immersive audio recordings in South Korea ?
I often discuss with many people around me how appealing Atmos content would be to the public. For example, in the past, there was surround sound. When the surround sound synced with the video, it created an amazing experience, and I have personally felt that sensation multiple times. However, at that time, there were several drawbacks when matching music with surround sound due to technical issues. For instance, the music sometimes sounded scattered compared to stereo, and there was also a downside of having to physically set up speakers. Similarly, Atmos has some of these issues, but with the advancement of technology, earphones, and headphones that support Atmos sound have been released.
Children will encounter Atmos sound, and they will become familiar with it without the necessity to learn to distinguish it from stereo. From the perspective of music creators, we cannot simply say “still, music is stereo.” I think we need to create what the audience likes. And, I believe that the demand will increase as the public’s needs will rise due to various technological advancements, and the direction will move forward in a progressive way. As it is a new approach, it is a big challenge for us as well.
About Lee Seung Chul
In 1986, Lee Seung Chul made his debut as the vocalist for the band Boohwal and gained recognition with songs like “Heeya”, “The Story of Rain and You”, “Girls’ Generation”, and “Don’t Say Goodbye”. In 2001, he established Rui Studio with the goal of creating the best studio in South Korea. Since then, he has produced numerous hit songs, including “Fate”, “West Sky”, “There’s No One Else”, and “That Person”, starting with Boohwal’s 15th-anniversary album. Recently, he has continued to be active in the music industry, collaborating with junior musicians such as Taeyeon and Lee Chan Hyuk of Akdong Musician(AKMU). Even today, 38 years after his debut, Lee Seung Chul continues to be active in his music career.
About Rui Studio
Rui Studio introduced its 3D immersive monitoring system through a recent studio-renewal and based on their experience in various performance and music productions – putting effort into creating future-oriented content. Established with a goal of creating the best recording studio in South Korea in 2001, Rui Studio has been producing music content for over 20 years, including recordings, dramas, movies, game soundtracks, broadcast music, religious, and educational soundtracks, starting with the resurrection of “Never Ending Story.” Rui Studio aims to achieve the best sound recording based on a hybrid system that combines analog and digital technologies and utilizing the best acoustic hall in South Korea.
About Lee Jung Hyung & Rui Studio
Rui Studio’s recording director, Lee Jung Hyung, listened to a presentation of the Atmos system and Amphion speakers and decided that a balance and harmony between analog and digital was important. He visited GLAB Studio to experience Amphion’s Atmos system himself and, after referring to various equipment and interiors, he decided to choose Gearlounge as a partner without much difficulty. We express our gratitude to Gearlounge’s SI team who accurately, precisely, and neatly installed the system based on the standards recommended by Dolby.
Rui Studio c/- Gearlounge (Korean) [GL Interview] 음악의 본질을 간직하며 끝없는 도전을 이어가는 가수 이승철과 루이 스튜디오 – 1부 – Gearlounge
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