Seeking to capitalize on growing demand for multi-channel mixing for television spots, POP Sound has completed major upgrades to two of its commercial mixing suites, with both now featuring latest generation Digidesign ICON mixing consoles and Pro Tools digital audio workstations. The two rooms have also undergone complete physical and aesthetic remodels resulting in more spacious, relaxed and pleasing mixing environments. With the new upgrades, all of the company’s mixing studios are standardized on the Pro Tools platform.

The upgrades enhance POP Sound’s ability to handle complex multichannel mixing projects with ease and maximum creative flexibility. “Pro Tools improves our network flow with sound designers and others who bring sound elements to us,” said POP Sound technical director Steve Thompson. “Because the system is software-based, it also provides an easier upgrade path and greater flexibility to change the configuration of the room.”

Design work for the studios was handled by POP Sound’s internal engineering staff, led by Chief Engineer Nicholas Garside. “These were two very successful, very popular rooms, but after 14 years, we decided it was time to tear them down and start over—with new equipment and new ideas,” Garside said. “We used top-of-the-line equipment and created two great-sounding multichannel rooms.” Other POP Sound engineers involved in the redesign include Karl Sandin, Eric Beam and Sam Lipman.

The two identically configured studios feature Digidesign ICON D Control 32-fader consoles with Pro Tools HD5 Accel. Plug-ins from Digidesign, Waves and TC Electronic are employed for dynamics, equalization, reverb, pitch correction, spatial imaging and upconversion from stereo to 5.1. Both rooms also have on hand an auxiliary Digidesign Pro Tools HD2 Accel system.

"The new equipment makes everything a great deal more streamlined," noted POP sound engineer Tim West. "Recalling old sessions and moving sessions from room to room is much faster.”

The studios not only sound and function better; their look and feel has improved as well. Both rooms have been completely remodeled and enlarged. “We’ve expanded both rooms to incorporate adjacent decks as client space,” Garside observed. “These are penthouse studios—they have lots of natural light and are the antithesis of the cave-like dwelling that characterizes many mixes studios. Clients can walk out of either studio directly onto a deck to enjoy the view of Santa Monica. We worked very hard to provide that to both studios.”

About POP Sound
Elegant without being stuffy, POP Sound provides impeccable levels of service, combined with state of the art technology in a beach house chic environment. In a Mediterranean villa located just 7 blocks from the ocean, some of the best talents in the industry have been working since POP Sound's inception in 1994. For Commercials and Advertising, POP Sound features the talents of Mixers Mitch Dorf, Peter Rincon, Stephen Dickson, Zac Fisher and Tim West. This award-winning team of Mixers has recently completed commercial projects for such clients as Nike, Coke, MasterCard, Michelin, Mini, Bud.TV, GM, HP, Netflix, Xnergy, Xbox and Ford.

About CSS Studios
Hollywood, California-based CSS Studios is a wholly owned subsidiary of Discovery Communications, the world’s number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. CSS Studios provides creative services to major motion picture studios, independent producers, broadcast networks, cable channels, advertising agencies and interactive producers. CSS services are marketed under the brand names Todd-AO, Sound One, Soundelux, POP Sound, Modern Music, Soundelux Design Music Group and The Hollywood Edge, with facilities in Los Angeles, New York and London. With more than 50 years of experience in providing creative sound services and technical solutions, the companies, collectively, have garnered more than 50 Academy Award nominations and won 26 Academy Awards.