Mike Elizondo chooses 8361 & W371 for his Nashville studio
He credits his versatility in part to his history as a bass player: “Being a bassist first, I think, gave me an advantage in my work. It trained my ears in a particular way, to hear the big picture, support the ensemble, listen to the drums and singer, and when to trim the fat, so to speak. And I think it also got me thinking in terms across genres, whether it’s jazz, rock, R&B, or something else. Not every producer is an instrumentalist first, but for me I think it’s shaped the way I approach this work, and it’s led to some great projects and successes in my career.” Recently his path led to a relocation from L.A. (where he was based for over 15 years) to Gallatin, TN – just north of Nashville, where he now lives and works in a 5000-square-foot state-of-the-art studio. And a key component of his new setup is his pair of W371A Smart Active Woofer Systems and 8361A Smart Active Monitors™ from Genelec, which he sourced through Vintage King in Nashville.
He recalls, “I had made the decision to move to the Nashville area, but the original plan was to move into a small setup where I could do just some pre-production work but do the real work at Nashville’s great studios. But this five-acre property came up in Gallatin, and I couldn’t really turn it down! Its previous owner built it, and he was a studio designer by trade. It’s a gorgeous space. And then tragically the pandemic hit, but I’m now fortunate to have a fully-decked-out space to call my own. I often work with a dedicated tracking engineer, and this setup is great for that. It’s my dream scenario.”
Elizondo has been a Genelec user for years, having previously relied on a pair of 1031’s for much of his work. So when he reached out to a trusted friend who has his finger on the pulse of the latest and greatest audio products, and the friend recommended Genelec 8361A monitors and the W371A systems for the new space, Elizondo did not hesitate to commit. “I ordered them right away, ‘sight-unheard,’” he laughs.
Other gear at the new space includes an SSL 4056 E/G console, a Neve BCM10, an Ampex MM1000 tape machine, an eight-track Scully 280B tape machine and an Endless Analog CLASP tape-to-digital converter. And the Genelecs fit right in. He recalls, “Initially, I figured the Genelec 8361A’s and the W371A’s would be my ‘mains,’ and I’d rely on a different set as nearfields, but I’ve ended up using the Genelecs for both applications. I remember when we got the monitors set up, and I brought up some of my go-to test mixes and favorite albums to listen to, and I just instantly felt like I was immersed in this music. The low end is important to me, and the low end felt punchy and defined and not at all muddy – I knew that what I was hearing was totally accurate. I kept on pulling up more records, trying to find some fault with my new Genelec five-way system, but there wasn’t any fault to be found. After several hours listening to different records, everything just felt great. And I recognized the feeling in terms of continuity from my previous Genelecs – this is definitely part of that heritage, but the next generation of it.”
Elizondo is particularly fond of Genelec’s GLM software and the AutoCal protocol, which automatically calibrates the monitors for a room and allows for multiple adjustable sweet spots as presets. “Currently I have three sweet spots set up in the control room that I can toggle between – one for my main position, one at the client sofa behind me, and one at a sidecar workstation, where I do some programming work on another rig at the side of the room. I can push a button, and it feels like the Genelecs are right in front of me no matter where I’m positioned. It’s a game changer. And with clients, to be able give them the sweet spot where they’re already seated – that can really help keep the flow of ideas going, rather than stopping everything to say, ‘hey, come sit in my chair and hear what I’m hearing.’ AutoCal is like magic.”
And he’s been putting the new setup to good use, with new projects from Lake Street Dive and Twenty One Pilots in the works, as well as a major country artist. “I try to put a high level of polish into everything I work on, so even if it’s at the pre-production stage of a project, it can sound like a final mix when it leaves my facility. The combination of the Genelec 8361A’s and the W371A’s really let me apply that level of professionalism to this music, so my engineer and I know that what we hear is accurate and will translate across different setups and speaker rigs and car stereos. I’m proud to be able to offer that level of detail in what I do, and Genelec helps make it happen.”
