MANILA — Most music lovers live with stereo all their lives. That is the pinnacle of listening to good music.
Sound pioneer Dolby Atmos recently landed in the Philippines, through Waxiefied Sound Production that was awarded the much-coveted home entertainment studio certification, the highest that Dolby Atmos issues to their partners.
“Atmos is like a comfortable sole that’s in your shoe,” explained Waxie Joaquin, founder of Waxiefied Sound Production and executive mastering engineer.
“Your shoe doesn’t change, but the experience does. That’s exactly what we’re doing. We would like you to be able to experience music to its optimum and possible way.
“What changes is not the music, but the experience, without even having to invest in expensive equipment.”
Waxiefied Sound Production is the first and only official Dolby Atmos home entertainment certified studio in the country. There are more than 500 studios worldwide that are able to do Dolby Atmos.
“There are three to four studios locally carrying Dolby Atmos,” Joaquin said. “They do it through headsets or through visual stock knowledge. So, when they are done mixing and mastering, they go to another country or send to another and have that certified.
“Then they go through quality control. Why go to another country when we’re here already?”
To construct Waxiefied Sound Production in Pasig, that now occupies a floor in a special school owned by Joaquin’s sister, sounded very tedious with all the measurements.
“We discussed the plan, pushed numbers,” Joaquin granted. “Nineteen days later, we were breaking walls. Forty seven days later, we were done.
“It was very difficult to put all the equipment together. But because of our dream to become the first Dolby Atmos, many supported us just so we would get certified.”
Joaquin’s partner in Waxiefied Sound Production, Jigs Hermano, was initially a “non-believer” who did not subscribe to Atmos. Vito Syquia and Peter Hagar are partners, too.
Atmos has been around the Philippines for three years already, according to Hermano. Atmos for music has been around for three years.
“There are Atmos theaters here in our cinemas,” Hermano said. “They are trying to do what they did for movies into music now. Atmos adds another dimension to the listening experience.
“If you want to listen in stereo, you can still listen in stereo. It will still work in stereo. If you are more into the sound and you get to buy equipment specialized for Atmos, then you can truly get the full experience.”
Atmos is totally transparent technology. “You won’t even know it’s there,” informed Hermano. “Just like people now. You don’t know they are connected via WiFi or LTE . You can just play the song.
“If you’re using normal headphones, you’ll only hear a bit of it. If you buy expensive headphones, you’ll hear more. If you have sound system at home that has five speakers, then better. What we have here are 14 speakers. That’s the ultimate in Atmos.
“If you have something like that in your home, then you’ll get the full experience. The technology is packaged in the music. You don’t even have to buy something. You already have an Atmos-ready device in your mobile phone. You only have to turn it on in the settings.”
That was what convinced Hermano the most. “You can choose to listen the old way or the Atmos way,” he said. “It’s there. It’s up to the end user how far they want to go. If you’re a simple listener, you won’t even know it’s there.”
One year ago, Apple went full-blast into the technology. “Now they improved on the Dolby Atmos. Apple introduced spatial, immersive technology in all their device. Samsung has, even Oppo.
“The technology is new, so there’s still going to be the adoption period,” said Hermano. “But I’m convinced this is a new way of listening.
“Atmos will not erase the old way. You can perfectly enjoy watching Netflix on your small TV. But you can choose. It’s your choice to experience it the old way or the new way. The choice is up to the end user. How far they want to go.
“For people to embrace the technology more, the world now has to produce the content for it. Somebody has to make the recording or the movie into Atmos. We start with the normal sound file, then somebody has to convert it into Atmos.”
For P24,000 to P36,000 per song, Waxiefied does not merely offer simple enhancement. “We also have post mixing,” Joaquin said. “If there are certain elements that need to be improved, we also enhance them. We sweeten everything.”
To convert the song, it entails three to four hours. “As an engineer, my work hours take three to four hours, after that I just tend to rest my ears. To master, it entails another four hours. We were able to finish five songs in four days. We had a deadline to meet.
“I wouldn’t work for one full day because I’m no spring chicken anymore. Kung maganda na, konti na lang. Pero kung pangit talaga ang binigay sa amin, it will entail more work.”
Waxiefied has remastered five tracks in James Reid’s US album, ”Lovescene.” There are 10 tracks and the studio was asked to do five. Dolby Atmos Singapore did the other five
“We are here to service,” Hermano said. “We are not here to compete. We are here to up the standard. To make the work world-class. It’s time for our OPM to be world-class. We are here to help everybody get there.
“With the album of Reid, it became like a proof of concept with the local producers who are proud of the musicality and the vibe.”
At the recent opening of Waxiefied Sound Production were celebrities, music industry veterans and artists who graced the event – Alden Richards, director Perci Intalan, Iwi Laurel, Nicole Asencio, New Game Plus’ Jazz Dufourt, Kindred’s Dan Gil and Tala Gil, Flip Music’s Jellica Mateo, Marga Jayy, X1 Digital’s founder Direk Cedrid Hornedo, Wila Baliw’s Ian Tayao and Mike Pedero.
Main highlight of the opening was the immersive experience of listening to the songs of Reid, New Game Plus, Nicole Asensio, Dan Gil and Marga Jayy in different modes, from stereo mix to Waxiefied Stereo Master to Dolby Atmos.
Originally published on ABS-CBN News.
