The collaborations of multi-instrumentalist and producer Patrick Jordan-Patrikios are as varied as they are high in quality. He was the drummer for hip-hop legend Coolio, has worked with stars such as Kylie Minogue and Little Mix, has worked side by side with Giorgio Moroder, and has even composed the scores for several productions.
Recently, he also learned to enjoy mixing like never before with ADAM Audio A7X studio monitors. He talks to us about them, and about their impact on his latest projects, which include the sound design for Lotus's first fully electric vehicle.
"The first time I came across ADAM Audio gear was with the Swedish composer Jorgen Ellefson," Patrikios recalls. "Ellefson was Simon Cowell's right-hand man for many years, and at the time we were working with Il Divo, whom Simon had discovered back in 2003. And the monitors we used were the dual-woofer A77Xs. What fascinated me first about the system was its horizontal configuration, and as soon as I heard them, I was delighted with the clarity of their sound."
To better understand Patrikios's relationship with monitors, you first need to know his history of going back and forth mixing on headphones.
"I spent long stretches mixing with headphones on. I was always away traveling, from one place to another. It was unavoidable."
"The truth is that I've done thousands of mixes on high-end monitors, but the ADAMs were the first to give me a sense of confidence and satisfaction I'd never had before. I feel like I'm mixing better than ever now. Before, I was wrecking my ears from being exposed for so many hours on headphones. Now, after seven months with the A7Xs, I don't think I'll ever have to use them again."
"When people talk about ADAM Audio, they always highlight the detail and the smoothness of the highs in particular, which is completely true. But in my experience, I've found that the midrange is just as accurate, and the precision of the low end, specifically, is simply astonishing. I thought about adding a subwoofer, but I haven't needed one yet because the monitors give me everything I need."
The confidence Patrikios places in his monitors is essential to many of his projects. "I usually do trailers for action and adventure productions. So I rely a lot on exciting, daring sounds. Right now I'm working on one for a film that will be released in Japan, and the producers wanted that characteristic taiko drum sound, precise and with an epic feel. Well, I was able to get it at a medium-low volume, avoiding any kind of boom. And every time the client checks how the process is going... they throw their hands up in amazement!"
When Patrikios was named the person in charge of sound design for the Lotus Evija (a high-end electric car that, at the time, cost more than two million dollars), he knew it was also time to use the A7Xs, for their precision and capacity to produce.
"All high-end car makers are looking to awaken every sense of the future buyer-driver. They want to create an experience tied to the brand, and in it, audio plays a crucial role."
"Unlike other electric cars, Lotus didn't want to capture the classic sound of an engine starting up. They wanted something like a progression, something that built up gradually, and it needed to be unique and unmistakable. And so it was. From that point on, almost every company does something similar and plays the sound from the wheel arches."
"I used to work in the studio with the car's designer, Russell Carr, and I honestly felt proud when I listened on the monitors and he was blown away. They gave me everything I needed for the bass, the detail and even what I needed to capture the sound from the wheel arches. The result led Lotus to give me a 10-year contract for future projects."
Speaking of cars, Patrikios also says he uses ADAM Audio in his own. "I've always checked mixes while in the car, which is a pretty noisy sports car, and honestly it doesn't have the best stereo system. But now, when I listen to the mixes I've made on the A7Xs, it's mind-blowing, it's as if my car had a much better stereo than it actually does!"
"I'm not one of those people who fly the flag for a brand or piece of gear and give it all the credit for the work. Because, honestly, it had never happened to me. But now with ADAM Audio I've changed my mind. They've made me feel like more than just a producer!"
