Based in Ludwigsburg, Bauer Studios is one of Germany's leading recording studios and has been a benchmark in the recording industry for more than 70 years. All the big names in German pop music have recorded here, such as Udo Jürgens, Reinhard Mey and Herbert Grönemeyer, to name just a few.
But so have international stars such as Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Miles Davis, Pat Metheny and Al Di Meola. And it isn't limited to mainstream musical styles. Bauer Studios has earned an excellent reputation, above all for its high-quality jazz recordings, among them the legendary live recording revered by jazz lovers around the world: Keith Jarrett's The Köln Concert.
The crown jewel of Bauer Studios has always been Studio 1, with its Neve analog console and its spacious 180-square-meter live room, a space large enough to accommodate orchestras and big bands. It also hosts the “Studio Konzert” series, which is recorded in front of a live audience onto 2-track analog tape and then released exclusively on vinyl through Bauer Studios' own record label.
Since 2017, Bauer Studios has been run by a new management duo, Bettina Bertók-Thumm and Michael Thumm
But the founders' philosophy remains unchanged. After all, Bauer Studios has always been characterized by its pioneering spirit. When Bauer Studios opened its doors in December 1948, it was the first private recording studio in Germany. In the late 1950s, Bauer Studios became a pioneer of stereophony. So it's no surprise that they are now devoted to exploring the possibilities of immersive sound.
“Traditionally, we're always looking to the future”, explains Michael Thumm, sound engineer and managing director. “What lies beyond stereo? What's next? We love exploring new facets, and I think that's why we're still going strong 70 years later”.
Converting a studio: a good opportunity to try immersive audio
The plan was to convert Studio 2, a room that was rarely used and somewhat outdated, into a space for film sound mixing. Or at least that was the original idea. Both Michael Thumm and his partner Bettina Bertók-Thumm had studied to become Tonmeisters (sound engineers) at the Konrad Wolf Film and Television School in Babelsberg (now a film university) in the city of Potsdam. So they were very familiar with multichannel formats, since film productions have long used surround sound and are now moving more and more into immersive audio formats.
In Michael Thumm's words: “We soon realized that building a studio in 2017 without considering the immersive format would be absurd. Bolting four more speakers to the ceiling didn't make a big difference. Since we wanted a film sound, we deliberately decided to go with Dolby Atmos, even though Auro 3D carried more weight in music productions at the time. We felt that Dolby's ties to the film industry would give it greater influence in the market. And that's exactly what is happening now. For example, Universal is mixing its entire catalog of classic titles in Dolby Atmos at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles”.
The newly redesigned Studio 2, optimized by Markus Bertram (of MB Akustik), therefore had to be equipped with a monitoring system compatible with surround formats as well as Dolby Atmos. When it came to choosing the speakers, the decision was quick, and Neumann studio monitors were chosen as the first option.
Maximum compatibility with Neumann monitors
“Actually, the decision to use Neumann had nothing to do with immersive sound”, explains Michael Thumm. The deciding factor was compatibility with other studios and with the listening experience of their sound engineers.
“Neumann monitors are installed in many TV mixing rooms, they're used at the university, and in many recording studios too. We talked to many fellow sound engineers before making our decision and asked them which studio monitors they knew and which they preferred. Personally, I like Neumann studio monitors because I've used them often and they've always given me very good results”.
“The sound engineers who work here with us at Bauer Studios also agreed on choosing Neumann monitors. Besides, we often rent our Studio 2 to outside sound engineers. That's why we were looking for speakers that everyone would feel comfortable using. Everyone knew Neumann monitors and they would often exclaim: ‘I have the small ones at home!’”
The uniform sound image offered by the KH range also plays an important role in the Studio 2 monitoring system, because several models are used: “Five KH 310s form the surround circle. If needed, we can add two more KH 310s for the 7.1 configuration. The subwoofer is a KH 870 and we use four KH 80 DSP monitors for the height channels. So we have a 5.1.4 or 7.1.4 configuration”.
New mixing and listening experiences
Among the first productions to use the new possibilities was “Wer 4 sind” (2019), a documentary marking the 30th anniversary of German rap pioneers Die Fantastischen Vier. “The post-production was originally done in Dolby Atmos. In the music industry there are some offers, but not much demand, for now”.
The reason, of course, is partly the coronavirus pandemic, since many productions could not go ahead. But instead of sinking into depression, Bauer Studios decided to use the time wisely
In Michael Thumm's words: “For the eight sound engineers employed at Bauer Studios, it was an opportunity to gain experience in immersive audio. So all the sound engineers remixed their productions in Dolby Atmos. We got familiar with the format, presented our recordings to each other, discussed our work and had fun trying to figure out everything we could do and whether it was of any use. We tried several different approaches and workflows”.
The result is Freiheitsgrade (Degrees of Freedom), a compilation of Bauer Studios productions remixed in Dolby Atmos. The musical repertoire ranges from big band jazz and modern jazz to funk, pop and folk. Unlike other immersive productions, this work focuses mainly on acoustic music.
“It's very rewarding to hear a grand sound, like that of big bands, in immersive audio, to feel the energy flowing through the room, even for people who prefer other kinds of music”, says an enthusiastic Michael Thumm
He sums up his view of mixing in these words: “Like every sound engineer, I like to experiment. You have to ask yourself: what possibilities does this format offer? Or: what can I do to improve this musical composition? You also mustn't lose sight of the listeners; for example, they should be able to notice that there are ceiling speakers”.
“When I'm not doing film mixes, I can give listeners the chance to place themselves in the middle of the band. The space created makes the mixing process much easier, since I don't have to use as much EQ and compression to fit the music between two speakers. With immersive sound I can build the arrangement much more precisely and present it to the listener more transparently. I really enjoy exploring all the possibilities this field offers”.
Of course, the result is also a delight for listeners. Freiheitsgrade has been available since mid-September 2021 on the streaming services Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon Music.
