Carl Tatz is a leading studio designer who uses the revolutionary PhantomFocus System™ to help tune any speaker to any environment. The system utilizes a series of techniques and protocols to optimize the monitoring system with the environment. It ensures that a full and accurate frequency response is achieved and that the imaging is spread out perfectly in the sweetspot before the listener. It's a system that Foo Fighters engineer Elliot Scheiner has described as 'awesome'.
"Like all studio designers we have a recognizable signature look to our rooms," says Carl describing PFS. "We work in a lot of small home spaces so we try to make the rooms feel, look and perform larger than they are. When it comes to implementing a PhantomFocus System we suggest that our clients audition several monitors in their new room. Because of the very subjective nature of monitor preference we encourage an open mind during these shoot-outs."
Carl has recently completed several major installations in which the monitors of choice ended up being Dynaudio. Carl notes: "Some of the high profile designs we've done recently featuring Dynaudio monitors have included home recording studios for two of the members of super group, Rascal Flatts; the iconic Ryman Auditorium and Grand Old Opry control rooms in Nashville; and the World Wrestling Inc. studios"
Carl's PhantomFocus System works with any speaker and environment but there's no doubting that Dynaudio monitors appear to be a favourite.
"I am a big fan of Dynaudio monitors," he agrees, "and they are extremely impressive when used in our PhantomFocus System. Sometimes the client will already have the Dynaudios and sometimes they differ to my opinion and I will usually recommend Dynaudio for most applications. We have used the following Dynaudio monitors in our projects: BM6As, BM15s, BM15As, M1s, M3, M4+s, Air 15s."
"They image really well," Carl continues, " and they are very smooth and pleasant to listen to. They have great definition in the low end, are very detailed throughout the frequency spectrum and they look serious."
Carl then details how a set of BM6As fitted in one of the recent projects: "One of my favorite rooms is one of the studios of Rascal Flatt's Jay DeMarcus called the Cockpit. It's seven feet wide, nine feet deep and four feet high at the front wall where the ceiling slopes up to about seven feet. Using flush mounted Dynaudio BM6As the sweet spot is absolutely world class with a frequency response from 20Hz to 20kHz. This would be impossible to achieve by using only acoustic design and treatment and is very exciting!"
And it seems Dynaudio will feature in more high profile outings that Carl has planned. "We have just finished a Dual PhantomFocus System for WWE in Stamford using Dynaudio C4s and Yamaha NS10s that blew WWE engineer/producer Jim Johnston away. We are also currently working on a killer dedicated listening room for a client outside of Oak Ridge, Tennessee using Dynaudio M3s as part of a hybrid 9.1 system."