Los Angeles, CA (April 7, 2022)―After studying film scoring at the University of California, Berkley, audio engineer Soya Soo worked his way up to mixing at Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions, where he has been working since 2015. It’s a role that requires him to be multifaceted, as evidenced by the fact his most recent work ranged from an upcoming sci-fi action film to the second season of Apple+ TV series SEE, starring Jason Momoa.
In recent times, he’s been turning to Nugen Audio’s Stereoizer tool to work on modern film scores that incorporate synthesized audio via a computer program, which he says is becoming increasingly popular as it adds more interest to the music. However, those synthesized components offer a challenge to audio engineers seeking to blend computer programmed tracks more seamlessly with a live orchestral recording.
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Such was the case with his work on the sci-fi action film, composed by Lorne Balfe, for which he received the orchestral recording as well as several synthesized tracks representative of the action film. “When we mix the music in 5.1 or 7.1, we have the opportunity to put certain elements in different places, but I’m always wondering how I can do it better,” Soo says. “Using Stereoizer helps me make the mix sound wider so that the listener feels that same sense of space and dimension. It’s my go-to plug-in. I love that it is a frequency-based plug-in so I can keep the low-end frequency in a good place without destroying it and then just focus on the high-end frequency to make the track more exciting.”
Soo also uses Nugen’s Halo Upmix, which he recently called on for SEE. “Upmix lets us fully utilize the 5.1 surround sound space, which is important because it doesn’t alter what the composers provide,” he says. “I love that once you incorporate Upmix into your workflow, you can have a better sense of the audio’s width when observing the stereo imagery.”
