London, UK (August 3, 2023)—UK-based postproduction house Fifty Fifty has opened a new location in London’s Soho neighborhood.
Designed and built in conjunction with HHB Communications’ postproduction division, Scrub, the suites are being used to service high-end scripted programming, feature documentary and factual documentary productions.
Gavin Allingham, head of audio at the independently owned Fifty Fifty, says creating audio environments that deliver a ‘wow’ factor was a consideration for the project. “The HHB team understood that there is an important balance between creating a good working space for the mixer and also a high-end viewing experience for clients,” he says. “Additionally, the decision making around the new rooms was thoughtful and forward thinking. This included implementing a Dante-based infrastructure that offers more flexibility as well as making it futureproof.”
London Studio Upgrades for Dolby Atmos Music Mixing
Alex Meade, operational managing director, adds, “The second room, while primarily a mixing suite, has all the equipment necessary to comfortably act as a Grade or Online. It was purposely built on the ground floor to make it fully accessible using specialist access consultants to help in the design of the space to create a multi-use suite.”
Both Dolby Atmos audio suites are equipped with monitors from PMC’s Ci range. “I had heard the PMCs in use before and thought they sounded amazing,” Allingham says. “The Ci range really suits rooms of our size and sound great even if you’re a little off axis, which is ideal when clients are attending a session and might not sit in the sweet spot. They have superb low end and excellent frequency response, which is obviously important for critical listening. The fact that they are fitted flush with the walls and ceilings is also a bonus, as it helps keep the rooms feeling spacious.”
Since opening the new suites, Fifty Fifty has completed several Dolby Atmos mixing projects. These include Dreamland, a scripted comedy made by Merman, for Sky Atlantic, and Capturing the Killer Nurse, a Sandpaper Films documentary for Netflix that accompanies the true story feature film, The Good Nurse, which tells the story of nurse and serial killer, Charles Cullen. Fifty Fifty has also been mixing live performances in Dolby Atmos, and recently completed a mix for a live comedy show where the format played a part in bringing the viewer into the event.
