Los Angeles, CA – July 2009… Known for her exceptional vocal ability, bold approach to music videos, and her ever-changing image, multiple Grammy® Award winning singer/songwriter Christina Aguilera is one of the most successful recording artists of the decade, selling more than 42 million albums worldwide. Ms. Aguilera is, once again, in the studio—working on tracks for her next album. Aguilera’s personal studio is filled with a stunning assortment of world-class recording equipment and, like all artists, she and her creative staff rely on their reference monitors to make critical decisions about her recordings. To ensure that no detail is overlooked, Aguilera and her team look to Equator Audio Research for the accuracy so essential when making a high profile recording.
Recording engineer Oscar Ramirez is one of the key members of Ms. Aguilera’s creative team. Ramirez, who works primarily in the hip hop / R&B genre and has credits on two of Aguilera’s most well-known albums— Stripped and Back to Basics—equipped Aguilera’s studio with a pair of Equator Q15 studio reference monitors and two Q18S subwoofers.
Having spent the better part of the past eight months working with the Q Series monitor system, Ramirez has high praise for the equipment. “Ms. Aguilera’s forthcoming record spans a variety of musical styles,� said Ramirez, “so it was really important that our monitor system be equally capable of handling anything we send it, and that’s where the Equator system shines. Stereo imaging is amazing with the Equator setup—it’s wide and very defined. When you’re in the sweet spot, it’s as though the individual instruments are on stage right in front of you. The ability to hear subtle changes in positioning is one of the real strengths of this system. Also, the frequency response is excellent. It delivers a low end that is very natural with good definition, while the high end is crisp and clean without being harsh. This is an extremely musical monitoring system.�
Presently, Ramirez and the crew are recording tracks and, for this, he believes the Equator Audio Q15’s and Q18s subwoofers are the best possible choice. “The accuracy of the Q15’s is unparalleled, states Ramirez. “With these monitors, you hear exactly what you recorded, so it’s a great choice for deciding whether or not the track is a keeper. We tend to monitor pretty loudly when we’re tracking and, here too, the Equator Audio setup is right on the money. You can play them loud and they remain extremely accurate. Likewise, you can still hear the details at lower levels. Best of all, you can sit in front of these monitors for hours without experiencing ear fatigue.�
“The Q15’s sound great right out of the box,� Ramirez continued, “but when you calibrate your control room for the speakers using Equator Audio’s Secondary Reflection Correction™ (SRC) software, the system’s capability goes up yet another notch. This software is easy to use and it provides the ability to eliminate factors that could compromise a mix. Presently, I’ve created a preset where the sweet spot is a bit wider than it might otherwise be. This is extremely helpful as it enables me to have a bit more freedom to move as I work. Combined, the Equator Audio monitors and software let you mix with confidence. Everything I’ve listened to outside the studio translates really well to other systems, so decisions you make in the control room aren’t going to get lost on some other playback system.�
As he prepared for yet another session, Ramirez offered this final thought about the Equator Audio monitors, “This is an amazing system. It’s very musical throughout the entire frequency range, they get loud without compromising what you hear, and imaging is first rate. When you figure in the capabilities of the SRC software and the fact that the guy’s at Equator Audio are very knowledgeable and ready to help with any questions you might have, there’s little reason to look elsewhere.�
About the Equator Audio Research Q15, Q18S, and Room Analysis Software
The Q15 monitors are a digitally controlled 2-way active 15� woofer/compression driver horn system employing Equator Audio’s Zero-Point Reference coaxial design. They deliver 2400 watts of peak power and 121dB of SPL. Each monitor has an internal CPU which handles a host of tasks including matching the transducers, incorporating the system’s no-slope crossover and enabling networking and room compensation. The Q18 has a down firing 18-inch low frequency transducer with a 4-inch voice coil in a bass reflex enclosure that features a bell shaped base to aid in coupling with the room. It has 2000 watts of peak power and reproduces frequencies below 16 Hz. When networked, the automated software correctly determines the subwoofer’s location (or multiple locations if more than one is used). This ensures proper alignment between the satellites and sub, resulting in phase accurate bass reproduction.
Equator Audio’s Room Analysis Software
This software directs the Q Series’ digitally-controlled transducers to optimize the listening position. The software is an invaluable tool for engineers, producers, and others who find themselves working in different facilities, as it brings a level of consistency to the mix/monitor process.
About Equator Audio Research
Equator Audio Research is committed to delivering studio reference monitor solutions that overcome the myriad of challenges faced in today’s production environment. Audible obstacles such as comb-filtering from computer screens and consoles, standing waves, uneven first reflections, asymmetrical speaker placement, and poor low frequency diffusion can easily degrade the listening experience. Equator Audio Research designs products that overcome these challenges. Our products are used daily in mission-critical applications at many of the world’s finest recording studios. For additional information on all Equator Audio products, visit the company online at www.equatoraudio.com.
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