NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 2009: Since opening Great City Productions in the Chelsea district of Manhattan in 2003, owner Britt Myers is constantly busy. Myers and Ian Stynes split – or rather double up – the role of chief engineer and tackle projects that range from indie rock records to TV spots with the support of an accomplished team of freelance engineers and composers. Until recently, Myers felt obligated, not only to work through the weekend but, to burn precious time testing mixes on every sound system he could get his hands on. But with the purchase of two Klein + Hummel 5.1 active monitoring systems, which translate beautifully, Myers has reduced his stress level.
Myers received a tip from mentor Harvey Goldberg, accomplished producer (Soft Cell, Ramones) and long-standing mix engineer for the Late Show with David Letterman. “He had been using the same monitors I was using for a long time and was elated after having made the switch to Klein + Hummels,” recounted Myers. “I was just on the cusp of upgrading studio A to surround sound and thought they might be worth checking out. They sounded nice, but pretty much what I expected from very high-end reference monitors – a lot of detail and a neutral, controlled sound.”
He recognized that the Klein + Hummels were a significant step up from what he was using and ordered three O 300s for left, center, and right along with two O 110s for the rears. To wow clients and, truth be told, for some convenience, Myers placed the middle O 300 on a motorized stand. It ducks out of the way for tracking but returns for mixing, all with no unsightly lifting or placing. “The translatability of these speakers is ultimately what was so impressive,” said Myers. “I used to run around like crazy listening to various stereo systems, never fully trusting a mix. But I find that with the Klein + Hummels, I don’t sweat it. I know that if I get it sounding good in the studio, it will sound good no matter where I take it.”
Great City Productions continues to bustle, and Myers placed a second 5.1 set of Klein + Hummel monitors around an SSL Duality in the facility’s new second studio. The new monitors have helped him and Stynes finish a host of projects in less time and with greater assurance. Great City Productions and the new speakers are responsible for the score mix for Spike Lee’s latest creation, “Passing Strange,” Chairlift’s critically-acclaimed “Does You Inspire You,” and the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim favorite “Superjail!” along with dozens of other projects.
KLEIN + HUMMEL Klein + Hummel is a Sennheiser Group company. For over 60 years, Klein + Hummel is revered in the professional audio industry for its advances in sound reinforcement combined with unparalleled quality and innovative solutions. Klein + Hummel products are distributed exclusively in the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean by Sennheiser Electronic Corporation, located in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
The Sennheiser Group is also proudly affiliated with Neumann (Technical Grammy(r) award-winner) and the joint venture Sennheiser Communications (technologically advanced headsets for PCs, offices and call centers).
PHOTO CAPTION Two Klein + Hummel 5.1 monitoring systems transparently detail the variety of mixes created by Ian Stynes (engineer) (left) and owner/engineer, Britt Myers of Manhattan’s Great City Productions. (PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Wright)
