PhantomFocus™ System Stuns at PotLuck Audio Conference (PotLuckCon)
Nashville, TN: Solid State Logic (SSL) hosted TEC Award-Winning studio designer Carl Tatz and the PhantomFocus™ System (PFS™) in their SSL demo suite featuring the AWS 924 console at the 2014 PotLuck Audio Conference at the fabulous El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort in Tucson, Arizona. Audio professionals from across the country gathered in this bucolic desert setting to take in the many expert panels, workshops and gear demonstrations presented at the annual event.
“We’re grateful to SSL and PotLuckCon principal Craig Shumacher for supporting our effort to bring the PhantomFocus System experience to those who may have heard or read about the system but have not had the opportunity to sit in its sweet spot. In this case, one listen takes the place of a thousand reviews,” comments Carl Tatz, principal of Carl Tatz Design and creator of the PhantomFocus System.
Among the distinguished attendees who had the chance to experience the PFS for the first time were engineer/producer Mike Caffrey; Mark Christensen, head mastering engineer and owner at NYC’s Engine Room Audio studios; PureWave Audio and Allusion Studios owner Jim Pavett; Vintage King Audio’s Alex Oana; FOX Sports Audio Consultant / Senior Mixer Fred Aldous; Jeff Harris, Technical Department Manager at the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS); and engineer Andrew Scheps. Here are a few of their comments:
“The sound coming out of the Phantom Focus system was astounding – especially coming out of such small monitors in a room that wasn’t acoustically designed. It was an enveloping listening experience and is what music should always sound like.” – Mike Caffrey.
“The imaging was very accurate, especially in the low end, and I heard distinct elements in the low end of a #1 single that I mastered last year that I had not heard before.” – Mark Christensen
“Although my listening time was limited, my experience was impressive, and I look forward to having the opportunity to spend more time with the PhantomFocus System in the future.” – Fred Aldous
“I had no previous biases one way or the other when I auditioned the PhantomFocus System. Listening was a very enjoyable experience. The bass frequencies, which usually are fighting room modes, were solid with no dips. Once you have a system dialed in like this, then your real journey of creating music begins behind the console. No more second-guessing, because all is true.” – Jim Pavett
Auralex Acoustics, Ashly Audio, NHT, and Dynaudio Professional generously provided the portable acoustic modules, proprietary PFS processor, proprietary PFS subwoofer system and near-field monitors, respectively. Also, Sound Anchors provided their new PhantomFocus™ Stand.
Photo Caption 1: Pictured L-R: SSL Vice President of Music Products Fadi Hayek; studio designer and PhantomFocus™ System creator Carl Tatz; and SSL U.S. Sales and Marketing Manager Marc DeGeorge, in the SSL casita featuring the SSL AWS 924 and the PhantomFocus™ System (PFS™) at PotLuckCon 2014.
Photo Caption 2: CRAS instructor Paul Richards experiencing the PhantomFocus™ System (PFS™) at the SSL casita during PotLuckCon.
Photo Caption 3: Poolside at the El Conquistador Resort, Tucson, Arizona.
