Who are considered the best Atmos immersive audio mix engineers out there?

[J. PUPSTER]

Best being a relative term here, but I believe this forum gets what I'm getting at (perhaps top 10.) I was just pondering some of this today and decided to run it past Google's AI to see what it would come up with.

here are the results from the Google AI

Mills Logan
A Grammy award-winning immersive mix engineer who has mixed over 600 songs in Dolby Atmos at his Nashville studio.

Stan Kybert
A UK-based Atmos mixer who specializes in immersive music.

Andy Bradfield
A leading mix engineer who has shared lessons learned about Dolby Atmos.

Greg Wells
A Canadian super-producer who has created real-world Atmos content.

Mert Özcan
A Los Angeles-based recording and mix engineer who was among the first to explore Dolby Atmos music creation.

Leslie Mona-Mathus
A two-time Emmy award-winning audio mixer, sound designer, and producer who has also won multiple Clio and Promax awards, an Independent Music Award, and a Gold Record.

Nathaniel Reichman
A Grammy award-winning immersive mix engineer who worked on John Luther Adams' orchestral piece Become Ocean.

Richard Chycki
A multi-platinum mixer and engineer who has worked with clients such as Rush, Aerosmith, and Dream Theater.

*Seems there are a lot of holes in this list.

 

[JulesRules]

AI doesn't know anything, Exhibit no. 2112

 

[stoopid]

Steven Wilson, while not maybe 'the best' atmos engineer, should certainly be present on any top 10 list.

This is a good topic as I'm not familiar with many of the atmos engineers aside from the ones who were doing quad and 5.1 mixes prior.

 

[haikubass]

My free, vanilla ChatGPT app says:

Here are some of the best-known and respected Dolby Atmos mix engineers:

1. Giles Martin
Notable Work: Giles Martin is the son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin and has made a name for himself in his own right. He has worked on Dolby Atmos mixes for The Beatles' albums, including the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road anniversary editions. His approach to Atmos mixing has been praised for maintaining the integrity of the original recordings while enhancing them with immersive spatial audio.

2. Steve Genewick
Notable Work: A three-time Grammy-nominated engineer, Steve Genewick has worked extensively with Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. He has mixed in Dolby Atmos for artists like Frank Sinatra, Beck, and Bob Dylan. His work is known for its clarity and the ability to create an immersive experience without overwhelming the listener.

3. Richard Chycki
Notable Work: Richard Chycki is renowned for his work with rock bands such as Rush, Dream Theater, and Aerosmith. He has transitioned into immersive audio mixing and is known for bringing the dynamic energy of rock music into the Atmos format while preserving its power and intricacies.

4. Serban Ghenea
Notable Work: Serban Ghenea is a Grammy-winning mix engineer known for his work with major pop artists like Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and Justin Timberlake. He has increasingly moved into Atmos mixing, where his work is recognized for its balance, depth, and the way it enhances the listening experience without distracting from the artist’s intent.

5. Tom Elmhirst
Notable Work: A highly decorated mix engineer with multiple Grammy Awards to his name, Tom Elmhirst has worked with artists like Adele, David Bowie, and Beck. His Atmos mixes are praised for their spatial innovation and emotional impact.

6. Robert Margouleff
Notable Work: Robert Margouleff is an iconic figure in audio engineering, known for his work with Stevie Wonder and Devo. He has also been a pioneer in the field of immersive audio, including Dolby Atmos. His mixes are often cited for their creativity and forward-thinking use of spatial audio technology.

7. Mick Guzauski
Notable Work: A multi-Grammy Award-winning engineer, Mick Guzauski has mixed in Dolby Atmos for artists like Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, and Eric Clapton. His work in Atmos is known for its precision and musicality, enhancing the immersive experience while keeping the core of the music intact.

 

[SomethingAnything]

AI don't have no ears.

Anyone feel like attempting a list based on what humans think? The QQ surround engineers list doesn't distinguish between Atmos and 5.1. But maybe there's a thread elsewhere...

I'm no authority, but I'd put Steven Wilson at the top of that list. And Giles Martin and Bruce Soord somewhere in the top 10.

 

[stoopid]

AI don't have no ears.

Anyone feel like attempting a list based on what humans think? The QQ surround engineers list doesn't distinguish between Atmos and 5.1. But maybe there's a thread elsewhere...

I'm no authority, but I'd put Steven Wilson at the top of that list. And Giles Martin and Bruce Soord somewhere in the top 10.

I was thinking that using the polls on the site, taking an average of the ratings sorted by mixing engineer, would be as close to 'scientific' as we could probably get. But I'm not sure all the polls have the engineer(s) listed and how easy (or complete) this tabulation would be. The pool of atmos engineers is still small, I would think extending this to all surround formats would yield the better/more accurate results(?).

 

[ar surround]

1. Giles Martin
Notable Work: Giles Martin is the son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin and has made a name for himself in his own right. He has worked on Dolby Atmos mixes for The Beatles' albums, including the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road anniversary editions. His approach to Atmos mixing has been praised for maintaining the integrity of the original recordings while enhancing them with immersive spatial audio

That last sentence: That’s what upmixing does. While Giles’ mixes are way more sophisticated than upmixes, much of his mixing decisions are too conservative for my tastes. (Abbey Road excluded.) Then again, I do not have irate Beatles purists threatening to throw rocks through my windows or other nasty things.

 

[SomethingAnything]

I was thinking that using the polls on the site, taking an average of the ratings sorted by mixing engineer, would be as close to 'scientific' as we could probably get. But I'm not sure all the polls have the engineer(s) listed and how easy (or complete) this tabulation would be. The pool of atmos engineers is still small, I would think extending this to all surround formats would yield the better/more accurate results(?).

I agree, for something 'close to scientific', but even just a qualitative, subjective list in a thread would also probably be more accurate than AI. Or for someone to create a QQ poll based on a list of Atmos mixers (though some will of course say, 'but you forgot xxx'). Still, it would probably be better than a bunch of unknowns thrown up by AI.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

AI don't have no ears.

Anyone feel like attempting a list based on what humans think? The QQ surround engineers list doesn't distinguish between Atmos and 5.1. But maybe there's a thread elsewhere...

I'm no authority, but I'd put Steven Wilson at the top of that list. And Giles Martin and Bruce Soord somewhere in the top 10.

Yes, this thread is for us QQ member opinions on the best Atmos mixers. Steven Wilson being excluded from that AI’s list just shows they are lacking in knowledge of this subject.

I’m putting out the question, but I only have a non-Atmos 5.1 system. However I know there are plenty of knowledgeable opinions here on our forum about this subject. If not here with our large membership, then where?

 

[Dynamic Editor]

My free, vanilla ChatGPT app says:

Here are some of the best-known and respected Dolby Atmos mix engineers:

1. Giles Martin
Notable Work: Giles Martin is the son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin and has made a name for himself in his own right. He has worked on Dolby Atmos mixes for The Beatles' albums, including the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road anniversary editions. His approach to Atmos mixing has been praised for maintaining the integrity of the original recordings while enhancing them with immersive spatial audio.

2. Steve Genewick
Notable Work: A three-time Grammy-nominated engineer, Steve Genewick has worked extensively with Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. He has mixed in Dolby Atmos for artists like Frank Sinatra, Beck, and Bob Dylan. His work is known for its clarity and the ability to create an immersive experience without overwhelming the listener.

3. Richard Chycki
Notable Work: Richard Chycki is renowned for his work with rock bands such as Rush, Dream Theater, and Aerosmith. He has transitioned into immersive audio mixing and is known for bringing the dynamic energy of rock music into the Atmos format while preserving its power and intricacies.

4. Serban Ghenea
Notable Work: Serban Ghenea is a Grammy-winning mix engineer known for his work with major pop artists like Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and Justin Timberlake. He has increasingly moved into Atmos mixing, where his work is recognized for its balance, depth, and the way it enhances the listening experience without distracting from the artist’s intent.

5. Tom Elmhirst
Notable Work: A highly decorated mix engineer with multiple Grammy Awards to his name, Tom Elmhirst has worked with artists like Adele, David Bowie, and Beck. His Atmos mixes are praised for their spatial innovation and emotional impact.

6. Robert Margouleff
Notable Work: Robert Margouleff is an iconic figure in audio engineering, known for his work with Stevie Wonder and Devo. He has also been a pioneer in the field of immersive audio, including Dolby Atmos. His mixes are often cited for their creativity and forward-thinking use of spatial audio technology.

7. Mick Guzauski
Notable Work: A multi-Grammy Award-winning engineer, Mick Guzauski has mixed in Dolby Atmos for artists like Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, and Eric Clapton. His work in Atmos is known for its precision and musicality, enhancing the immersive experience while keeping the core of the music intact.

The way you wrote this all up made me think of of an Avengers-style teamup, and this scene especially:

 

[mikusguitarius]

Stephen W Tayler, Richard Whittaker and David Kosten all deserve to be in the Top 10.

 

[GilWave]

That last sentence: That’s what upmixing does. While Giles’ mixes are way more sophisticated than upmixes, much of his mixing decisions are too conservative for my tastes. (Abbey Road excluded.) Then again, I do not have irate Beatles purists threatening to throw rocks through my windows or other nasty things.

His Surround mixes on the deluxe Sgt Peppers set are unlistenable, IMHO. Lot's of mid-range squawk. The mono sounds better.

 

[GilWave]

Humans can be subjective - can AI?

Where are Steven Wilson, Chuck Ainlay, Bob Clearmountain?

 

[ar surround]

His Surround mixes on the deluxe Sgt Peppers set are unlistenable, IMHO. Lot's of mid-range squawk. The mono sounds better.

Did you try reducing the levels of the three front channels by 3 dB? That seems to help.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Stephen W Tayler, Richard Whittaker and David Kosten all deserve to be in the Top 10.

Has SWT even had an Atmos mix released yet?

 

[Sal1950]

One of the original surround engineers, Alan Parsons

 

[J. PUPSTER]

From what I’ve read on his style and thinking on mixing Atmos, the comments of QQ members’ opinions I respect and of course just the 5.1/7.1 core mixes I’ve heard; I like Ryan Ulyate for this list.

 

[jimfisheye]

The amazing thing about that "AI" generated list is just how well it nailed a really frustrating answer! Not accurate at all and not even including the most obvious choices. But not completely unheard of non sequitur answers where you could just dismiss it outright. Included a name associated with some of the worst 'novelty' surround remixes but it's not just a trolling list of all worst case choices either. It's a really fine thread woven through everything that would be hard to hit by the most experienced sarcastic internet troll. That's really a work of art!

 

[dquad]

Steven Wilson, while not maybe 'the best' atmos engineer, should certainly be present on any top 10 list.

This is a good topic as I'm not familiar with many of the atmos engineers aside from the ones who were doing quad and 5.1 mixes prior.

Who do you consider to be the best?

Steven Wilson gets my top spot.

 

[RuudMans]

Who do you consider to be the best?

Steven Wilson gets my top spot.

He would get mine too, if it wasn't for his annoying habit of ALWAYS mixing lead vocals isolated in the center of the soundstage. That really does no justice to multi lead vocal harmonies like with Yes and Gentle Giant in my ears. Other than that, his choices are generally tasteful and well executed. Just my modest opinion of course.