British producer, songwriter, musician and mix engineer Blue May has installed a pair of Genelec 8380A SAM three-way main monitors in his home studio in Los Angeles. The monitors give him a full-range reference system without a subwoofer, complementing a studio that combines vintage instruments and analog recording equipment with modern production tools.
Genelec, a Finnish manufacturer of professional audio monitoring systems, designed the 8380A for main monitoring in professional studios. May said he had relied on nearfield monitors but wanted one system to show him the full frequency spectrum across the range of music he works on. “The 8380As felt like they could provide that missing space in my setup,” he said.
Originally from London, May developed an interest in production as a teenager. Early influences included Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Al Green and David Bowie. Later, discovering Dr. Dre and Eminem introduced him to hip-hop and showed him how a producer could shape an entire musical landscape. His work now spans production, songwriting, performance, programming and mixing, with collaborators including Lily Allen, Kano, Joy Crookes, Suki Waterhouse, Ghetts and Jorja Smith.
May’s Beachwood Canyon studio reflects that breadth. It is filled with guitars, drums, keyboards and drum machines, alongside a vintage Neve BCM10 console, a 3M eight-track tape machine, microphones from Neumann, AKG and Sony and a selection of outboard equipment. An adjoining room serves as a vocal booth and overdub space. Depending on the project, May may record a full band to analog tape, build a track through contemporary programming or combine both approaches.
Blown away
After seeing and hearing the 8380A at The NAMM Show, May arranged an in-studio demonstration through professional audio retailer Vintage King. The monitors were installed and calibrated for the room using Genelec Loudspeaker Manager (GLM) software. “I was blown away immediately,” May said. “They did exactly what I hoped they would do. With modern music, you need a very clear understanding of the entire frequency spectrum. With the 8380As, everything comes from one source, so I don’t have to question the crossover between smaller monitors and a subwoofer or imagine what may be happening in certain parts of the spectrum. The whole picture is right there in front of me.”
GLM has also helped May adapt the system to a room that is not heavily treated. Although the studio has some acoustic treatment, it also has hard surfaces, a large collection of instruments and the furnishings of his mid-century home. May said he prefers the atmosphere of a residential creative space to the more controlled feel of a heavily treated studio.
“I like working in an environment that feels natural and inspiring,” he said. “The fact that monitors of this size can be calibrated to deliver such an accurate, solid response in a room that isn’t heavily treated is incredibly impressive. The 8380As are substantial monitors for this space, but they never feel overbearing.” May said the monitors remain balanced and detailed at moderate levels, while avoiding harshness when turned up. “They seem to maintain the same soundstage at virtually any volume,” he said. “That consistency allows me to work longer sessions without the monitors becoming tiring.”
Their broad listening area also supports collaborative sessions. “The sweet spot is remarkably wide,” May said. “I can move around the room and still hear a picture that feels very similar to what I hear when I’m sitting directly in front of them. That is a major benefit when artists, musicians and other producers are in the room.”
The 8380As have already been used on several recent projects, including work on a new album by British singer-songwriter Rita Ora and the completion of an album by British rapper Kano. They have also helped May revisit material begun elsewhere. After spending a month working at Criteria Studios in Miami, he returned to Los Angeles. He heard changes he wanted to make when he played the material through the Genelec monitors. “I immediately heard areas where I wanted to make changes,” he said. “Those decisions made a real difference. The monitors have given ongoing projects a new lease on life because I’m hearing details and relationships that I wasn’t hearing as clearly before.”
For May, a monitoring system needs to provide both accuracy and creative momentum. “Monitoring is the window into what you’re making,” he said. “You want the clearest possible picture, but the monitors also need to present music in a way that inspires you and makes you want to keep working. The 8380As give me both. They provide the full soundstage and accuracy I need to make confident decisions, while making the entire process more enjoyable. They make me want to work harder, stay in the room longer and keep creating.”
