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An iconic Spanish recording studio has expanded its recording arsenal with a pair of Genelec The Ones 8361 three-way coaxial monitors.
La Casamurada is a residential studio that has built its reputation on delivering a unique experience for artists. It draws on all the acoustic benefits of its historic location — in the former wine cellar at the base of a defensive tower in a 12th-century fortified farmhouse — while offering a thoroughly modern technical environment.
The studio is the brainchild of Jesús Rovira, bassist and composer for the legendary Catalan rock band Lax’ n’ Busto. In 2017, he decided that the acoustics made the cellar perfect for recording and set about creating a space that would give musicians everything they needed from a residential studio while respecting the original fabric of the building.
“We use the new 8361s for recording — their primary use — and mixing,” explains Rovira. “We’re delighted with their performance; in fact, all the engineers who have been in the studio since we purchased the 61s have been very pleased and have told me so in no uncertain terms! These new Genelec monitors tell you crystally clear what’s going on and how to resolve it in your recordings and mixes. The feeling of stereo and 3D depth is beautiful.”
Optimizing to room’s acoustics
To get the most out of its new system, La Casamurada also took advantage of the calibration capabilities of Genelec’s GLM loudspeaker manager software. To achieve the best results, Rovira worked with Roberto López from Audio-Technica, Genelec’s distributor in Spain, to optimize the monitors perfectly for the room’s acoustics. “The GLM software is very useful and adept at correcting flaws in the environment in which you are going to use it,” states Rovira.
“The acoustic treatment in the room is excellent, so once we’d analyzed the system’s performance with GLM, all that was required was some minor adjustment in the LF region below 100 Hz,” adds López. “Overall, the response is smooth and flat, and this combination of an excellent room and a great pair of monitors really does produce mixes you can trust. Jesús is planning to move the 8361s from the console meter bridge to floor stands, and then all that’s required is a simple re-calibration. The flexibility that GLM gives you makes life so easy!”
“I’m delighted with these monitors,” concludes Rovira. “In fact, I’ve already recommended them to quite a few people. Everything seems to indicate that it’s been a good investment.”
