Grammy Award-winning producer and mix engineer Rich Costey has spoken out about his experiences with ATC Monitoring.
Most recently, when he moved back to Los Angeles two years ago, Costey saw that ATC had recently added the ATC SCM45ASL Pro to its line of products, as has since been using it in his work.
“The ATC SCM45ASL Pros are really the perfect monitor,” he said. “The crossover is super smooth from top to bottom, and my mixes always translate perfectly.”
He even used the ATC SCM45ASL Pros to complete the new Haim album.
“It was a really interesting process because the band and the producer really reflected on the songs as the mixes developed,” he added. “Then they’d record new ideas and bring them in for additional mixing. The content changed while I mixed it! It was challenging, but also a ton of fun.” Costey also appreciates that his ATCs can really “crank” when needed without really affecting the sound of the mix. “That’s useful when I’m wearing my producer hat and want to really inspire the band,” he said. “The ATCs really hang together and present an honest picture at any volume.”
“I feel like everybody has different ears, and different monitors work for different people,” Costey said. “Monitor choice is deeply personal. As far as I’m concerned, I want something that is highly critical of the source material and something that translates reliably. The worst feeling is getting a good mix in the studio and hearing it fall apart in the car! Also, some monitors are more ‘fun’ than others, and I’ve never thought of ATC’s as particularly ‘fun.’ But that’s not why I use them. I use ATCs because they allow me to reliably work without having to second-guess my choices or go back to fix mistakes. ATCs make me more successful.”
