Aneek Thapar turns to the possibilities of Dolby Atmos with the Halo Upmix plug-in from Nugen Audio

Mixing and mastering engineer, and expert in multimedia productions, Aneek Thapar has begun tackling his projects with the Halo Upmix plug-in from Nugen Audio, which facilitates immersive mixing processes in environments Dolby Atmos.

Thapar, user of Nugen for years, he resorted to the tool Halo Upmix within the framework of the documentary Netflix Figo, for which he mixed the soundtrack composed by Rival Consoles. "The dubbing mixer on that project, Tristan Powell, used Halo Upmix to mix the stereo music tracks, and the result was fantastic. (...) I remember thinking: if it works well for them, then surely it works for me too," recalls the engineer, who has since extended this tool to the band's own 'Landscape from Memory' LP. Rival Consoles: "I had already mixed the stereo version, and when I started working on the Atmos mix, I needed a reliable way to mix the stereo tracks in a way that preserved the integrity of the original mix. That's where Halo Upmix came in. It worked just the way I wanted."

The engineer highlights among the benefits of the solution its user interface, functions such as exact downmix or the possibility of adjust the volume of each speaker independently. Likewise, "how well it adapts to the technical standards" of different platforms is key: "You don't want your submission to Atmos to be rejected. Halo Upmix gives me the peace of mind of knowing that what I deliver will meet those specifications."

Currently, Thapar is working on cinematographic works top-level, for which he assures that he will continue working on his immersive side with Nugen solutions: "These tools are not for amateurs, but for professionals who solve real audio problems. I discovered Nugen Audio solutions about ten years ago, while working with sound editor Micha Wabro. Even then I was impressed by the brand's measurement and volume tools, but it was when I moved into the Atmos space that Halo Upmix really represented a revolutionary change for me."