Immersive Audio Archives - Des Grey Mastering

Beyond Stereo: Why Dolby Atmos Music is a Game-Changer for South African Artists

For decades, music has lived in a stereo world. Two channels, left and right – a familiar soundstage we all know. But imagine stepping inside your music, where instruments aren’t just on either side of you, but above, behind, and all around. That’s the power of Dolby Atmos Music, and it’s rapidly redefining how audiences experience sound. For South African artists, this isn’t just a technical upgrade; it’s a massive opportunity to stand out, innovate, and connect with a global audience in a profoundly new way. What Exactly is Dolby Atmos Music? Think of traditional stereo as a flat painting. Dolby Atmos is like a sculpture you can walk around. Instead of mixing to fixed channels, engineers mix “audio objects” in a three-dimensional space. A kick drum isn’t just “left”; it can be placed precisely at the front-right-low. A vocal harmony can float above the listener. The result is an immersive sound experience that offers: Unprecedented Clarity: Each instrument and vocal has its own space, reducing sonic clutter. Deeper Immersion: Listeners feel like they are “in the music,” whether in a recording studio, a live concert, or a movie scene. Enhanced Emotional Impact: Spatial movement and depth can heighten the drama, intimacy, or energy of a track. The Shift: Why Now? Dolby Atmos Music isn’t a futuristic dream; it’s here now, and it’s becoming the new standard. Major streaming platforms like Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Tidal are heavily pushing Atmos content, offering higher royalties for spatial audio, and making it a prominent feature for their subscribers. This global push means: Access for Listeners: Millions of listeners already have Atmos-capable devices – from standard headphones with Spatial Audio processing to soundbars and home theater systems. Industry Demand: Labels and distributors are increasingly requesting Atmos mixes and masters to ensure artists are competitive on these platforms. How Dolby Atmos Empowers the South African Artist For artists in South Africa, embracing Dolby Atmos is more than just keeping up; it’s about leading: Stand Out from the Crowd: In a competitive global market, an Atmos release instantly elevates your perceived production value and offers a truly unique listening experience that stereo cannot match. Be among the first local artists to deliver your music in this captivating format. Elevate Your Storytelling: Imagine a Gqom track with percussive elements moving around the listener, or a soulful ballad where the backing vocals gently swell from above. Atmos allows for a more nuanced and impactful emotional narrative, giving your music new dimensions. Future-Proof Your Catalogue: As spatial audio becomes the norm, having your existing and new releases available in Atmos ensures your music remains relevant and continues to shine on future platforms and technologies. Global Reach & Discovery: Streaming platforms often feature and promote Atmos content, providing an additional avenue for discovery by international audiences hungry for innovative sound. This is your chance to showcase the richness of South African music in a revolutionary way. The Des Grey Mastering Difference in the Third Dimension Mastering for Dolby Atmos is an entirely different discipline from stereo. It’s not just louder or wider; it’s deeper, higher, and all-encompassing. It requires a dedicated, calibrated studio environment and a mastering engineer with a deep understanding of psychoacoustics and three-dimensional sound placement. At Des Grey Mastering, we are equipped with the specialized expertise and the calibrated studio environment to bring your music into the immersive world of Dolby Atmos. We ensure your Atmos master translates perfectly across all playback systems, retaining clarity, impact, and your unique artistic vision in this exciting new dimension. Don’t let your music be confined to a flat plane. Let Des Grey Mastering help you sculpt a sonic experience that truly surrounds your audience. About Des Grey: With over two decades in the music industry, Des Grey is a seasoned mastering engineer specialising in precision audio enhancement for artists, labels, and producers. Known for a meticulous ear and a passion for sonic excellence, Des offers multi genre mastering—from hip-hop and electronic to rock and jazz.  Credits: Worked with independent artists & major-label projects. View Credits Specialties: Dynamic range optimisation, loudness balancing, and streaming-ready formats. Philosophy: “Music Should Feel Good—enhancing the tone, respecting the artist intent.” Based in South Africa, Des Grey Mastering is committed to helping artists achieve professional, competitive sound for digital platforms, vinyl, and beyond. Recent Clients: Massh, Keinemusik, Black Motion, Mi Casa, Thando Zide, FiNE Music, Busiswa, Money Badoo, Solo, Charles Webster  Contact details below.

The Dolby Atmos Panel

DES GREY MASTERING World-Class Audio Mastering in South Africa. Stereo to Dolby Atmos. Hi, I’m Des. For nearly two decades, I’ve passionately honed the art of audio mastering, perfecting the tone and feel of your music so it doesn’t just sound good, it feels right. At Des Grey Mastering, we build a true partnership through clear communication and collaboration, ensuring your unique artistry shines through a professional, impactful sound. Let’s connect. WHAT WE DO Specialising in Stereo, Stem, Dolby Atmos, and Vinyl Mastering. Trusted by Artists Worldwide. Our Core Mastering Services: Stereo Mastering | Stem Mastering | Dolby Atmos Mastering | Vinyl Mastering | Audio Post-Production Beyond Mastering: Our Network & Oversight While specialising in mastering, we leverage our network of finest mixing engineers to oversee your entire production, ensuring top-notch quality and a seamless journey from mix to final master. ONLINE BOOKING World-Class Sound, Wherever You Are. Mastering with unparalleled convenience. Our online service includes: Multi-format exports | Alternate edits | Unlimited revisions | Apple Digital Masters | Fast turnaround Ready to get started? [CLICK HERE TO BOOK NOW] Simply choose your number of tracks, and you’ll be directed to our secure upload page after your order. It’s that easy! Prefer to chat first? Drop me a message on +27847202668 to discuss your project. OUR WORK Hear the Difference. SELECT ARTISTS I HAVE WORKED WITH MASSH. ADAM PORT. NINEA.KEINEMUSIK. MI CASA. BLACK MOTION. DESIREE. BUSISWA. MONEY BADOO. SOLO. PABLO BOLIVIA. SPICE DRUMS. DR DUDA. VOLARIS. CHARLES WEBSTER. AVNU. PHONIKZ. JUST MOVE RECORDS. XPRESSED RECORDS. MBALI NKOSI. KOHDA. AYANDA JIYA. RORISANG SECHELE. WENDY ECOBAR LISTEN TO OUR WORK Dolby Atmos Music is an exciting new format because it revolutionizes the way we experience music by introducing immersive, three-dimensional sound. Here’s why it’s generating so much excitement: ### 1. **Immersive Listening Experience** Dolby Atmos moves beyond traditional stereo or surround sound by placing audio elements in a 360-degree sound field. This creates a sense of depth, space, and movement, making listeners feel like they’re inside the music. ### 2. **Enhanced Creativity for Artists** Artists and producers can now place individual instruments, vocals, and effects in specific locations within the sound field. This opens up new creative possibilities, allowing for more expressive and dynamic mixes. ### 3. **Compatibility with Modern Devices** Dolby Atmos is supported on a wide range of devices, from high-end home theater systems to smartphones, tablets, and headphones. This accessibility ensures that listeners can enjoy immersive music anywhere. ### 4. **Future-Proofing Music** As streaming platforms like Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music adopt Dolby Atmos, it’s becoming a standard for modern music consumption. Artists who embrace this format are future-proofing their work for evolving listener expectations. ### 5. **Reimagining Classic Tracks** Dolby Atmos allows for remastering older songs in immersive audio, giving fans a fresh way to experience their favorite music. This breathes new life into classic tracks and albums. ### 6. **Live Concert Feel at Home** The spatial audio technology replicates the feeling of being at a live performance, with sounds coming from all directions. This creates a more engaging and emotional connection to the music. ### 7. **Growing Industry Support** Major artists, producers, and labels are adopting Dolby Atmos, driving its popularity and ensuring a growing library of Atmos-enabled music for listeners to explore. ### 8. **Personalized Listening** On headphones, Dolby Atmos uses head-tracking technology (in supported devices) to create a personalized, immersive experience that adapts as you move. ### 9. **Elevating Music Production Standards** The format encourages higher production standards, pushing engineers and producers to think creatively about spatial placement and sound design. ### 10. **A New Era of Music Consumption** Dolby Atmos represents a shift in how music is created and consumed, offering a more engaging and interactive experience that aligns with the expectations of today’s tech-savvy audiences. In summary, Dolby Atmos Music is exciting because it transforms passive listening into an immersive, multi-dimensional experience, empowering artists to innovate and giving listeners a deeper connection to the music they love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnX4pVrxqq0

10 of the best spatial audio tracks in Dolby Atmos on Apple Music

Want your music to engulf you? Get your ears around these immersive Dolby Atmos-powered tracks. By Becky Scarrott  @ WhatHifi Weaver of Dreams by Freddie Hubbard (1961)  At its core, jazz is the interplay between musicians – the way the players and instruments weave around each other in direct reaction to what is being served. Here, Hubbard’s iconic trumpet continually toys with our left ear while drum strokes underpin everything he’s got to say in our right. Expect blue note saxophones plus keys behind you and a melancholy bass over by the kit; you’re right in the middle of the action here. Want to close your eyes and pretend you’re onstage at Birdland in the mid-70s? Go right ahead. You’ll have to sort your own Manhattan though. Haule Haule by Sukhwinder Singh (2008)  As this slinky, tango-meets-Hindi Geet track evolves, voices, strings and an accordion surround you. If it feels like you’re being carried into the dance break of a raucous street party in a joyous Bollywood flick, good, because you are – the Hindi language song is part of the soundtrack to the Indian romantic comedy movie, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, composed by Salim–Sulaiman.  The message is uplifting (be patient, wait for love and good things will come), the time signatures are challenging, and for danceability as well as immersion, it’s a stone-cold 10. Drive by R.E.M. (1992) The lead single from R.E.M.’s eighth studio album Automatic For The People was apparently the first song Michael Stipe wrote on a computer, and it gets an emphatic new lease of life here.  The guitar in our left ear, the bass above our heads, Stipe wandering pensively around the studio and likely throwing a shape or two as the harmonica bursts in on our right; it’s a sad soundscape that now smacks even more of both David Essex’s Rock On and Queen’s musical stylings – both of which have been cited by the band as inspirations behind the song.  Fancy by Amaarae (2020)  If Amaarae’s tracks were paintings, they’d be abstract. The Ghanaian-American vocalist continues to paint whatever she likes here, bending the sonic format in a marvellous sugar-sweet creation.  As one of the pioneers of alté (the alternative new African music genre hailing from Nigeria) the track is underpinned by a DIY, lo-fi feel, but join CKay, Moliy and others and sit up in the star’s big fat caddy. Now, nod along to the trap beat and enjoy the incredibly immersive ride. Flight from the City by Jóhann Jóhansson (2016) Using Orpheus (the ancient Greek hero endowed with superhuman musical skills) as his muse, award-winning Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhansson takes us on a minimal, serene, but dynamically delightful flight that sees us aim for greatness and soar above the dystopian distortion below us, continually looking for the light.  As close as you can get to flying without leaving the ground, CGI visuals or hallucinogens. Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish (2017)  It’s nigh on impossible to believe that when Eilish first recorded this track from her bedroom, she was just 14. The vocal in this, her debut song (written and produced by her then 17-year-old brother) is mature, assured and yet ethereal in this re-recorded version. It’s almost unnerving as extra, layered voices come at you from all directions. Then, as the track progresses and vocal stylings surround you, a percussion loop joins in on your right side, almost within touching distance – but always just beyond reach as it, too, starts to circle. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds by The Beatles (1967)  A controversial one, this – you may hate it. The opening synth snakes between our ears in this remix, grazing our cerebellum en route. The rhythm guitar is more impactful on our left and the mix right before the chorus is altogether… different. The thing is, that’s just one of the beauties of spatial audio: extra pieces of information present themselves. Perhaps not all of them will be welcome, but it’s an eye-opener to learn that they were even there in the first place. Along with copious amounts of LSD. Clash by Dave and Stormzy (2021)  This London hip-hop track in immersive spatial audio is tough to top, in all honesty. The intro alone drops you several storeys down into the thumping heart of a brooding Brixton-meets-Croydon scene – and into the domain of two leviathans of UK music. Step inside their world: key samples, beat loops, treatments and most of all, their considered annunciation. It’s important. https://embed.music.apple.com/gb/album/clash/1575534808?i=1575534955 Die Walküre, Act III Ride of the Walkyries by Wagner (1851) Want to pretend you’re Ben Gernon, conducting the London Philharmonic at Abbey Road Studios? Here you go. Turn your head to the left and direct the strings. Then, face forward for the omnipresent horns. Flutes and oboes are in front of them, closest to you, and off to the right you need the double basses to hold everything in check. And cutting through this intense wall of sound there’s a triangle – don’t forget that or the whole thing will be ruined. Spatial audio gets it so very right here. Glorious.https://embed.music.apple.com/gb/album/die-walk%C3%BCre-act-iii-ride-of-the-walkyries/1569847170?i=1569847628 You Ain’t the Problem by Michael Kiwanuka (2019)  Kiwanuka told Apple Music, “‘You Ain’t the Problem is a celebration, me loving humans. We forget how amazing we are. Social media’s part of this – all these filters hiding things that we think people won’t like, things we think don’t quite fit in… I wanted to write a song saying, ‘You’re not the problem. You just have to continue being you more, go deeper within yourself.’ That’s where the magic comes – as opposed to cutting things away and trying to erode what really makes you.” And remember, this is the man who was asked to join Kanye West’s Yeezus sessions but snuck out silently, suffering from a nasty bout of impostor syndrome. Here, the track is opened out to expose Kiwanuka’s very soul. There’s space between the crowd and “la la la la la” hook to give the vocal extra room to shine, and the effect is remarkable.