Boom Box Post Focus On The Creative With Focusrite Red And RedNet
From Simple Beginnings To A World-Class Post-Production Facility
Boom Box Post is a boutique post-production sound studio in Burbank, California, that started as a commercial garage. Founded on a passion for design, the company offers everything from laser sound effects created with the newest synthesizer to setting up a microphone to custom-record a new vocal that sounds like a monster. Needless to say, Boom Box Post's sonic toolbox is deep. Their culture is founded on company-wide creativity and direct designer-to-client interaction, and they have worked for numerous major players including Disney, HBO Max, Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, and Netflix.
Readying For The Onslaught
When Jeff Shiffman and Kate Finan of Boom Box Post needed to equip their new facility, they approached Westlake Pro Design Services Group for help. They already had an idea of what they wanted but, as Jeff says, “This was our first project with Westlake Pro, and until now we've been able to feel our way through things ourselves, but we really needed the professionals on this job."
The original idea was a simple list of equipment, but this soon morphed into a much more complex setup. Designed to include three Atmos mix stages, three 5.1 surround sound suites, eight production suites, and a full host of client amenities, the new state-of-the-art facility achieved the remit to create a space that allowed clients to stay focused on the creative — the Boom Box Post motto. “We built three stages in the Dolby Atmos format so that when the time comes, we're ready for the onslaught of work." says Jeff.
Simplifying The Complex
Outfitting mix stages alone can be a heady, daunting task for most people. Configuring a room for Dolby Atmos adds an extra layer of complexity, and the need to ensure a streamlined workflow and perfect translation from stage to stage can complicate matters. Enter Focusrite Red 16Line, coupled with Avid S3, and tunable Crown DCi amplifiers as well as a Focusrite RedNet R1 in each mix stage.
“The Focusrite RedNet system is the backbone of our entire mix facility… We're able to switch between our 5.1, stereo, and Atmos mixes all right there in the controller."
— Jeff Shiffman, Owner, Boom Box Post
“One of the tenets of our studio is keeping things simple, which is why we love the Focusrite Red 16Line unit", says Jeff. “It gives you all sorts of outputs with a simple interface. We come from an age where it was normal to have a chassis hooked up to the computer with lots of cards and peripherals, and we were really excited about the fact that we could hook up one device with one cable and get everything we needed for Dolby Atmos,"
“The Focusrite RedNet system is the backbone of our entire mix facility. In each mix stage, we use the RedNet R1 as our monitor controller, which keeps things simple for us. We're able to switch between our 5.1, stereo, and Atmos mixes all right there in the controller."
Bringing It All Together
As well as the complexity of getting Boom Box Post's facility working perfectly, there was the additional complication of making it happen during a pandemic.
“One of the biggest challenges we faced when putting together this studio was that Covid-19 had just hit, which caused slowdowns across film and TV. Luckily, animation just forged through because much of our work was already happening remotely. There were tons of green lights, we had shows on top of shows, and on top of building a studio, we were constantly working on getting the content created and making sure it was Boom Box quality." says Finan.
“One of the tenets of our studio is keeping things simple, which is why we love the Focusrite Red 16Line unit… we could hook up one device with one cable and get everything we needed for Dolby Atmos."
— Jeff Shiffman, Owner, Boom Box Post
As construction came to an end, each mix stage was tuned identically, allowing the Boom Box Post team to have the maximum amount of flexibility working on their projects.
“It was really important for us that our three Atmos mix stages be designed specifically for television and streaming animation", Jeff commented. “So, we brought in an acoustician who helped us to design these rooms to be tuned the same so that we can move from stage to stage. Even if you're sitting in the back, you're getting a great listening experience here on our mix stages."
The End Result
When construction was completed, Boom Box Post was home to a bright, creative, visionary crew of sonic architects. Always dedicated to providing clients with a wide palette of colors and a one-on-one approach to every project, Boom Box Post became a top-of-the-line facility ready to bring life to animated productions big and small.
“We're about to celebrate our eighth anniversary here at Boom Box Post. With decades of industry experience between us, this new facility is the culmination of a dream that we had starting in this business", says Jeff.
