Gear

Neve Genesis Meets Dolby Atmos: Inside a Real-World ARC X Immersive Studio in Modena

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p7UrVQbbU4

We Went To ITALY! Atmos at Alby Studios in Modena with IK’s ARC X Immersive (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p7UrVQbbU4)

Hi everybody, hope you’re doing marvellously well.

We’re in Modena, Italy, and yes, I’m going to say it again, we’re in Italy. Incredible food, great coffee, and this time, an absolutely fascinating studio visit.

We’re at Alby Studio with Alex Bagnoli, who has just installed a Neve Genesis console alongside a full 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos monitoring system. Joining us is Davide from IK Multimedia, walking us through how the room works and, more importantly, why this setup matters for anyone looking to get into immersive mixing.

Because this is not a fantasy studio. This is a real-world solution.

A Real-World Dolby Atmos Setup That Actually Makes Sense

What immediately stands out is that this is a hybrid monitoring system.

ATC speakers for left and right
Genelec subwoofer
IK Multimedia ARC system tying everything together

This is how most of us work. We do not buy everything from one brand. We build systems over time. We keep what we trust and expand around it.

Alex Bagnoli has worked on ATCs for years, so instead of replacing them, he built the immersive system around them. That decision alone makes this setup incredibly relevant to modern studios.

What Is ARC X Immersive?

Announced April 23, 2026, ARC X Immersive is IK Multimedia’s latest update to its room correction technology, now supporting full immersive systems up to 9.1.6.

At its core, ARC X Immersive solves one of the biggest problems in Atmos mixing:

Getting multiple speakers to behave like one coherent system.

Instead of treating speakers individually, ARC X Immersive:

Measures the entire system
Aligns level, timing, and phase
Applies full-range room correction
Treats the room as a single 3D monitoring environment

Learn more here: https://www.ikmultimedia.com/arcximmersive

As IK Multimedia’s CTO Davide Barbi explains, all speakers must behave as a single 3D sound source.

That is the goal. And that is what this room demonstrates.

Why Calibration Is Everything in Dolby Atmos

Immersive audio only works when the system is properly calibrated. That means three critical elements:

1. Room Correction

Speaker placement is rarely ideal. Walls, corners, and consoles all affect frequency response.

2. Level Matching

Every speaker must play at the correct SPL relative to the others.

3. Time Alignment

All speakers must arrive at the listening position at exactly the same time.

Without this, Atmos falls apart. Objects smear, positioning becomes vague, and the entire experience collapses.

ARC X Immersive automates this entire process.

Fully Automated Immersive Calibration

Traditionally, immersive calibration is manual, slow, and inconsistent.

ARC X Immersive replaces that with a fully automated workflow, delivering:

Automated multichannel calibration
Precise level and time alignment
Full-range correction across all speakers
Integrated subwoofer management
Support up to 9.1.6
Hardware-based processing via iLoud monitors and ARC Studio

Even better, calibration is stored directly in the hardware. That means:

No plugins in your monitoring chain
No added latency
Works across any DAW or playback system

Explore IK’s monitoring ecosystem: https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/

Built for Real Studios, Not Perfect Rooms

Here’s the reality. Most rooms are compromised.

Speakers too close to walls
Corners boosting low end
Geometry that doesn’t match Dolby specs

Alby Studio is no exception.

However, ARC X Immersive compensates for these issues automatically. For example, a speaker placed in a corner might have excessive low end. Instead of forcing the speaker to work harder, the system removes the excess energy the room is already adding.

The result is a cleaner, louder, more controlled system.

What It Actually Sounds Like

Let’s get to the important part.

It sounds fantastic.

The biggest surprise was that it still sounded like ATCs. That is a good thing. There is a familiar mid-forward character, a bit of bite, something that grabs you.

I personally prefer that. I grew up on NS-10s and speakers that tell you the truth, not flatter everything.

Some immersive rooms feel overly soft or polite. This one does not. It feels honest and exciting at the same time.

And that is key.

Why ARC Doesn’t Over-Correct

One of the smartest aspects of ARC is what it doesn’t do.

It avoids over-correction.

No excessive phase manipulation
No ultra-narrow EQ fixes
No artificial flattening

Instead, it uses broader, more musical adjustments while preserving the natural character of the speakers.

That is why the room still feels like ATCs, just more accurate.

Speaker Placement in the Real World

In a perfect world, every speaker sits exactly where Dolby says it should.

In reality, that almost never happens.

Doors, furniture, consoles, and room shape all get in the way.

With ARC X Immersive, imperfect placement becomes manageable. The system aligns and compensates so the room behaves correctly, even when the layout is not ideal.

That is a massive win for working engineers.

Why Trust Matters in Immersive Mixing

This is the big takeaway.

If you do not trust your monitoring, you will not make creative decisions in immersive.

Most people still:

Mix in stereo
Use immersive for placement only

However when the system is properly calibrated, immersive becomes a true mixing environment, not just an add-on.

You can:

Make tonal decisions
Balance elements
Shape arrangements

With confidence.

How Atmos Mixing Is Evolving

Early Atmos mixes were often:

Softer
Darker
Less impactful than stereo

That is changing.

Better monitoring and better workflows are leading to more confident, more creative mixes. Engineers are using space as part of the arrangement, not just a gimmick.

Also worth noting, there is no traditional loudness war in Atmos. You simply turn it up. That changes how mixes are approached and how mastering is handled.