PhantomFocus and ATC at Nashville’s Canyon Studios East

Don Miggs’ Canyon Studios East has recently renovated its facility featuring the PhantomFocus™ System (PFS) monitor tuning protocol and ATC monitors in both its A & B PhantomFocus MixRooms.

Studio B has a redesigned front wall to accommodate the soffit-mounted ATC SCM45A Pro monitors, while Studio A has a free-standing PFS/ATC SCM45A Pro system utilizing PhantomFocus Monitor Stands by Sound Anchors, both enhanced with a PFS implementation.

A refurbished Electodyne console with additional racks of gear and a spectacular dual-path stomp-box console array, new fabric, carpet, and a newly envisioned kitchenette and machine room, round out the facilitiy’s upgrades.

“We’re delighted to help Don enhance his already stunning MixRoom Studio™ that we originally designed for founding member of country super group Rascal Flatts, Jay DeMarcus over a decade ago. It’s always gratifying when you can over-deliver to a client and The PhantomFocus System is a silver bullet when it comes to that goal.

Although CTD is noted for it’s PFM line of near-field monitors, the larger ATC SCM45A Pro monitors are in a different class altogether and frankly, one of my favorite speakers to implement in a PhantomFocus System which can be quite breathtaking.” stated PhantomFocus MixRoom Studio designer, Carl Tatz.

Don Miggs, Canyon Studios East owner, producer, engineer, musician and artist shares:  “I loved my studio. I loved how it sounded. I was wrong. I couldn’t even imagine how much the audio performance could be enhanced until Carl installed his PhantomFocus System with my excellent existing ATC SCM45A Pro monitors.” Miggs continues, “What stands out about this system is its sheer transparency, it captures the source exactly as it is. The sound is remarkably clean, for lack of a better word, and it maintains that clarity whether I’m working at high or low volumes, which is crucial for me. I also notice significantly less ear fatigue, which isn’t always the case with other systems. Whatever Carlhas done here truly feels like a magic trick.

Mark Needham, a regular client and multi award-winning record producer and engineer who makes Canyon Studio B his second studio home in Nashville comments: “I want to sit down in front of my speakers and know that every choice I make is correct.  Carl Tatz’s PhantomFocus System with the ATC SCM45A Pro monitors gives me that confidence.”

Canyon Studios East long-time house engineer Nick Lane explains his PFS/ATC experience this way:  “I’ve loved working on ATCs for years but the PhantomFocus System has recently been a game changer at Canyon. All the neutral, revealing nature I’ve come to expect from ATC but now perfected for the room. It’s not like other room tuning software or hardware that drastically changes how the speakers sound, none of the “too pretty” or “too hyped” thing that engineers dread.

Everything just gets subtly more defined and more immersive. Getting sounds for the first time on the ATC SCM45A Pros with the PFS was the easiest it’s ever been in that space. Just crystal-clear audio that let’s me make engineering decisions instinctually instead of wondering how the room was impacting what I was hearing.”

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