JBL studio monitors used on Lady Antebellum Grammy-winning album

The country pop band Lady Antebellum used JBL LSR6328P studio monitors on their Grammy-winning album, Own The Night.

Own The Night—their third album—was released in 2011 and won the “Country Album of the Year” Grammy award at the 54th Grammy Awards ceremony on February 12th 2012.

Much of their pure country pop sound is achieved thanks to the sound engineering of Clarke Schleicher. Schleicher is the Studio Services Director of Warner Music Nashville and both he and producer Paul Worley were credited for the Grammy award.

Schleicher has worked with the Lady Antebellum—who were formed in 2006 in Nashville—since their eponymously titled debut album in 2008.

The success of the trio (Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley) is largely due to their songwriting talent, exquisite vocal harmonies and top-class instrumental skill.

Nonetheless, in order for the recordings to reflect this talent Schleicher recognises the importance of his JBL monitors.

“The single most important tool recording engineers use is their monitors,” he explained. “The monitor has to be accurate at all SPL levels, louder as well as softer. It must have excellent stereo imaging at the center mixing position, yet also deliver an accurate sound field into the control room for the artists, producers and musicians to hear. I use the JBL LSR6328P because it does all those things perfectly—and more. I’d say its biggest advantage is its low-frequency presence, clarity and punch.”

Schleicher appears to be something of a JBL fan. As well as his set of JBL LSR6328P at the studio he also has a set at home and at Skyline Music Publishing with Worley with whom he has worked for over 25 years and who has produced every Lady Antebellum album.

Nonetheless, his passion for JBL loudspeakers goes further: “I’ve trusted JBL products for decades,” added Schleicher. “I also have a pair of JBL 4313B’s, 4410A’s and LSR6332’s in addition to the LSR6328P’s. I have collected many types of speakers for years and still have every pair I’ve ever purchased. No matter which brand I’ve tried, JBL speakers always seem to win.”

At the Warner Music studio Schleicher runs his LSR6328P speakers without subwoofers: “I don’t feel the need to [use subs]—at Warner Studios, I run them without subs and with the HF level at -1dB, and the tonal balance is just right”.

Naturally, with Schleicher’s career shot-through with JBL equipment, it is unsurprising that he uses the JBL LSR6328P for his projects outside Lady Antebellum. This includes his album work with Sara Evans, The Band Perry, The Randy Rogers Band and James Otto.

Schleicher’s choice of studio monitors regularly piques the interest of those he works with.

“The artists, record labels and musicians are always asking what kind of speakers I use, because they like them so much,” he added. “The head of one record label liked them so much he’s getting a pair for his office.”

The JBL LSR6328P is a linear spatial reference bi-amplified studio monitor. It has a frequency response of 50Hz to 20kHz (+1, -1.5 dB)