Sreejesh Nair, a Mumbai, India-based audio/mix engineer and pro audio solutions specialist for Avid, has chosen Nugen Audio’s Halo Upmix plug-in for stereo-to-5.1/7.1/9.1 upmixing.

Nair uses Halo to produce an immersive upmix on a broad range of cinema projects, including the soundtracks of well-known Bollywood titles.

He chose Halo Upmix after searching for an upmixing tool that could not only deliver surround output that sounds as close as possible to the original, but also allow him to work efficiently and save time.

With more than 250 film titles to his credit, Nair has served as a senior re-recording mixer for Rajkamal Studios (FutureWorks) in Mumbai, where he helped set up the world’s first Dolby Premier Atmos mix facility, in addition to his role at Avid. While most of his work has been on Bollywood movies, he has also worked as a version mixer for Hollywood releases from Warner, Disney, Paramount, and other studios.

"My colleagues and I first discovered Halo Upmix at IBC2015, and right away we could see that Halo is an extremely immersive tool,” said Nair. “I knew I had found the upmixing tool I was looking for when I heard the reverbs, pads, and instruments open up in a Halo-upmixed song to deliver a cohesive-sounding track."

Nair added, "One of the most valuable features of Halo is its ability to upmix to Dolby 7.1, and now, 9.1 surround formats. This format flexibility, and the control Halo gives me over the finished sound, is absolutely essential in my work. Rather than simply performing a full program upmix, I’m able to do things differently. Since Halo reacts differently based on the harmonic content for blending sounds, the movement in the surround space is very analogue and has an element of apparent randomness that I love."

In addition to Halo Upmix, Nair is a satisfied user of several other Nugen Audio tools — including the Seq-S equalizer, which allows him to apply a spectral mixing method, and the Monofilter and Stereoizer plugins. In combination with Halo, Nair can use these tools to create a sonic placement that is unique in texture and sound.

"With Halo, Sree has discovered new ways to mix and create soundscapes that are simply not possible using other methods,” remarked Jon Schorah, creative director at Nugen. “Halo enables engineers to break away from typical mix patterns to create a uniquely textured and nuanced result — and audiences are the real winners."

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