Re-recording Mixer Joe Barnett Relies on Powerful Plug-In For 5.1, 7.1 and Atmos Projects
LOS ANGELES – For the past 30 years, award-winning Re-recording Mixer Joe Barnett has worked on a wide variety of high-profile projects including American History X, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Crazy Heart, When in Rome, Chronicle, 2 Guns, Luke Cage, Daredevil and The OA. Among Barnett’s most recent credits is the Netflix hit Iron Fist, for which he relied on NUGEN Audio’s Halo Upmix for his surround sound mix.
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NUGEN Audio is integrated into every one of Barnett’s surround projects. “I love NUGEN’s Halo Upmix and use it every chance I get,” he says. “Often, my music elements are stereo and, since all our shows and movies are in either 5.1, 7.1 or Atmos, they require some method of spreading. I have tried most of the alternatives, and in my opinion, nothing beats Halo Upmix. Not only does it sound great, it is easy to use, has lots of helpful presets, has super low latency and its stereo compatibility is seemingly perfect. Halo Upmix doesn’t disappoint, ever. I also use NUGEN’s ISL2 limiter for LKFS adherence.”
In addition to his NUGEN plug-ins, Barnett’s “in the box” on-stage setup includes an Avid Pro Tools S6 control surface; with a range of plug-ins including FabFilter for EQ and dynamics, Audio Ease Indoor and Altiverb convolution reverb plug-ins, Exponential Audio PhoenixVerb and Avid ReVibe for reverb, iZotope RX7 audio correction software and Audio Ease’s Speakerphone playback solution.
Barnett likes to keep his mixes simple and to the point.
“I try not to over-complicate both my setup and mixing style,” he says. “The most important tool we have is our ears. A simple compressor, EQ and light de-essing will get you most of the way home. Too much processing just adds layers between the mixer and the tracks, which means constant attention and a lot more work if something goes astray. I strive to deliver clean, balanced, well-articulated mixes that support the artistic vision of the director or creative lead while being budget and time conscious. Our job is a juggling act between servicing the story, the tracks and, most critically, the client. NUGEN gives me the confidence to know I will produce an amazing result every time.”