Canadian producer and mix engineer Douglas Romanow has completed a 7.1.4 monitoring system in his Toronto studio for stereo and Dolby Atmos mixing. The room uses Focal monitors across the main, surround and overhead positions, with a Sub12 subwoofer supporting the low-frequency system.
Romanow selected Focal Twin6 ST6 monitors for the left, center and right channels. The studio’s surround and overhead positions use Solo6 ST6 monitors. The arrangement follows Romanow’s preference for keeping the monitoring character consistent throughout the immersive layout rather than changing monitor type between the front, sides and ceiling.
System layout
| Position or function | Focal equipment |
|---|---|
| Left, center and right | Twin6 ST6 monitors |
| Surrounds and overheads | Solo6 ST6 monitors |
| Low-frequency support | Sub12 subwoofer |
| Room format | 7.1.4 |
Romanow has worked across multiple genres for 35 years and previously produced 5.1 surround music for DVD-Audio releases in the late 1990s. He said the broader industry support for Atmos, together with Apple’s involvement, made the format’s direction clearer to him in 2017.
“It wasn’t until Atmos arrived in 2017, with enough industry support and a real push from Apple in particular, that it was clear Atmos would turn into something.”
His existing monitoring experience also influenced the equipment choice. Romanow said clients had responded positively to the studio’s earlier Focal 2.1 setup using Twin6 ST6 monitors and a Sub 12, and that the new room extended that approach into an immersive configuration. He also cited his familiarity with Focal’s crossovers and beryllium tweeters, including previous work on Focal SM9 monitors.
For installers and studio designers specifying immersive monitoring, the configuration illustrates a channel-by-channel approach centered on matching monitor families. Romanow said the same tweeter and response across the Twin6 ST6 and Solo6 ST6 allow Atmos objects to move from the front speakers to the overhead and side positions without an audible change in tonality, according to his assessment of the room.
- Format: 7.1.4 monitoring for stereo and Dolby Atmos mixing
- Front stage: three Twin6 ST6 monitors
- Surround and overhead channels: Solo6 ST6 monitors, with a Sub12 subwoofer
Romanow described transparency as the central goal of the monitoring system: the loudspeakers should support decisions about the music without drawing attention to themselves. He characterized the high-frequency presentation of the beryllium tweeters as easy to listen to, while emphasizing that this was not intended to add coloration or alter the program material.
