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New ‘Mixed On Focal’ Playlists Deliver Immersive Holiday And Classical Music

by December 10, 2024
Mixed on Focal

Mixed on Focal

Focal Naim America, the North American importer and distributor for both the Focal and Naim brands, has launched a series of “Mixed on Focal” playlists to show off music mixed on Focal Professional Series monitors. These monitors are used by some of the biggest names in the business. There are also collections of immersive music mastered on Focal gear. The playlists include detailed information for the curious audiophile, including the names of the engineers who worked on the tracks, and the models of speakers on which they mixed or mastered the music. The stereo playlists are available on Apple Music, Qobuz, Amazon Music HD, and TIDAL. Even Spotify users can get in on the fun — though until the arrival of Spotify’s long-awaited Hi-Fi tier, those of us seeking out the best sound quality will stick with one of the other services. The immersive playlists are offered on the streaming services that support Dolby Atmos or Sony 360 Reality Audio.

The latest additions to the immersive HD audio catalogue include instrumental Classical music selections and Holiday music mixed and/or mastered with Focal Pro monitors and Hi-Fi speakers. These playlists are available now in both the Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio formats, streamable via Apple Music and Amazon Music HD. According to Focal Naim America, the playlists are available for free on the the Mixed on Focal page.

With the advent of Atmos and Sony 360 sound formats, listeners can enjoy the experience of immersive music on their mobile devices and other playback systems. Our immersive playlists show off the incredible sound of Focal — especially on Focal headphones or speakers.

— Romain Vet, VP of Sales and Marketing at Focal Naim America

The “Mastered with Focal Immersive Vol. 2: Classical” playlist features instrumental tracks mastered by Marc Thériault of Montreal’s Le Lab Studios, and by Michael Romanowski of Coast Mastering in Berkeley, California. Musical ensembles featured on the playlist include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Orchestra, and a piano trio with Yo-yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, and Leonidas Kavakos. Compositions from Beethoven, John Williams, Mason Bates, and Hans Zimmer all feature.

Focal Playlists

The “Holiday Cheer Mixed & Mastered with Focal: Immersive Vol. 2” playlist is right up my alley. (Despite being Jewish and never having celebrated Christmas with my family, I absolutely and unapologetically  love Christmas music.) The list features the work of mix engineer Bobby Campbell and mastering engineers Marc Thériault and Michael Romanowski. A cappella nerds like myself will enjoy both the intricate choral-style arrangements performed by the San Francisco-based choir Chanticleer, and the auto-tuned pop a cappella performed by *NSYNC.  Luther Vandross delivers a heartfelt “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with a strong R&B vibe, while John Legend’s take on “The Christmas Song” is more classic in tone. Both are fantastic. The “Holiday Cheer” playlist also features music from Alicia Keys and Preston Pablo.

The Gear

All of this excellent music was mixed or mastered on Focal gear. Le Lab Mastering Studios in Montreal uses Focal Trio11, Trio6, and Solo6 professional monitors, while Coast Mastering in Berkeley uses Focal Stella Utopia EM and Utopia Diablo Evo Hi-Fi speakers. Bobby Campbell’s Denver Atmos Studio features Focal Trio11, Trio6, and Solo6 professional monitors.

Get the playlists by visiting the Focal Artists Experience website.

 

About the author:
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Jacob is a music-lover and audiophile who enjoys convincing his friends to buy audio gear that they can't afford. He's also a freelance writer and editor based in Los Angeles.

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