Immersive Talk with Sugar Immersive

Can you please introduce yourself, tell us your job title, and tell us a little bit about what you do, and how you ended up doing it?

My name is Donnie Scearce. I'm the owner of Sugar Immersive. Sugar Immersive is my spatial audio / mixing /producing suite located within the walls of Studio 101 located in Greenville, SC. I have been mixing and producing music for over 37 years. In 96 I moved from Salisbury, NC to Columbia, SC to work for Hootie and the Blowfish. During my run with Hootie I was co-owner in Gothic Studios and the guitarist for the Ultraviolets. I have always had the producer role in all of my musical ventures. That “producer mindset” pushed me to learn Pro Tools and other recording processes that I now implement in my Atmos mixing. I am currently the production manager / FOH for Corey Smith as well.

Can you tell us about your studio space? Where its located, any history of the building, the approximate size of the studio?

The studio is a purpose-built addition located inside of Studio 101. The room is 13’-9” by 11” with a 9’-6” ceiling.

Can you give an overview of the key equipment you use in the studio -consoles/DAW/processors/sound sources/signal distribution etc.?

I use a UAD x16 with an Apollo duo controller. The computer is a Mac mini with M2 Pro processing. I have a Neural DSP Quad Cortex for guitar and bass production and several different mic pros and comps available for vocal or acoustic tracking.

What type of work do you do in your studio?

I mostly do Atmos mixing for music but occasionally play guitar and bass on different productions as well. I also do stereo mixing as well.

How and when did you become interested in immersive audio?

I have been interested in the concepts since the early 90s when I experienced live concerts presented in surround.

What made you finally equip your studio for immersive, and can you describe how you did the upgrade? If you worked with any external people or had work done on the studio, can you provide some details?

Sugar Immersive was purpose built for Atmos mixing. We did the build and acoustic treatments all ourselves. Brad Phillips, the owner of Studio 101, trusted me completely to make it happen. He has been a super supportive guy and is a fantastic engineer himself.

Now that you are working in immersive, can you describe how you approach it, how it differs from stereo mixing, and what creative opportunities/challenges it presents?

I worked hard on building a solid template that works for my process. The Genelec system I installed made my work translate flawlessly.

Can you describe your Genelec monitoring system (format, models etc)? Can you tell us why you chose Genelec, and how the monitoring system helps you to work in immersive?

I have a 7.1.4 setup that utilizes 11 - 8330As and a 7370A subwoofer. All the horizontal plane speakers are bass managed through the sub and the ceiling speakers are full range. The SAM Loudspeaker Management works perfectly. I use the system microphone in real time to monitor my listening levels as well.

Did you use GLM (Genelec Loudspeaker Manager) to calibrate your system, and can you describe what difference that makes?

Yes, I use the SAM system. All my mixes translate perfectly.

Can you list some of the immersive projects you have worked on recently, and is your immersive room bringing you new business? Was it a good commercial decision?

Some of the artists I have mixed lately are Brian Kelly (Florida Georgia Line), Sir Locke Holmes (UMG), Kristy Wilkerson (Goldship Records), Emily Eskridge, Ashley Felton, and Corey Smith.

How do you see the future of immersive audio over the next few years?

I'm seeing a steady growth in public awareness from iPhone use. Hopefully the automotive industry will keep advancing along with the home audio sound bar company offerings. There are several good options out now for people to be able to experience Atmos at home that are not expensive and work wirelessly with fewer components.