Our MB1's Sound Awesome in Sounding Sweet's Flagship Studio
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Some relationships can last a lifetime and it would seem that Ed Walker’s love affair with his PMC MB1 monitors is a case in point.
“I bought them 12 years ago and they have now become such an important part of my studio that I would never part with them,” he says. “They are awesome and are literally the last thing I would sell.”
Ed, who owns UK-based recording and audio production facility Sounding Sweet, recently moved his entire company to a new six-studio premises that was designed by acoustic and design company The Studio People. Sounding Sweet specialise in video game audio production, offering sound design, technical implementation, field recording, Foley, ADR, voiceover recording and music to its customers who include AAA game developers, publishers and advertising agencies. Ed, who has 20 years’ experience in the audio industry, founded Sounding Sweet in 2011 and now employs five full time sound designers. The new studio complex, which opened in June, has facilities for recording, mixing and mastering in stereo, 7.1 and Dolby Atmos. They also have a crew van full of field recording equipment which is used to capture sound effects for games projects and for the company’s own sound effects library - Sweet SFX.
“We moved into our new studios near Chipping Campden in June and our main mix studio now houses the PMC MB1 monitors, which are soffit-mounted and sound absolutely fantastic,” Ed says. “We use them all the time and they never let us down. Considering they are 30 years old and were previously owned by a DJ who certainly put them through their paces, they are really remarkable. When I acquired them, PMC checked them over and made some minor repairs. They have always delivered exceptional clarity, and because of this I use them as my reference point, knowing that if something sounds good on the MB1s it will sound good anywhere.”
As is often the case with audio facilities that handle sound design for the games industry, Ed is not at liberty to discuss current projects. But he does say that an actor who once played a very famous Doctor was in the studio recently recording a voiceover – and that many other equally high-profile actors have passed through Sounding Sweet’s doors over the years.
“We are very close to Stratford upon Avon, which is, of course, the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company,” he explains. “Quite a few actors live in this area and once they discover Sounding Sweet, they often choose to work here because it is so convenient, and the facilities are of such a high standard.” Ed adds that The Studio People pulled out all the stops to ensure the new facility was first rate.
“I’m a difficult customer and I knew what I wanted, but they coped with everything I threw at them and were very helpful,” he says. “I’m delighted with the new studios, especially the main control room with the MB1s. Those monitors really are lifelong friends.”