An Inside Look at Sonic Days with Morten Lindberg

Introduction

Sonic Days, an annual gathering of audio professionals, offers a unique opportunity for learning and collaboration. This year, we had the pleasure of speaking with Morten Lindberg, a renowned recording engineer and music producer from Norway. Known for his innovative work and immersive recording techniques, Morten shared his experiences and insights with us, providing valuable lessons for audio enthusiasts at all levels.

A Day in the Life of Morten Lindberg at Sonic Days

Morten Lindberg’s visit to Denmark for Sonic Days was nothing short of engaging. He expressed his appreciation for the workshops, discussions, and interactions with colleagues and friends. One of the highlights was participating in an actual recording session. This session focused on solo piano and folk music, exploring the use of microphone arrays and their impact on immersive audio experiences. The goal was to understand better how to manipulate the acoustic space for a coherent listener experience.

Exploring Microphone Arrays

In his workshop, Morten emphasized the importance of microphone arrays in creating immersive acoustic environments. By setting the listener’s position, it’s possible to achieve a detailed sound imaging that aligns with the natural properties of the instruments. The session was not just theoretical; participants actively engaged with the instruments, understanding their radiating properties and frequency responses. Such hands-on learning is invaluable and highlights the educational essence of Sonic Days.

An Opportunity to Experiment and Learn

According to Morten, Sonic Days provides a rare opportunity to break free from the constraints typically faced in professional settings. Here, participants can experiment without the pressure of immediate results, which he believes is a critical component for learning. The event brought together students and seasoned professionals alike, creating a vibrant learning environment and nurturing the spirit of exploration.

The Echo Project: Bridging Global Talent

A part of Morten’s discussion focused on the Echo Project, a global initiative uniting engineers worldwide. This project aimed to test various microphone array styles and their interaction with compositional processes in prestigious venues like Air Studios. Over a year and a half in planning, the Echo Project culminated in a day-long session in Air Studios followed by evaluations at the W Theater in London. The project’s open-source nature is a significant asset, allowing anyone to access raw tracks, Pro Tools, Reaper sessions, and mixed ADM files. This freely available resource provides an unprecedented level of transparency and collaboration in audio recording.

Conclusion

Morten Lindberg’s participation in Sonic Days enriches the event’s tapestry, bringing invaluable insights into immersive audio recording. His experiences highlight the importance of collaboration, experimentation, and open-source resources in audio production. Sonic Days continues to be a hub of knowledge and innovation, fostering community, creativity, and shared learning among audio professionals worldwide. We eagerly anticipate what Morten and our community members will bring to future gatherings.


Stay tuned for more updates and insights into the fascinating world of sound at Sonic Days.