ATC Monitors Mix The Ring Trilogy

ATC SCM20s make your Hobbits sound great

The principal recording venue this time around was once again CTS in London. The new CTS studio, a semi-permanent set-up in Watford Town Hall in the northwest suburbs of London, utilizes much of the company's equipment from its now defunct Wembley location. Although the studio owns ATC monitors it was decided to use Kurlander's personal system, not only at CTS but also on additional scoring sessions at AIR Lyndhurst and Abbey Road. "My three monitors traveled with us wherever we went," reports Kurlander. "I just used the sub and surrounds of whatever room we were in."

CTS owns a 5.1 ATC monitor system that includes three SCM150s for LCR, two SCM20s for surrounds and SCM 0.1/15 subwoofers, but for the "Two Towers" sessions, as with last year's "Fellowship" recordings, Kurlander says, it was decided to use his portable rig. "So many people needed to be in the control room that to conserve space we didn't install the CTS LCR system at all. My three monitors sat on the top of the desk: we had some special tables made for the AMS Neve Capricorn and my 20A's matched in really well with CTS' ATC surrounds and subs.

Kurlander began his career as an assistant engineer on the Beatles' "Abbey Road" album and worked at Abbey Road Studios for 29 years, eventually being appointed chief balance engineer for the legendary studio and chief classical engineer for EMI Records. Although Abbey Road favored other monitors, observes Kurlander, who relocated to Los Angeles eight years ago, he is a long-time fan of ATC speakers. "We'd had some ATC speakers [at Abbey Road] and I was quite impressed. The old CTS in Wembley had them and quite a few of the scoring stages here - Paramount and Todd AO - had them built-in."

As a result, Kurlander says he was anxious to get his hands on the active version of the SCM20 when it was first announced. "I remember saying to [ATC founder] Billy Woodman, as soon as they are released I'd be interested. When I did hear the actives I was completely sold on them. I think I probably got three of the first ones issued."

Kurlander was also concerned that directors and producers of big action movies like "Lord of the Rings" would demand to hear the score "very big and loud on a heavy duty system. But that hasn't turned out to be the case. Filmmakers realized it isn't just the theatrical experience but also DVD. If it sounds that good on a nearfield 5.1 system, and they know it is translating well onto the dub stage then they can relate to the music and its vital relationship with dialog and effects."

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is number nine on the all-time domestic gross list and number five worldwide. "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," the most highly anticipated release of the coming season, according to a Box Office Report poll, opens in theaters nationwide December 18th.

ATC's drivers are manufactured in-house to exacting tolerances and are legendary for their many design innovations, such as the company's renowned Soft Dome midrange driver, which achieves exceptionally broad and even dispersion to produce a flat response anywhere in the room. Situated in Aston Down in rural Gloucestershire, England, ATC was established in London in 1974 by acoustics engineer and musician Bill Woodman.

Distributed by Transamerica Audio Group