Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brad Smalling. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Brad, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Evergroove Studio has always been proactive with business development. So when I first heard Atmos (Dolby’s new immersive format for music and film) at NAMM 2020, I knew something was up; something that we would want to pay attention to. Soon after NAMM COVID hit, the world shut down, and while our business slowed, it never really stopped. This extra time allowed me to do a bit more research into Atmos and see if it’d be a good fit for our studio.

It was during one of many discussions with my team about adopting the format that we realized—had we already been Atmos capable, we would have been able to pivot and pick up some post-production projects for TV/Film. This realization was the catalyst we needed to get the ball rolling. I immediately started a plan to make Evergroove Studio a Dolby approved studio for mastering and mixing in Atmos.

Adopting new technology is always a risk, and as I was building the budget to install Atmos, we soon discovered that doing this the right way was going to cost more than we anticipated – but we kept at it. Something in our gut told us this was the right thing to do.

It was during this planning phase that we had the opportunity to record J Balvin. The Latin superstar was vacationing in Colorado and needed to track vocals for two upcoming singles, “In da Getto” and “Ma’ G.” Shortly after his session, we read an article about Apple’s Spatial Audio (which is the name Apple uses for Dolby Atmos). In this article, J Balvin (as well as others) gave a glowing endorsement of the format. With an endorsement like that, we knew we were doing the right thing.

Pursuing Dolby approval meant meeting their rigorous standards, and we worked directly with Dolby to make sure that our Atmos room would exceed their expectations. Once we had a plan that worked, we started buying the necessary equipment for the installation. This led to a collaboration with Focal Professional as well as PMT Audio, and we are proud to be one of Focal’s premier Atmos rooms.

Soon after we began ordering the equipment, Apple and Dolby made a huge announcement. They were committed to releasing as much music as possible in this new immersive format. This announcement was a game changer for us and for the industry. We now knew we had made the right decision.

Evergroove Studio isn’t your average studio. Designed by Wes Lachot, Evergroove features soffit mounted monitors and purpose built acoustic treatment to ensure that the Control Room is as neutral as possible. Maintaining Wes’ design and aesthetic meant the installation was much more than simply adding speakers. We needed to completely disassemble the control room and open up the front wall. Retrofitting for Atmos was, honestly, grueling. To keep the budget in check, we did the work ourselves, and there were many times when we felt we were in over our heads. We stuck with it and, upon completion, we had a one-of-a-kind system that rivals some of the top studios in the world.

And the risk has paid off…

Being able to produce, master, and mix for Dolby Atmos has opened up conversations with industry leaders that would have been incredibly difficult to have otherwise. By taking the risk and differentiating ourselves, our business is growing faster than ever and we are taking on some very exciting projects with “A list” artists and labels.

For us, becoming a Dolby approved Atmos studio isn’t simply opening doors – it’s kicking down walls.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Evergroove Studio was started to provide affordable mastering, mixing, and recording services to local artists. 16 years later, we have become more than that. We’ve become an asset and ally to artists from around the world. Artists that come here aren’t looking for a recording studio – they are looking to do something different. Now that we offer Dolby Atmos mastering and mixing, we can help them truly realize their dreams and present their music as they intend, without limitations.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There may not be a lesson to unlearn, per se, but I can tell you that learning to not worry about what other businesses in my industry are doing, or how well they are doing, made a huge difference. The same can be said about clientele. Worrying about them not choosing us as a trusted partner in their musical journey and feeling like that meant the “end of the world” for our business only caused mental blocks. It took a long time for me to realize and accept that we cannot be everything to everyone.

During a recent session, an artist told me that they had decided to work with us – no matter how long the wait. That it was important to them to work with us – not just book a studio – but to book with us. That was incredibly empowering and really helped me change my perspective. That “letting go” has removed so many mental blocks, which allows us to focus on moving forward.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Starting, growing, and maintaining a business in the audio industry is incredibly difficult. Competition is very high, and budgets are lower than they’ve ever been. Regardless of these facts, I think our success can be attributed to perseverance and consistency in quality. We’ve also said “yes” to any project that made sense, but it had to make sense for us and the artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://evergroove.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evergroove
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evergroove/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/evergroove
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/evergroove
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Evergroove
• Other: https://dolbyatmosmixing.com https://dolbyatmosmastering.com

Image Credits
Photos: Ethan Kotel and Brad Smalling