Justin Gariano Crafts Hits at TreeHaus Recording with JBL 7 Series Monitors

Producer Justin Gariano relies on JBL 708P Master Reference Monitors and LSR6312SP subwoofers for sound he can trust at TreeHaus Recording

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Producer Justin Gariano relies on JBL 708P monitors and LSR6312SP subwoofers for accurate sound when working clients big and small at his studio, TreeHaus recording.

Justin Gariano is a musician, recording engineer and one half of the production duo Heartbeats, which he started with fellow engineer and drummer Dusty Schaller. As Heartbeats, Gariano and Schaller work with high-profile artists like Reignwolf, Evanescence, Evaride and Toto, in addition to developing up-and-coming talent. In 2013, the duo built TreeHaus Recording, their home base in the scenic L.A. neighborhood of Woodland Hills. In addition to full-service recording, mixing and editing, TreeHaus offers podcast recording services, live playback production and educational recording workshops. According to Gariano, the control room at TreeHaus has a fantastic sound and vibe, but since it’s not a 100% acoustically-optimized space, having extremely accurate monitors in the studio is critical.

“It’s 17 by 22 feet, so it’s a fairly large room, and it has vaulted ceilings,” said Gariano. “It’s not professionally built, so it’s not like we contracted out some acoustics company to come in to design, build and trap the room. We did that mostly ourselves, but my partner and I have a pretty deep knowledge of how that works. It’s not a bad-sounding room at all, it’s actually very good-sounding, it’s just not a pro-designed room. So that’s why speaker selection was really important for us.”

To get the most accurate sound possible in TreeHaus’ control room, Gariano selected JBL 708P Master Reference Monitors. The 708P’s bi-amplified design combines an eight-inch 728G low-frequency transducer and a 2409H high-frequency compression driver for smooth, linear frequency response over an impressive 35 Hz – 36 kHz range. JBL’s proprietary Image Control Waveguide ensures an extra-wide sweet spot with consistent frequency response on- and off-axis.

“I’ve been using JBL speakers for a long time, so it was a sound that I was familiar with,” said Gariano. “Prior to having the 708P’s, I had the LSR series. I always trusted that they translated great, and it’s what I came up on. So, when they gave me the opportunity to try out the 708P’s, it wasn’t a huge leap for me because I already kind of knew that. And so the people at HARMAN they sent the team that designed the speakers over to my studio, and they set them up with a pair of the 6312 subs.”

Two JBL LSR6312SP subwoofers fill out the low-end at TreeHaus, complimenting the 708P’s and delivering true full-range sound. The unit’s 12-inch Differential Drive low-frequency transducer provides extended bass response, augmented by the Linear Dynamics Aperture bass port, which reduces air turbulence and compression for a smoother sound. The LSR6312SP’s high-density baffle and stable inertial ground gives it low resonance characteristics, making for a tight, controlled response.

“The thing I like about them is that their transient response is really fast, so I don’t have any sort of bass overhang in my room, which is something that a lot of speakers and a lot of subwoofers have a problem with,” said Gariano. “So basically, a note goes off, sound comes through, and then the speaker has to stop vibrating. And they’re really fast on that. You don’t get these overhanging notes, and you don’t get that subby, tubby thing hanging over the rest of the music. It’s super tight and super fast.”

Using the built-in equalization DSP on the 708P’s and the RMC Calibration Kit included with the LSR6312SP, HARMAN technicians precisely tuned TreeHaus’ new monitoring system to achieve the flattest, most accurate sound possible. As a result, Gariano can confidently trust what he hears when mixing, allowing his productions to translate beautifully outside of his studio.

“These guys really know what they’re doing and it turned out great,” said Gariano. “For a good hour they were just moving the speakers around behind the console to get the exact width and how far off the back wall they’re going to be and where exactly they’re going to sit in the angle. And then they started tuning from there, and they sat there for hours and hours just tuning, making sure they were perfect by ear. Note by note, octave by octave until they were just perfect, and it sounds great. My work’s better because of it. I love them and I can’t work without them.”

ABOUT HARMAN

HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

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