The Atmos studio at the Escuela de Música Contemporánea (EMC) has recently integrated Audient ORIA and EVO SP8 into its setup. It was sound and mastering engineer Fernando Richard who designed and installed the immersive audio system back in 2023, but according to him it was the 2025 acoustics and hardware upgrade that enabled the Buenos Aires education facility to “better accommodate students and the evolving demands of the industry.”
“ORIA is incredibly straightforward to set up” ~ Fernando Richard
Operating a hybrid setup, the studio uses two interfaces connected via ADAT to the Audient EVO SP8 Smart Preamp with AD/DA, providing a total of 24 input channels and 16 output channels. Another preamp rack is integrated through a patchbay. When it comes to Atmos mixing, Fernando uses ORIA with all outputs connected to a 7.1.4 Mackie speaker system. “This dual setup allows us to seamlessly switch between stereo and immersive formats, making it much more practical for educational purposes,” he says.
Fernando (pictured below) found setting up the ORIA a breeze. “Compared to other audio interfaces and monitoring systems, ORIA is incredibly straightforward to set up. Even someone with no prior knowledge of Atmos can get it up and running quickly. As an experienced installer, I found that it significantly reduced setup time.”
His experience is vast, having worked as a mixing and mastering engineer and taught music production for the last 26 years. Over the last eight years he’s transitioned from stereo to immersive audio format and was the first to install a Dolby Atmos approved music studio – Immersive Audio Solutions (IAS) – in Buenos Aires. He also mixed and mastered the first Spanish-language Atmos album released back in 2019.
“the software’s control & routing features eliminate the need for external solutions and complicated I/O configurations”
Fernando has had a lot of experience with ORIA already, having specified and installed the immersive audio interface and monitor controller from Audient in a number of studios across Argentina, including Punta Ballena Immersive Room in Puerto Pirámides, Chubut and Casa Frida Studio in Buenos Aires.
Describing what it is that makes sure Audient’s immersive interface stays on his spec list, Fernando explains, “ORIA stands out for its user-friendly design, seamless installation, and straightforward calibration. The integration with Sonarworks SoundID Reference makes the calibration process intuitive and easy, and the software’s control and routing features eliminate the need for external solutions and complicated I/O configurations.
“there are no unnecessary buttons, just what you need”
“Another great feature is that all outputs are labeled according to their corresponding speakers rather than generic numbers, making speaker setup and reconfiguration much faster and more efficient.” Even after ORIA is installed and the room calibrated, the system must continue to be user-friendly. “The hardware design is streamlined—there are no unnecessary buttons, just what you need. The build quality is impressive too, and the volume control knob feels precise and well-engineered,” he adds.
Since this most recent upgrade at EMC, they have been able to add a new Immersive Mixing course to the Music Production program, with the added bonus of being able to host guest speakers and workshops. Director Santiago Beer is in charge of many of the mixing and production courses under the Music Production umbrella and is responsible for the final thesis along with Academic Director Daniel Johansen. EMC´s General Director Marcelo Braga Saralegui and many other fine staff members are part of this educational project.
“I frequently recommend Audient interfaces to my students as their first choice for home studios”
According to Fernando, who delivers Production and Recording courses as well as looking after the Dolby Atmos technology, the academic year is just starting – and feedback is already positive. “The staff is very happy with the upgrades. The studio assistant was even able to install the EVO and ORIA without my help, which speaks to how intuitive the setup process is.”
The EVO SP8 replaced an old AD/DA converter, which was previously slaved to one of the other interfaces. “Now EVO SP8 provides 16 channels of optical I/O allowing seamless integration with additional audio interfaces,” he says, noting the additional benefit of “the word clock for synchronisation.”
ORIA and EVO SP8 join a number of other Audient products in the EMC music production department, including an iD44 and several iD14s. Fernando can’t fault them. “I’ve been testing and using Audient gear for years and have always been impressed by its build quality, ease of use and reliability. I frequently recommend Audient interfaces to my students as their first choice for home studios, as they are solid and trouble-free.”
“The goal [at EMC] is to give students hands-on experience with the latest technology so they graduate fully prepared for the industry”
The studios are available to students from both the Music Production and Professional Music programs. The room accommodates 20 students, with the speaker system designed to provide an optimal listening experience whilst maintaining a safe and functional space. “The school has nearly 600 students, so this upgrade is a major improvement for hands-on learning,” adds Fernando, underlining the importance of keeping abreast with technological advances. “We are always striving to keep our studio equipment at the cutting edge. The goal is to give students hands-on experience with the latest technology so they graduate fully prepared for the industry.”
Created in 2012, the Music Production major requires 34 courses to be completed for graduation over about four years, depending on entry level. A total of 65 have graduated in this program so far.
As part of the Berklee Global Partners collective, EMC is one of over 20 international institutions aligned by a common vision and mission. Students from any of these institutions can continue their studies at Berklee College of Music by using the Credit Transfer Agreement (CTA) which allows students to transfer courses taken at partner institutions. One of the favourite majors chosen is Music Production and Engineering.
When quizzed about the future of EMC’s Music Production department as a whole, Fernando says, “The lines between musicians, producers, and engineers are increasingly blurred—everyone needs to understand technology to succeed in the music business. We’ve seen consistent growth in Music Production enrolment over the years – today there are 150 students registered – and this upward trend continues. To meet this demand, we must stay at the forefront of audio technology, studio facilities and educational resources.”
Find out more about EMC by visiting the website or popping over to their Instagram. To see what Fernando is up to, check out his Instagram.
Click here for more information about local Argetina distributor Planeta Analogico or go directly to their ORIA page.
