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Award-nominated producer, composer and mixing engineer James Hockley is no stranger to the high-stakes world of top-tier music production. With a career spanning over 20 years and credits ranging from pop giants like Chicane and Nitin Sawhney to the legendary William Orbit, James has built a reputation for genre-bending work and technical excellence. At the heart of his creative process is a dedicated home studio in Oxfordshire, a space where vintage character meets modern immersive technology.
Most recently, James put the ORIA through its paces on a high-profile project for Warner Music Group: mixing the Atmos reissue of The Levellers’ iconic album, Zeitgeist. Handling such a seminal record required a monitoring solution that stayed out of the way of the creative process, allowing James to focus on the immersive experience of the tracks.
A Setup Steeped in History
Stepping into James’s studio is like walking through a timeline of electronic music. The walls are lined with vintage synths, complemented by a large rack of classic samplers. To maintain the tactile precision these instruments require, he even keeps an Atari ST running Logic 2 and a Mac SE for Cubase, noting that their MIDI timing remains superior for hardware-based sequencing.
However, when it came to his Dolby Atmos system – originally spec’d by Dolby for his work on William Orbit’s The Painter – the technical “glue” holding the room together was proving to be a point of friction.
The Search for Simplicity
James’s previous setup revolved around an Avid MTRX Studio, but the workflow wasn’t as seamless as he needed. “It was a bit too much for my studio,” James explains. “I found it quite awkward to use when switching sample rates, and it never liked my ADCs; I would get clicks on the audio. I tried everything! Never got it sorted.”
Seeking a more intuitive solution that offered robust Atmos control and better software integration, James’s search ended when he discovered Audient’s ORIA. After a demo at Tileyard and a conversation with Richard from Dolby – who confirmed that ORIA was exactly what his system needed – the switch was made.
“Better Than I Thought” – Producer, James Hockley
The transition to ORIA was remarkably straightforward. “I just copied across the EQ settings from the MTRX to the ORIA – done!” James says. Since the install, the interface has become much more than just a replacement; it has fundamentally improved his daily workflow.
Key to this is the ease of use. “I love the auto-switching of sample rates!” James notes, adding that the built-in mixer allows him to hear outputs without even opening a DAW. A standout feature for his hardware-heavy room is the front-panel function button: “It means I can use all my hardware gear without even having my computer switched on. I just select the Mixer on the front”.
Immersive Workflow, Simplified
Integrating his vast synth collection into an Atmos environment is now a breeze. Utilising a custom Pro Tools template, James can position hardware gear in the Atmos space in real-time, even while being sequenced by his vintage Atari or Mac SE. “Then when I am happy with it, I just hit record and it all gets recorded and plays back in Atmos!”
Perhaps the most significant business advantage is the ability to run stereo and Atmos mixes simultaneously within the same template. “It’s an awesome thing to be able to offer: two mixes for the price of one!”
For James, ORIA has cleared the technical hurdles that once slowed him down. “The routing is so simple now; I don’t have to deal with virtual software patchbays anymore,” he concludes. “It’s better than I thought really… it’s enabled all of this to be possible.”
To learn more about James Hockley’s work, visit jameshockley.com or follow him on Instagram @james.hockley.producer