Carl Tatz is a GRAMMY-nominated engineer/producer and an award-winning studio designer. He’s also the creator of the acclaimed PhantomFocus System monitor tuning protocol that has revolutionized the control rooms of engineer/producers across the country. His techniques render unprecedented performance and imaging with full frequency accuracy using any brand of monitors. This makes Carl the perfect guest to talk about how to get the most from any audio system by using the right measurement tools.

“I use the M30 because of its value, reputation and performance. With it, we have the tools to render the finest monitoring systems in the world.” – Carl Tatz

Carl — you’re famous for saying that great speakers in a great room do not equal great monitoring. Could you go into more depth as to what that means?
‍It’s virtually impossible, and at the very least impractical — without perhaps hiring NASA — to create a take-your-breath-away sweet spot relying on acoustic treatment alone. To create the sweet spot, you have to consider the relationship between the speaker, the listener and the room. I call that the Acoustic Trinity™. And that relationship must be addressed as a single entity as if it were a new speaker on a lab test bench.

How critical to the total overall picture is the gear used in the recording process?
It’s critical, but more importantly knowing how to use it. There’s tons of new gear out there now and very little of it isn’t at least good.

What led you to pick up the M30 measurement microphone?
Value, reputation and performance.

What role does the M30 play in tuning PhantomFocus monitor systems?
A crucial one. Paired with our SMAART analyzing software and Ashly Audio-built  PhantomFocus Processor, we trust that we have the tools to render the finest monitoring systems in the world. 

In your line of work, why does having the highest quality measurement tools matter?
Second to my ears and experience, the M30 is relied on to tell us the truth about what is happening frequency-wise with our monitor systems.

What’s something about your work that would surprise someone who doesn’t work in the same space?
Monitors cannot be tuned by acoustic treatment alone although it is extremely important.