Genelec helps Molok Studios create Italy’s first Dolby Atmos gaming studio

Located in Milan, Molok Studios is a prominent multilingual game, movie and digital localisation and post-production company. When it came to creating its new premises, Molok observed the trend of games moving towards spatial audio environments, and decided to create two Genelec-powered 7.1.4 rooms – thereby becoming the first Dolby Atmos gaming studio in Italy. “We knew Atmos was going to be released and made available on PS5 and consoles, and we thought, ‘no one is taking advantage of this, so let’s make it happen!’” explains Andrea De Cunto, Molok’s CEO.

In need of a seamless monitoring solution compatible with Atmos, Genelec emerged as the obvious choice. Chief Audio Engineer Samuele Daccò spearheaded the project, ensuring the studio’s design was tailored to meet Atmos specifications to create a 7.1.4 system in Molok’s two control rooms. “Genelec was our first choice when we designed the rooms and we just needed to choose the models – and think about what would sound better for us and our needs,” he explains. “The translation works perfectly in our rooms.”

Genelec monitors have been a mainstay in Molok’s audio production, starting with the ultra-compact 8010 nearfield model. “I first encountered Genelec monitors when I started engineering in 2018 – and in a lot of studios I’ve worked in, there’s usually the 8010,” notes Daccò. “They’re very popular in Italy – it’s hard not to spot them!”

The newly built studio complex comprises six recording rooms and the two immersive control rooms – Scorpion and Sub Zero – which take their names from Mortal Kombat characters and have an identical Atmos design, but with inverted colour schemes.

For their new control rooms, Molok turned to a 7.1.4 Genelec Smart Active Monitoring solution. Both Scorpion and Sub Zero feature three coaxial three-way 8351s in the L-C-R positions, with 8340 two-ways deployed for the surround and height channels and a 7380 subwoofer to handle the low frequencies.

“Molok’s twin spaces have asymmetrical colours and identical acoustic and technological performance,” says Cecilia Torracchi, Acoustic and Civil Engineer and partner at Studio Sound Service who worked closely with Molok on the design of the studios. “We were happy to know that the initial choice was Genelec because we know the products very well. We’d already designed many Dolby Atmos rooms with Genelec and the results have always been excellent.”

Transitioning to 7.1.4 systems has transformed the audio production approach, enabling the studio to offer immersive experiences that could be accurately translated across various playback systems. “It’s so cool to work with Atmos – and by integrating Genelec, it creates a whole new world for us,” adds Daccò. “The end user’s game experience can be similar to our mixing room – with different playback levels – but the immersive level of the mixing has changed everything for us.”

With PS5 and other consoles adopting Atmos and many game titles supporting the format, Molok is well-prepared to meet new standards. “We’ve had brilliant vertical growth in the last few years and we only see that increasing, as we start to really utilise Dolby and see its full capability,” states De Cunto. “Thanks to the new studios, it feels like we’re at the right place, at the right time.”

“Working for the Molok guys was very nice, they’re among the kindest and most enthusiastic clients we’ve ever had, and it was a pleasure to see their satisfaction at the end of the project,” reflects Torracchi. “For this project we tried to respect these human features: the rooms have simple geometries, but a lot of character, their style reflects the technological state of the art. When we discovered the guys had named the new rooms after Mortal Kombat characters we went crazy, it sounded perfect.”

Looking forward, Molok Studios aims to expand its use of Atmos beyond gaming to music and home entertainment, targeting a global market. “We’re trying to expand our reach with our focus on Sound Effects and Atmos mixing,” concludes De Cunto. “Our goal is to explore new frontiers and deliver immersive audio experiences beyond the gaming realm on a global scale.”