“Your music only sounds as good as the room it was mixed in” is a common idiom in the music production and audio space. It is espoused mainly by old engineers and young producers, two demographics who have the luxury of doing their work, day in and day out, in the same space.
But the working musician and modern producer isn’t always quite so lucky. Between touring, collaborative sessions, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life these days often has us making music and mixing records in less-than-ideal spaces and rooms.
Nobody knows this better than Ilan Bluestone, a heavyweight producer on Anjunabeats’ roster. His worldwide tour schedule and consistent release calendar mean finishing records in hotel rooms mere moments before a massive gig is all too common. To ensure that his low-end is warm, his highs are balanced, and his mixes are road-ready for the biggest stages in the game, Ilan uses iLoud Micro monitors by IK Multimedia.
We had the chance to sit down with him to ask him how he uses these portable monitors on the road, why he’s on his fourth pair, and why he couldn’t tour the world without them. So, let’s dive in.
How has the landscape changed for artists producing music outside traditional studio settings?
I think it’s a lot easier now, especially with the new M series MacBook Pros. They’re so advanced in performance, with no overheating and extended battery life. The onboard speakers are just mind-blowing. They make it easy to come up with inspirational ideas on the fly.
Given the challenges of makeshift working spaces, how do tools like the iLoud Micro Monitor help in achieving the desired sound quality?
I won’t just sit here and blow smoke to IK, but this is my 4th pair of iLouds.
Not because they broke, but because I love them so much. If I find myself crunching deadlines while touring, I’ll take a pair on the road
The iLouds are, by far, the best speakers I’ve ever worked with, and I ain’t just saying it. They are accurate, and everyone else I’ve shown them to has been blown away. They translate precisely what you hear onto a festival dance floor. I’ve trialed and tested them many times, and I can swear that they are the most impressive things, the size of two fat iPhones. They are the best speakers for me in my studio and great for references.
The low end is right and tight, even at low volumes, and the mids and highs are spot on. They remind me a lot of my Adam Audio speakers but are nicely compact for my suitcase. P.S. I haven’t been paid to say this. These speakers are next-level, and for the price, you can’t go wrong.
Learn More About These Monitors While Supporting Our Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Sweetwater Here
Given that most home studios or on-the-go spaces are compact with speakers placed close to walls, how do the iLoud Micro Monitors stand out in handling bass response and other frequency challenges?
As mentioned earlier, the low end is perfect, especially for the EDM scene, forgetting that low end in the club without any room correction.
For example, I had to deliver a remix for Armin van Buuren and was on the road for 2 months with zero studio access. I stayed at my friend’s house in Miami, which had a glass and marble apartment.
The acoustics were dreadful, and I wouldn’t say I like working on headphones to translate bass for festivals; I need to feel it. I produced the track on a glass table, and these little speakers are so tight on the low, even at low volumes, that they allowed me to hear what I was doing. I finished the track and went to play it the following day at the Miami Ultra Festival and was completely blown away. I could not believe it sounded exactly the same on the stage monitor.
That’s when I was even more reassured that I could just trust them. I’ve never looked back. One thing I will say is to try to place the speakers in a corner of the walls for the best effect. They don’t work great in the middle of the room; they need to be near a wall to get the low end for me.
Do you feel the move towards portable, high-quality speakers like iLoud Micro Monitor signifies a larger shift in the music production industry?
Absolutely! The iLoud Micro Monitors are a game changer, especially considering their price and portability. They are cost-effective solution for any music producer without sacrificing on sound quality.
Plus, their compact size makes them perfect for travel, eliminating the need to carry heavy studio monitors in a suitcase.
Can you share any specific experiences or tracks where the iLoud Micro Monitors played a crucial role in your production process?
I’ve had situations where I have been in hotel rooms, and I just know I can trust them.
The amount of times I’ve sat down, made an idea, and for the inspiration alone… everything sounds great out of them (which can be a bad thing to some), but for me, it’s more of an inspirational tool of perfection. I absolutely love them, and I’ll say that again and again.
The best, and for the price—pffff, I mean—they are cheaper than dinner for 4 in the USA. Don’t hesitate to try them, and thank me later. Much love, IB.
Learn More About These Monitors While Supporting Our Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Sweetwater Here
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
