We recently had the chance to connect with Michael Way and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Michael Way , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What battle are you avoiding?
I am avoiding the scrutiny of the industry. When you are ahead of the curve and an innovator the eyes of your peers are the hardest part of the endeavor. The competitors are all claiming they have the best products even without years of field tests. The current techniques are the major competition even though they are not satisfactory. When you are trying to change the concepts of main stream ideas it is always a battle. So TrueSPL will keep doing productions, developing artists and advertising the immersive production platform we have developed and use in everyday applications. We hope a stduio, producer or artist notices the quality and the adopts our technology. We have the future of immersive production that is beyond the industry limitations. It is the innovative that creates the new sound the new styles and the new standards.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello, I am Michael Way the founder and developer of Sound Pressure Labs and the audio format TrueSPL. I leased a movie theatre for 3 years to develop this audio format and have produced over 250 productions, 10 artists, a movie and received a Grammy Consideration for my efforts. I am a member of the Hollywood Saphire Club and have been published in 5 magazines. We have shown our experience at many events in Los Angeles such as NAMM, Mix magizine events, and Sony production lot. We are dedicated to working with studios like: Pajama Stduios in Oakland, The Village, Mega Sound and Gold Standard Studios. We have brought the studio back to the main stream because TrueSPL techniques are not a home studio application it is a hardware system that supports all software and can be mixed down into any format without any conversion process.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
James Gardiner from PAJAMA stduios clearly saw me and the methods and production techniques I was using and decided to master and help me produce our first release. I went to him for a listening session in his studio after I met him in 2015. The project was not ready until 2017, still long before Dolby released ATMOS. I explained to James that I wanted to release a live presentation of the techniques I was using as a proof of concept. I wanted to show the live application of immersive music in real time. As he was loading everything into the playback machines I stopped him and looked directly at him. This is where our musical minds met. I emphasized this moment and said to him, “James I have spent a ton of money, have worked for 1000’s of hours and I’m tired. I really want you to tell me this is horrible and give me permission to no longer pursue these techniques and this concept.” With a confused look on his face he reached over and pushed play to start the listening session. He listend to 5 seconds. He stopped the playback, his reply was, “Michael, your never going to sleep again.” Then we.laughed all the way to a Grammy Consideration. I can’t thank James Gardiner enough for that day he is a great mentor and friend.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering gives you the discipline the endurance and the strength to accomplish great things. Success comes and goes. You have you highlights and your insights. You have your ups and downs. Then you have you setbacks and your turn around. You see your goals, You know hope and dreams. Witout suffering the successes don’t taste as sweet. We are still waiting for a major producer, artist or studio to adopt our techniques and we will keep our integrity and focus on the best possible methods to achive these goal. We have just started working with a new artist Steven A. Harms and his group Grand Rising they have great potential and I am exitedto work with them. I just met them at a festival we were doing in Santa Monica in October.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
I belive the TrueSPL audio format is what the immersive audio industry needs. It is the tools that will make progress for the entire industy. It dose this by giving the musicians composers and producers the ability to create in real time and not be at the mercy of post production engineering. Sound Pressure Labs has developed the tools to create the most amazing music for the future. We will continually work to prove this.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace in two places 1st immersed in nature’s symphony the sea the desert the forest. Then the 2nd place is bringing that symphony to.the studio to recreate the magic of life. I find these inspiring moments define my process. Flying, sailing and retreating as far off grid is I can is what brings me the most peace. I manage to achieve these peaceful moments as often as.possible. I allow myself this time to contemplate the methods and applications I have been pursuing in the development of the TrueSPL Organic Immersive Audio format created by Sound Pressure Labs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Soundpressurelabs.com
- Instagram: true_spl
- Other: Chatgpt Sound Preasure Labs Michael Way TrueSPL
Image Credits
Michael Way. Yvonne Rider
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