A passion for precision

Dubai’s Al Fannan Studio has steadily grown over the past 17 years from grassroot into a professional facility serving music and postproduction work across the region. Founded in 2008 by guitarist-turned-producer Jamal Al Baloushi, the space has evolved from modest beginnings into a multiroom space with professional infrastructure, analogue outboard and, most recently, a cutting-edge Genelec monitoring system delivered by GSL Professional.

Like many in our industry, Al Baloushi’s journey into studio ownership was fuelled by passion rather than business ambition. “I started as a guitarist, but I had a very strong passion for recording and production,” he explains. After taking courses in music production, mixing and mastering, he sought out guidance from more experienced engineers, including influential local figures such as Andy Ward, a former SAE Institute lecturer and founder of DXB Academy, and producer Braa Al Qassab, who assisted with the studio’s original technical setup. Another colleague, Gustave Miranda, provided crucial help in configuring soundcards and software. “I’ve been lucky to learn from people who really knew their craft,” Al Baloushi furthers.

The first iteration of Al Fannan Studio came to life in 2008, before a full professional cabling and infrastructure upgrade followed in 2013. The layout today comprises a main control room, a high-SPL live room, a small vocal booth and a third space offering greater ambience, well-suited to recording strings and other acoustic instruments. “I wanted a space where I could handle any type of project,” Al Baloushi says. “From intimate vocals to big live arrangements, the rooms give me that flexibility.”

Technically, the studio has grown into a well-specified hybrid environment. Alongside a Mac Studio running Pro Tools and Cubase, audio equipment includes a Tascam MU-1000, two Universal Audio Apollo UAD-2 Quad interfaces, dbx iEQ-3, Tascam US-16x08 8-channel USB audio interface and a variety of analogue outboard processors.

“I like to use analogue preamps and gear to capture warmth at the source, then bring it into the DAW for mixing,” Al Baloushi explains. “That way, the sound already has quality before you start adding plugins. For me, that’s the best of both worlds.”

For years, monitoring at Al Fannan was handled by large 3-way JBL speakers; however, Al Baloushi increasingly found them inadequate for evolving needs. “They were not truly flat,” he recalls. “Any monitor that adds its own flavour is cheating the engineer. You need to hear the pure sound so you can be sure that your mixes translate well everywhere. With the old system, what I heard here didn’t match what I was hearing on other sources, like the car or on a hi-fi. It was frustrating.”

His long-term solution was Genelec. “I had been looking at Genelec for more than seven years,” he says. “I’d heard them in many other studios, at training sessions and demonstrations run by GSL. Monitors are the number one investment in any studio, so I took my time before making such an important decision. Once I decided on the 8361As, I knew I’d made the right choice.”

The difference, he says, was immediate. “It’s a huge change – I’d say 300% better. Now I can hear every detail, and when I finish a track and play it back elsewhere, it sounds the same everywhere. That confidence is priceless.”

The Genelec 8361A, part of the manufacturer’s The Ones series, was also the exact model Al Baloushi had previously trained on, making the transition a familiar one. “I already knew how they sounded from other studios. Bringing them into my own space was like completing a circle,” he says.

In addition to supplying the monitors, GSL Professional also provided extensive support. “GSL have been very supportive, from in-house training to tuning the system onsite,” notes Al Baloushi. “Even 12 years ago, when I first visited their showroom, they guided me with honest advice. Their support is the same for every customer – always professional, always helpful.”

Today, Al Fannan Studio focuses on music production projects rather than hourly rentals. Musicians and vocalists are brought in on a project basis, while Al Baloushi spends much of his own time composing in Cubase, then moving to Pro Tools for recording, editing and mastering. “When you have passion, you forget the time,” he smiles. “I can spend the whole day in here experimenting or learning something new, and never get fatigued. That’s what keeps the studio alive.”

For Al Baloushi, the addition of Genelec monitoring marks the fulfilment of a long-standing ambition. “Now I can finally trust what I hear,” he concludes. “I’d recommend Genelec – and GSL – to any studio that wants accuracy and consistency.”