Des Moines now has a sophisticated audio, video studio. It's ready for your next project.

If Des Moines isn't on your radar to record your next music or video project, the new Trilix Studio may have you reconsider.

The 3,4000-square-foot recording studio and video production space located in the Crescent Building in Sherman Hill boasts the only Dolby Atmos-capable studio in Iowa, Trilix Studio CEO Ron Maahs told the Register in an email.

Dolby Atmos offers users a type of immersive audio technology that reflects how people experience sound — not from one specific speaker, but from all around, according to Dolby Atmos.

Behind the studio is the Des Moines-based marketing agency, Trilix, also located in the same building.

The estimated $2 million project was born to meet the needs of the marketing agency, which became responsible for more projects involving video over its existence, said Trilix Studio president Brett Adams. Further guidance led Trilix to pursue a Dolby Atmos-capable studio.

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The marketing agency would benefit from the studio, but it may also drive new clients to Trilix's marketing services after using the studio, Maahs said.

The Des Moines Register toured the studio space in June and was joined by Adams, Maahs, head audio engineer Phil Young, chief creative officer Brent Wirth and Abby Bottenfield, communications director. Here's just a taste of what Trilix Studio has to offer.

What can I find at Trilix Studio?

Trilix Studio, which offers both analog and digital technologies, was designed by Russ Berger Design Group, according to a press release. The design group creates spaces intended for recording and broadcasting, with clients that have included NPR to NFL Films, according to its website.

Trilix Studio was built intentionally for the audio and video services it offers, and Trilix was “purposeful” when putting a list together of equipment, especially for audio recording, that would attract people to the studio, Adams explained.

“When they're looking for a studio, Des Moines probably traditionally wouldn't be a place where a band would come through, stop on tour and say, ‘Hey we're going to take a break to record a full album,’” he said. “They might have to supplement what they're doing, but here we wanted to be able to provide that.”

What feels like the mothership of Trilix Studio is Studio A, or the control room. The 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos Genelec speaker system found here allows people to "experience sounds that are unheard with other speaker systems" thanks to its setup, including four speakers in the ceiling, to "create a fully immersive audio mix," Maahs said in a follow-up email to the Register.

Audio mixing for films playing at theaters can be done here as well.

Some of the equipment here, according to the Trilix Studio team, are:

• An Avid S4 digital control surface, with "the mixing power of industry-standard Avid S6," according to Avid
• Preamps
• Compressors
• 1970s MCI 16-track, 2" tape machine (the tape in the machine only has 50+ hours of use)
• Instruments including guitars, a piano and two synthesizers, including a recreation of analog synth from the 1960s

Trilix Studio has three other studios. Here’s a glimpse of the purpose of each:

• Studio B: Currently set up for podcasting and an isolation room.
• Studio C: Can be considered a “multi-purpose room.” Color grading for film can be done here, whether an individual wants to rent out the space to do it or use Trilix to complete the service. It has acted as a room for screenings. It’s also a mixing room that has Dolby Digital 5.1 installed, or the “established standard for home theater, broadcast and cinema surround sound,” according to Dolby.
• Studio D: Has a live soundstage for video and audio services with a full cyclorama wall, a type of backdrop that makes a space appear larger, according to Pro Cyc. “Just about anything” can be filmed in this room, from commercials, long-format videos, interviews, music videos or photoshoots, according to Adams.

A space for locals and touring acts

Having a space where an artist can access high-caliber equipment is beneficial, especially if the equipment would otherwise be out of reach, Young said.

For example, one microphone typically used for vocals at Trilix Studio is $5,000, he said.

“We don’t have rows and rows and rows of equipment, but what we do have is very specifically chosen to be the top of the line,” Young said.

Local musicians and Trilix Studio clients stand to benefit from the space, but so does the entirety of the Des Moines music scene. As the Trilix team described it, the studio may be used by bookers to attract touring acts and get them to stay, offering them a sophisticated place to play.

“If this works, and we're busy, someone else may build a studio here, but I think that's good for everybody,” Maahs said. “Create more of that culture around here.”

What's next for Trilix? A two-day, in-person workshop starting Aug. 9 where attendees can visit sessions about Dolby Atmos, music marketing, acoustic design and more, according to a news release.

Paris Barraza is a trending and general assignment reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.