Nestled on the outskirts of Music City, Secret Sound—a cutting-edge studio designed by industry legend Chas Sandford, known for his work with icons like Tina Turner, Brooks & Dunn, and Rod Stewart—turned to LEA amplifiers when upgrading to Dolby Atmos.
Venue: 
Integrator: 
Audio Spaces: Entire studio
Product Used: Connect Series Secret Sound
Chas Sandford’s Secret Sound studio is a state-of-the-art mixing and tracking environment located on 53 secluded acres in the heart of Franklin, TN.
SECRET SOUND
“In reviewing the specific requirements for our installation, LEA Professional amps checked all of the boxes perfectly,” said Sandford. “It was a breeze setting them up, we basically set them up once and forgot it. Once the system was tuned, I was floored by how great it sounded! The system performs flawlessly and sounds fabulous.”
Like many others in the music industry, Sandford’s quest to enjoy music at its highest level brought him to NAMM, where he served on a panel for Creating Your Own Atmos Studio. The panel was facilitated by Dave Malekpour, President of The PAD Group (Professional Audio Design), who used Secret Sound to explain why Dolby Atmos could benefit Sandford and how to implement it effectively. Sandford was hooked and worked with Malekpour to make it a reality using the studio’s preexisting gear, including Augspurger monitors.
“Sandford wanted to use his existing isolation rack, which had limited space available,” said Malekpour. “We chose LEA amps primarily because of the Dante connectivity and the ability to fit into one rack space with four channels of great specifications and super low noise. An added benefit was that the amplifiers themselves don’t make a lot of noise or generate a lot of heat — they were just really efficient and effective in this installation.”
Malekpour installed a combination of multiple Connect Series 702Ds and 704Ds in the studio to power the PMC speakers. Both 1U amplifiers are well-suited for installations requiring high flexibility, making them the perfect choice for Secret Sound. With 96kHz-capable Dante and AES67 connectivity options, the IoT-enabled 2-channel 702D and the 4-channel 704D provide 700 watts per channel, support Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z selectable by channel, and feature Smart Power Bridge technology. With three ways to connect, the studio can engage the built-in Wi-Fi access point, connect to the building’s Wi-Fi, or connect to the local area network via Cat5 or Cat6 cable.
THE CONCLUSION
“Amplifiers have a big impact on how the speakers perform, how the low end is delivered, and the naturalness of it,” said Malekpour. “And the LEA amps are a great product, literally Dante-enabled little powerhouses. I highly recommend them, and I think I’ll use them again probably every chance I get.”
A special thanks to Chas Sandford and the Pad Group for choosing our amps for thier state-of-the-art Secret Sound Studio. We’re thrilled at the opportunity to collaborate and ensure unparalleled sound quality for many years ahead.
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