ADX Technology Assists Musical Magic in 11 Groundbreaking Duets.

We are very excited to announce that Barry Manilow’s latest album, My Dream Duets, is now available to add to your collection! We at Audionamix are extremely proud to have been a part of the creative process that made this album a reality, and we’re here to share a taste of what makes Barry’s ‘Dream Duets’ so very unique.

“Through the miracle of modern technology, the original vocal tracks for each guest artist on MY DREAM DUETS have been extracted from their original source recordings, allowing Manilow to re-orchestrate the arrangements, record new musical tracks, and then transport the guest vocals into vibrant new settings. In this way, he not only pays homage to his duet partners but, he also brings them into the modern era by transforming them into recordings that are instantly familiar yet refreshingly new. From cherished idols like Judy Garland and Louis Armstrong to contemporary icons like Whitney Houston and John Denver, they have all joined Barry in his “virtual recording studio.” – Verve Music Group

“When Barry Manilow expressed a desire to record an album featuring some of his departed musical heroes, it was an instantly appealing concept, but also a daunting one. Most of the artists he’d chosen became famous in the “analog” era, but even more to the point, many had recorded in the pre-mutitrack era.As we began exploring “the vaults” looking for the original masters, we were dismayed to discover that many had entirely vanished.  We were left with second or third generation tapes and in a few cases just old vinyl. Everything was in various states of condition, with no way to separate the vocals from the music.   The only chance we had of turning Barry’s idea into reality was if the brilliant team at Audionamix, led by the indefatigable Rick Silva, told us there we could achieve “the impossible” — that is to create isolated vocal tracks which would allow Barry to produce new music beds with new arrangements. The isolated vocals would also give him the the flexibility he required to place his guest vocals in this new context.

If each song had been a “quiet” session with just acoustic guitar or piano accompanying the voice, it might have been an easier task, however, the tracks we gave to Audionamix were “loud” — big band, fully orchestrated, lead and background vocals inextricably linked, or so it would seem, yet Rick told us he would try…and that’s exactly what he and his team did with extraordinary results.

The proof is in the pudding…when you listen to Barry singing with Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, Mama Cass, John Denver, Andy Williams or any of the other bygone legends, it’s as though he was in the same room, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with these musical giants.  Their vocals are a vibrant reminder or what makes their artistry timeless.

I can’t thank Rick and the Audionamix team enough for all their hard work  — part technical of course, but also with a great deal of aesthetic taste.  They’re simply the best at what they do.” – Jay Landers, Co-Executive Producer “My Dream Duets”.

Take a listen to Manilow explain the Audionamix Vocal Isolation process in his own words, and hear him perform his reimagined duet “What a Wonderful World” live alongside Louis Armstrong in this clip from his recent QVC appearance.

Lastly, we’d like to extend a big thank you to everyone at Verve and team Manilow for allowing us to be a part of this magical project. Special thanks to Jay Landers for thinking of us when Barry came to him with a list of seemingly impossible duet partners. Thank you Bill Schnee and David Benson for your masterful engineering and production, and for taking the time to talk about My Dream Duets alongside Audionamix at the 137th AES Convention this year. Thank you all for letting us reimagine history alongside you.