Every recording studio has a unique sound derived from its design, materials, and technology. Abbey Road is no different, boasting decades of custom equipment and acoustics that artists try to emulate. Inspired by this, the studio explored exporting its signature sound into new realms.
By analyzing their equipment, including microphones, echo chambers, and entire mixing consoles, Abbey Road developed software models. These are now available as plug-ins, capturing the studio's distinct audio signature.
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W), known for crafting speakers for Abbey Road since the '60s and recently for Volvo, envisioned bringing this legendary sound to cars. Alongside Abbey Road and Volvo, they tested this technology in an automotive setting.
Car interiors provide a perfect audio canvas due to consistent ear positioning and material properties, further enhanced by the quiet of electric vehicles. Volvo's EX90, equipped with B&W audio systems, will soon feature an “Abbey Road Mode.”
This mode allows Volvo users to personalize their audio experience, offering control over the perceived listening space and sound vintage. It introduces a “Producer Mode” with an intuitive slider that adjusts soundscapes and styles from vintage to modern.
Much like the Gothenburg Concert Hall mode, the Abbey Road Mode immerses you in varied sound environments, enhancing the audio experience by simulating different venues and epochs.
Slated for release soon, this version 1.0 will improve via over-the-air updates. While initially exclusive to Volvo EX90, this technology might extend to other brands like Aston Martin and BMW in the future.
Volvo's collaboration with Abbey Road Studios and Bowers & Wilkins brings legendary sound to life in the EX90 SUV, offering an unparalleled audio adventure and redefining in-car entertainment.
