Enrico Matta [Subsonica]Cult Italian Drummer on Getting Automated Room Correction

As one of Italy’s most recognisable drummers, Enrico Matta has built up a reputation around his creative style of intense rhythmic playing.

Enrico Matta has played alongside such prestigious acts as cult-icons SubsOnicA, The Bloody Beetroots, and drum & bass project LNRipley. Otherwise known as “Ninja” due to his versatility, the creative force also graduated with honors as a computer engineer, and has more recently been working in the field of production. Back in 2016, Matta swapped his seat from behind the kit to head up a new experimental, electronic act, Demonology HiFi, pushing his creative nuance in a new, production-focussed direction.

Whether he’s working as a drummer or however, Matta requires a studio that fits a number of requirements. “My studio has been optimized for a dual setup in the same room,” he explains. “I did multiple tests to ensure I got the right balance for the opposing needs, i.e. having a full and strong acoustic drum sound, and having a controlled and linear zone for listening on the other.”

As part of this setup, it’s also essential for Matta to have the right monitoring. “A perfect monitor for me is one that allows you to reproduce the same sound in and out of the studio,” Matta explains, about how he chooses his studio speakers.

For many years, Matta was using the ADAM Audio A77Xs, before recently upgrading to the three-way, midfield A77H monitors. “I love working with great precision across the spectrum, and the A77X was great for this,” Matta describes.

“For my studio setup, it was always necessary to insert a sound correction layer to compensate for some room acoustic imperfections. So I couldn’t believe it when I heard about the possibility of embedding that kind of solution in the new A Series. I rushed out to buy the A77H and now the setup is perfect. It combines the excellent sound qualities of the speakers along with the possibility of avoiding the use of a hardware or software correction layer for the room.”

More recently Matta has been back in the studio with cult SubsonicA, recording a new album, and preparing for a forthcoming European tour. “Working together for so long has helped us shape a very recognizable sound, and it’s something that has never stopped stimulating my creativity,” he explains about their working process. “We’re just looking forward to getting back on the road, and making people dance.”