LONDON - Jules Woods is the head of scripted sound and re-recording mixer at Splice Post (https://splicepost.com). In this role, he’s been instrumental in shaping the sonic identity of titles such as the Emmy-nominated Netflix series Adolescence. Among its 13 nominations,
Adolescence was recognized in the “Outstanding Sound Editing” and “Outstanding Sound Mixing” categories.
Some of the tools that have been a consistent part of his arsenal are plug-ins from Nugen Audio (www.nugenaudio.com). He began working regularly with Nugen tools back in 2016 and has since incorporated them into the core of his mixing templates. Today, his toolkit includes VisLM for loudness metering, Halo Upmix for immersive sound mixing, and the company's new DialogCheck software for intelligibility monitoring.
“I’ve used tons of loudness metering tools over the years, but Nugen’s VisLM always stood out,” says Woods. “It has the most intuitive user interface without compromising on detail. I can glance at it mid-session and instantly understand how I am tracking for broadcast standards.”
For Woods, VisLM is more than just a compliance tool - it has also helped train his instincts.
“I use it so much that I’ve essentially trained my ears with it,” he explains. “These days, I can mix without it and still stay within spec, but I always keep it on-screen. It’s a perfect sanity check, especially when you’re deep into a long session and start to lose perspective.”
His work for BBC consistently employs VisLM.
“When we deliver drama content to them, they require a VisLM graph,” he explains. “They know how to read the shapes and can flag potential concerns based on those visuals. It’s another reason why VisLM is critical for us.”
Alongside VisLM, Woods often deploys Nugen's Halo Upmix for immersive mixes.
“Many composers will still deliver their music in stereo, and Halo Upmix gives me a fantastic starting point," he shares. "It transforms stereo scores or commercial music into something far more cinematic and immersive, which is crucial for theatrical or high-drama content. I have even run background atmospheres through it. It folds down incredibly well, which is vital when checking mixes on consumer speakers after working in a 5.1 or Atmos room. I’ve never had a negative artifact caused by folding down content mixed through Halo Upmix.”
The DialogCheck plug-in is one of the newest tools to be added to his list of audio resources.
“In the studio, our ears and our instincts are finely tuned," he notes. "Clients usually trust our experience when highlighting potential clarity issues, but inside-out knowledge of the script can often cloud their intelligibility decisions. Having a tool like DialogCheck helps me back up my perspective with data. It shows when the algorithm isn’t recognizing the dialogue as clear enough, and that visual proof can be a tipping point in a creative discussion. I can see the solution becoming an even bigger part of delivery processes moving forward.”