Behind the sound of Snarky Puppy’s Somni: 18 years of creativity with Audio-Technica

Following the approach of their 2022 LP Empire Central, Somni was recorded in front of a live audience to capture the energy and spontaneity that define the band’s sound. Recorded over three nights in January 2025 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, the sessions united Snarky Puppy with the renowned Metropole Orkest and conductor Jules Buckley. Bandleader Michael League and his ensemble performed the album start to finish as fans surrounded the musicians in the room.

“The idea is that the audience provides energy for the band,” says engineer and longtime collaborator Nic Hard. “That excitement translates into the recordings, keeping the performances fresh and alive.”

To achieve this hybrid recording environment, Hard and his team transformed a nightclub-style venue into a professional studio. The space was fully carpeted, draped, and acoustically treated, with truss-mounted fabric controlling reflections. More than 200 audio channels fed four synchronized Pro Tools systems running at 96 kHz. Because there was no PA system, all 300 audience members monitored the session through Audio-Technica headphones paired with wireless RF packs delivering a custom live mix from front-of-house engineer Michael Harrison.

Audio-Technica products have been integral to Snarky Puppy’s sound for 18 years. For Somni, the band used ATH-M50x Limited Edition Ice Blue headphones for the musicians, ATH-M50x White headphones for the Metropole Orkest, and ATH-M20x Black headphones for the audience. The microphone arsenal included the new ATM355VF compact clip-on cardioid condenser for violinist Zach Brock; AT4081 bidirectional ribbons on horns; AE6100 hypercardioid handhelds for talkback; AT5047 large-diaphragm condensers on vocals and woodwinds; AT5045 instrument condensers for percussion; AT4033a condensers for Hammond organ; and PRO35 condensers across the string section.

“It was absolutely breathtaking to walk into that room,” recalls Roxanne Ricks, Audio-Technica Artist Relations Manager. “Over 300 people seated among the orchestra, every single person wearing A-T headphones with their own personal mix. It was overwhelming in the best possible way. You weren’t just watching a recording session; you were immersed in an incredible experience and part of history.”

Hard notes that mic choice and isolation were crucial in capturing dozens of instruments, four drum kits, violins, and percussion, all sharing the same room. “We relied heavily on AT4050s in the percussion setup, about 20 mics covering 50 to 60 instruments, constantly changing polar patterns between cardioid, omni, and figure-eight depending on the song. For horns, I paired AT4081 ribbons with other condensers, using both for redundancy and to compare bleed. The ribbons sounded fantastic; in the mix I kept about a 50/50 blend of the two.”