Rediscovering Sound
Toby Joseph’s Journey with Trinnov Nova, Where curiosity meets clarity.
A Story That Begins With a Guitar
Like many great audio journeys, Toby Joseph’s began in a small town and a guitar. Growing up in Alappuzha, Kerala, his first brush with music came early. By the 8th grade, he was already experimenting with sound, recording layers of guitar riffs using only a tape recorder and walkman. It wasn’t fancy gear, but it didn’t need to be.
“It was never about the equipment,” Toby says. “I just wanted to hear how they sounded.”
Then came the rock concert that changed everything — it lit a spark. That teenage curiosity eventually shaped his path, turning him into one of India’s most trusted names in both studio and live sound.
Finding Inspiration Beyond the Console
For Toby, creativity doesn’t live only in the studio. He finds it on the road, on two wheels, and behind a camera lens. Motorcycling and photography aren’t distractions — they’re fuel.
“Anything that connects with me emotionally keeps me going,” he shares. Those moments of stillness outside the studio help him focus inside it. And that clarity? It shows up in the mix.
It’s not about being flashy. It’s about intention — to understand what the song is trying to convey and to make sure the sound supports it.
How He Mixes — And Why It Works
Toby approaches mixing with structure, but never at the cost of emotion.
It begins with listening to the demo or production mix to get a sense of the piece. Then comes the brief — a conversation with the artist or producer of what they envision. From there, he loads his mix template. But the rest? That’s guided entirely by how the music makes him feel.
“Emotion plays a huge part in my work,” he explains. “It’s what gives each mix its own character. That’s how you find your own sound.”
When a Good Room Isn’t Enough
Toby’s studio was well-treated. The acoustics were right, the gear was solid. But still, something was off. Mixes were taking longer than expected. Decisions didn’t always feel instinctive. He started second-guessing — not the tools, but the room.
He had been using calibration software for years, always keeping an eye out for better solutions. That’s when Trinnov Nova caught his attention.
“I’d known about Trinnov for a while, but Nova made me stop and really consider the upgrade,” he says.
Why Nova? Why Now?
Choosing Nova wasn’t a rushed decision. Toby did the homework — reading, researching, asking questions. What stood out was the consistency in feedback. It wasn’t a plugin or a software patch. It was real-time, hardware-driven calibration — designed with purpose.
“Nova ticked all the right boxes. It just made sense.”
Setup That Gets Out of the Way
Installing Nova was refreshingly simple. Toby followed the step-by-step wizard, and in under a minute, the system had mapped his room and created a detailed profile.
“You can go deeper if you want,” he says. “But even with the basics, the results were incredible. That’s the beauty of Nova — it gives you control, but never slows you down.”
Later, he connected with Antoine from Trinnov for a remote check-in. Antoine reviewed the calibration and made a few tweaks. Instantly, the clarity improved.
A Clearer Room, A Clearer Mind
Post-calibration, something shifted.
“Everything felt familiar — but better. The monitors just sounded… right. I fell in love with them all over again.”
Mixing became smoother. Faster. More instinctive. Nova didn’t just change how things sounded — it changed how things felt.
Nova at Work
Since integrating Nova into his workflow, Toby has worked on several notable projects — including tracks with Sync Society, live sessions with Haricharan, and a stereo mix of the score and songs for the film Test.
Nova wasn’t front and centre. It wasn’t meant to be. It stayed in the background, quietly doing its job — letting the monitors speak clearly, and letting Toby make confident choices.
How It Compares
Toby’s tried it all — calibration plugins, correction curves, custom EQs. But Nova, he says, is in a league of its own.
“Most systems try to fix a problem. Nova feels like it understands your space. It adapts. It aligns. And then it gets out of the way.”
How Ansata Made the Difference
His relationship with Ansata isn’t new. It began in 2011 with the Avid VENUE certification and has only grown stronger over the years. From Waves to DPA, Avid to d&b, and now Trinnov — Ansata has been a trusted partner throughout.
“Ansata is not just a distributor. They listen. They get what you need and help you get there,” he says. “Even without a demo, I knew I could count on them.”
For Engineers Still Thinking About It
Toby knows the decision to invest in a system like Nova isn’t easy. But for him, it marked a turning point.
“There was a lot of back and forth before I bought it. No demo, no testing — just a leap of faith. But once the calibration was done, there was immense clarity and it shows in my mixes.”
The Real Win
Trinnov Nova didn’t replace anything in Toby’s studio. It simply enhanced what was already there. It brought confidence, clarity, and more room to do what he loves — to create.