Enhancing Thailand’s creative landscape: Kantana Sound Studio

Traithep Wongpaiboon, pro audio veteran and managing director of Thailand’s Kantana Sound Studio, tells Headliner about his journey in audio, the studio’s ambition to enhance the nation’s entertainment industry, and the role of Merging Technologies in bringing those ambitions to life…

When did your career in audio begin?

My career in audio began in 1992, during the music industry’s transition from the analog era into the digital world. I started by recording, mixing, and mastering music, gaining a strong foundation in sound engineering. About a decade later, I transitioned into audio post-production, focusing on dubbing and mixing for major Hollywood studios. This shift led to opportunities in film, and soon I was overseeing original audio post-production for local Thai films.

In 2000, I took on a management role at Kantana Sound Studio, which was the most advanced audio post-production facility at the time. Since then, we have expanded Kantana Sound Studio into a comprehensive audio service provider, offering sound design, Foley, ADR, mixing, translation, and dubbing across multiple media feature films, OTT platforms, gaming, and more. Our clients come from all over Asia, especially Southeast Asia, which has driven us to expand with additional branches in Vietnam and Indonesia. Today, we operate 42 studios, including five theatrical mixing stages, 12 ADR stages, two Foley stages, 10 near-field mixing studios, 11 editing suites, and two music mastering studios. It’s been an exciting journey from music to a full-scale post-production business, allowing us to serve clients throughout the region with world-class audio solutions.

What is your ambition and vision for the studio as managing director?

The inspiration to start Kantana Sound Studio emerged from a profound passion for audio production and a commitment to enhancing the creative landscape of Thailand's entertainment industry. Launched in 1994 as part of the Kantana Group, which has a rich history in media production since its founding in 1951, the studio was established with the ambition to fill a significant gap in high-quality audio services for film, television, and music.

From the outset, our vision was to set a new standard in audio post-production within Southeast Asia. We aimed to create a full-service audio post-production studio capable of delivering world-class quality across feature films. Over time, we expanded our offerings to include services for OTT content, gaming, music score mixing, and mastering.

Our goal was to build a talented team and state-of-the-art facility that could not only meet global standards but also push the boundaries of what’s possible in sound. This includes everything from sound design and Foley to dubbing and immersive audio experiences.

At the core of our mission is the desire to bring together artistry, technology, and storytelling. We take pride in our ongoing commitment to this ambition as we continue to expand our capabilities and provide unparalleled experiences for our clients.

What have been some of the most memorable projects you have worked on?

One of the most memorable experiences in my career has been the honor of working with the renowned director Wong Kar Wai. Collaborating with him and his team offered invaluable insights into the cinematic world, where we learned so much on both technical and creative levels. Working on his films required meticulous attention and countless days of refining every sonic detail, but it was always an immensely rewarding experience. Wong Kar Wai’s films are known for their emotional depth and visual elegance, and to be entrusted with helping shape their sound was both a privilege and a point of pride for us. Each project with him is a reminder of why we’re so passionate about what we do, and seeing the impact of his films worldwide makes us proud to have played a part as sonic creators in bringing his vision to life.

How big a focus is there on immersive/Dolby Atmos projects?

Immersive audio, including Dolby Atmos, Atmos Music, and Apple Spatial Audio, is a major focus at Kantana Sound Studio. As audience expectations for sound quality continue to evolve, we’re fully committed to providing cutting-edge immersive experiences that enhance storytelling and pull viewers and listeners deeper into the world of each project. We’ve equipped multiple stages with Dolby Atmos and have dedicated teams specialized in spatial sound design to ensure every project meets the highest standards.

This approach is essential not only for feature films and OTT content but also for gaming and music production, where immersive sound greatly enhances emotional impact and depth. By offering Atmos Music and Apple Spatial Audio, we’re able to expand our services into music production, helping artists and creators deliver an immersive listening experience that resonates deeply. Immersive audio is a core part of our studio’s vision, and we’re continuously investing in the latest technology and expertise to remain leaders in this area.

Tell us about your relationship with Merging Technologies – how did you first discover their products?

We first heard about Pyramix from peers in the industry – it always came up as a DAW for quality. Then, a coworker mentioned that Merging also made great interfaces and suggested we try one out if we had the chance. That led to a month-long demo with a Hapi unit and we quickly learned what it could do. After some conversations and meetings with Merging’s engineers, it became clear how we could use their units to expand and replace existing Pro Tools hardware and start using audio over IP to create a reliable, high-quality multichannel backbone that would connect all our recording studios and mixing stages That insight showed us the flexibility of their gear, and it’s been the core part of our setup since.

What are the key pieces of Merging gear that you use at the studio today?

We started off with a few Horus and Hapi units and built a dedicated AoIP infrastructure around them, which we later expanded with the Anubis monitor control units when they came available. Anubis made it easy to switch between mix stems, like DMEs and OV vs Foreign. It also switches easily between the different immersive formats like Theatrical Atmos, Auro 3D, and the standard Dolby 7.1/5.1 configurations. Now, four of our five theatrical mix stages run on Horus units. This setup gives us a lot of flexibility – it connects easily to the DARC, AES67 and all the way to the power amps and older hardware units such as the TC m6000, which are now patchable in any room. And if in need, we can add an extra DAW to a mix stage - all it takes is a LAN cable, with no need for complex cabling.

Our Foley stages and several ADR stages run on Hapi units, and we use Anubis in our smaller recording studios. Across all these spaces, we rely on Merging’s gear for its clean mic preamps and flexible AoIP patching.

What really sets Merging’s products apart is how reliable they are. The firmware and functionality just keep getting better with each update, which means the gear adapts as we do. We also appreciate the dual redundant power supply – it’s a small detail, but it gives us extra peace of mind. And Merging’s support has been great whenever we’ve needed it.

How would you describe the state of the recording industry in Thailand?

The recording industry in Thailand is vibrant and continually evolving, with a unique blend of traditional and modern influences that shape its sound. There’s a growing demand for high-quality production across film, music, and digital content. Thailand has become a regional hub for audio post-production, with studios like ours working on everything from local feature films to international projects.

What does the future hold for you?

The future for Kantana Sound Studio is focused on growth, innovation, and expanding our capabilities to meet the evolving demands of the industry. We’re continuously investing in new technology and advanced audio formats to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can offer. Our goal is to make Kantana a leader not only in traditional audio post-production but also in emerging areas like gaming audio, Atmos Music, and multilingual localization, serving clients across Southeast Asia and beyond.

Another priority is skill development for our team. As technology advances, so do the skills required, and we want to ensure our team remains at the forefront of the industry. This means ongoing training, exploring AI-enhanced audio tools, and maintaining our commitment to creative excellence.

Personally, I’m excited about these growth opportunities and am passionate about expanding Kantana’s reputation on a global scale. We aim to continue delivering world-class audio experiences, pushing creative limits, and building partnerships that allow us to bring impactful soundscapes to audiences everywhere. The future is about elevating our work and staying true to our mission of combining artistry and technology to create the best audio experiences possible.