Mike Aiton Brings Stories To Life With NUGEN Audio Tools

Veteran sound designer and post-production sound mixer Mike Aiton is continuing to deliver creative, broadcast-ready audio using a suite of NUGEN Audio plug-ins, supporting his work across television, film and post-production.

With a career spanning more than 40 years, Aiton has built a reputation as a trusted figure in the industry, working across documentaries, dramas and reality television. His background includes early experience at the BBC, where he developed his technical skills before moving into post-production, an area he credits with allowing greater creative input.

Aiton said: "In a TV studio, sound is often the last priority. If you get it wrong — you lose, and if you get it right — no one notices. But, in post-production, you have a voice. You can suggest ideas, try things and really contribute to the storytelling."

Central to his workflow is a range of NUGEN Audio tools, which he uses to maintain technical compliance while preserving creative freedom. A key component is the VisLM loudness metering plug-in, which Aiton describes as a constant presence in every session.

"VisLM has advanced automation features that adapt loudness calculations to changes in the timeline without requiring a full re-analysis," he said. "With other meters, if you make a small change you have to re-measure the whole program, but with VisLM, if I add something — say a big explosion, it knows exactly where I made the change and recalculates only that part, while keeping the entire program’s loudness accurate. That kind of intelligence saves me hours."

Another tool Aiton relies on is NUGEN Audio's DialogCheck speech intelligibility plug-in, which he recently used during the dialogue pre-mix for the BAFTA-winning BBC children’s drama Jamie Johnson FC. Working with young actors meant clarity and intelligibility were critical to the success of the programme.

"Dialogue is the story in that kind of show; if it’s not clear, you might as well go home," he said. "DialogCheck is another traffic light in the system to help ensure the audience can follow every word."

By combining advanced metering, dialogue analysis and reliable audio tools, Aiton continues to deliver mixes that meet stringent broadcast standards while enhancing the emotional impact of storytelling.

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