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Women’s Audio Mission (WAM) Invests in Immersive Education in San Francisco with Audient ORIA

USA – Women’s Audio Mission (WAM) has announced a significant upgrade to its San Francisco Educational Lab, integrating the Audient ORIA immersive audio interface and monitor controller to expand access to Dolby Atmos training. This strategic move allows WAM to scale its world-class certification programs, serving larger cohorts of women and gender-expansive engineers in a dedicated group-learning environment.

While WAM’s main recording studio has long featured a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos system, its physical size limited student participation. By equipping the larger Educational Lab – a vibrant loft space featuring 15 workstations – with ORIA, WAM has bridged the gap between a multi-purpose learning space and a professional-grade immersive monitoring environment.

The new set-up currently runs a 7.1 system using IK iLoud MTM speakers, with plans to complete a 7.1.4 array shortly. The integration of ORIA has proven transformative for both instructors and students, offering a seamless workflow between stereo and immersive formats.

“ORIA streamlined everything. It simplified monitor control and made it easy to move between stereo and immersive formats without disrupting the flow of a session,” says the team at Women’s Audio Mission. Founder and executive director, Terri Winston, Minji Will internship programme manager/studio engineer and Sammie Wallinga, studio manager/studio engineer all agree. “For teaching, this is huge! We can demonstrate concepts clearly, switch configurations quickly and focus on technical learning.”

The system has already become a cornerstone of WAM’s Dolby Atmos certifications, including hybrid cohorts taught by the renowned Dr. Leslie Gaston-Bird. Beyond its immersive capabilities, WAM utilises ORIA’s built-in preamps and audio interface for a wide range of audio engineering demonstrations.

“ORIA feels like a true bridge between professional immersive audio and education,” Wallinga adds. “It lowers the barrier to entry without lowering standards, which aligns perfectly with our mission.”

Following the success in San Francisco, WAM is currently raising funds to replicate this Dolby Atmos set-up at its new Los Angeles location, which served over 250 students last year. 

25th March 2026

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