Adrian Morales and Malury Imbernon have run Heiga Studios in various forms for over two decades. The studio began in Imbernon’s garage in Venezuela, eventually graduating to its current location in Miami, which occupies a light-filled floor of a designated historical building. There, Heiga creates a wide range of audio and visual content—from motion graphics and music videos to recording, mixing, and spatial audio. Their client base is equally diverse, ranging from Latin music heavyweights to Paramount, Sony, Disney, and Apple Music. Through it all, the duo focuses on impeccable audio and visual along with the comfort of their clients, many of whom are aspiring artists. Morales and Imbernon discuss how they use the Roland AeroCaster to make livestreaming even smoother for their clients.
AeroCaster: An Artist-Friendly Solution
Livestreaming is an increasingly popular type of content creation, and with Heiga’s fast-moving slate of sessions, the AeroCaster has come in handy for clients. “It’s been useful in all scenarios,” Morales explains. “We used to have to bring cameras, including cabling and moving around with it. It becomes a little bit more of an issue.” The simplicity of the AeroCaster system makes for an enjoyable experience for artists and producers alike.
“It makes it less intimidating for artists to be able to do livestreaming without having camera equipment. Once you tell them we’re using your phone, they say. ‘This is easy.’ They feel more comfortable with their phones instead of cameras, lighting, and wires going everywhere.”
Imbernon explains that these livestreaming sessions often occur while artists at Heiga work on a long-term project. “Usually, when they come to the studio, there is a month for them to do behind the scenes,” she says. Again, the approachable nature of the AeroCaster is a big hit. “While livestreaming, the idea of not having to be wired is very popular.”
"It makes it less intimidating for artists to be able to do livestreaming without having camera equipment."
Audio and Video Setup
While gear differs depending on what cameras are available, there is a typical AeroCaster video setup. “It’s usually a couple of iPhones,” Morales reveals. “Sometimes it’s iPhones and an iPad. Then we have the extra iPad that controls everything.”
As a world-class recording facility, Heiga benefits from a professional mixing console, great mics, and extensive outboard gear, making audio pristine. “We mic everything in the live room, and the recording goes into Pro-Tools,” Morales says. “We treat the audio as if we were doing a live recording. Then we mix it live and send it back to the AeroCaster.”
Morales stressed that they work carefully to ensure no delay occurs. “We try to create the latency of the audio; be sure that it matches with the video as closely as possible.”
Testing the Stream
Their livestreaming clients run the gamut from jazz acts to vocal coaches. Still, some artists find the “without a net” nature of livestreaming stressful at first. “They want to do a livestream but want to test it first,” Imbernon explains. “The first time you use something, you’re going to make mistakes, and they don’t want the audience to see them.”
Morales describes a clever workaround Heiga devised to deal with the issue. “We create a private Facebook page that is very much a closed group,” he says. “Whenever the artists come in, we give them access, and nobody else can see it.”
Seeing and hearing their livestreams ahead of time puts artists at ease, something Heiga excels at all around. “In terms of the studio, when they’re here, I don’t work with anybody else,” Imbernon stresses. “It’s private.”
The latest AeroCaster update has some features that will see it expanding its role in Heiga’s services. “The recording feature is definitely a game changer,” Morales says. “A lot of the time, artists and marketing teams said they would love to record it so they can mess around with it—take clips and make trailers and teasers.”
"It's more about the experience than anything else. The biggest compliment we get is that it automatically feels like home."
Feels Like Home
From livestreaming techniques to décor, behind every studio decision is Heiga’s unyielding commitment to artists. “We put a lot of attention into having positive art and energy,” Imbernon says. “We see the pressure they’re under, so we try to make sure they are relaxed so they can do a good job.”
Ultimately, creating that nurturing environment is critical. It’s even woven into the studio’s motto, “What we do is more art and soul than science.” Morales agrees. “It’s more about the experience than anything else,” he says. “The biggest compliment we get is that it automatically feels like home.”
