Sound redesign with CRT monitor. I recently took on a personal project: redesigning the sound ...

Sound redesign with CRT monitor.

I recently took on a personal project: redesigning the sound for the 1987 Japanese animated film 'Wicked City'. It’s a cult classic with striking visuals and an eerie atmosphere, and I wanted to see how a modern sound approach might bring a new dimension to it.
For this project, I brought out an old Sony broadcast monitor—one of the Trinitron CRT models that had been sitting in storage for years. I repurposed it as my sound design monitor, and it didn’t disappoint. As soon as it powered on, I was reminded of why these monitors were so highly regarded. The color reproduction is still stunning—rich, deep, and incredibly expressive.
The experience went beyond just image quality. There was something about the CRT’s glow and warmth that fit Wicked City perfectly. The analog character of the monitor seemed to complement the dark, gritty tone of the film, almost as if it were made for it.
After finishing the sound redesign, I ended up watching several other works on the same monitor. Strangely enough, they all felt more engaging, more emotionally resonant. Maybe it’s just nostalgia at play—my own memories tied to the analog era seeping into the experience.
It made me think about how different the viewing experience is today. My daughter, for instance, has never seen a CRT TV in her life. At some point, I want to sit her down in front of this old monitor and show her what it was like—just to see how she responds to a piece of technology that was once the standard, but now feels almost alien.