Stoneworks Entertainment Upgrades Live Sound Speakers

— GC Pro recommends dBTechnologies DVA T4, offering the right solution in terms of vocal clarity and ease of setup —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, April 7, 2016 — Stoneworks Entertainment is a Pflugerville, Texas-based event production company that provides live sound, lighting and other services for corporate events, performing venues, weddings and anywhere top-quality music and entertainment is needed. Recent upgrades were implemented with the help of Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the business-to-business (B2B) division of Guitar Center providing highly customized service for professional accounts. Stoneworks co-owner Six Sanchez had been wanting to upgrade the speakers in their tour sound PA, and an e-mail from GC Pro Account Manager Sean Robertson set the wheels in motion.

“Not too long ago I received a courtesy e-mail from Sean thanking me for a past purchase and asking if there was anything else he could help me with,” said Sanchez. “Sean is great when it comes to this kind of follow up, and as a matter of fact I had been interested in upgrading to line array speakers. However, I didn’t know if I could afford them or work with them.”

Sanchez had a number of requirements, the foremost being speakers that would excel in vocal reproduction. He also wanted speakers that would be easy to set up and have the high-power handling and flexibility to cover every live sound situation he’d encounter, from outdoor shows to small clubs. He also plays guitar and sings in Texas Unlimited, one of the state’s top regional bands for concerts, parties and events, and he wanted line arrays that Texas Unlimited could add to its tour sound system on bigger dates.

Equally important, the speakers had to be easy to transport and set up. “I don’t have a 20-person crew – I have a two-man crew, one of them being me!” Sanchez was concerned that even though he liked the clarity of line arrays compared to conventional trap box speakers, most of the line arrays he’d seen were labor-intensive to rig and required a lot of cabling.

After going over the available options, Robertson felt that the dBTechnologies DVA T4 powered three-way line array module would be perfect for Sanchez’s needs. He notes, “A three-way loudspeaker like the DVA T4 is ideal for vocal reproduction because the vocal range falls right in the part of the frequency spectrum that is handled by the midrange driver, and the crossover points for the drivers are outside the vocal range. In a two-way speaker, however, the crossover point between the woofer and high-frequency driver falls right in the middle of the vocal range and can affect vocal clarity. A good three-way loudspeaker can deliver vocals with superior purity and incredible focus.”

The dBTechnologies DVA T4 line arrays are designed to make setup simple. Four DVA T4s can be mounted in a single DTF-4 professional flight case. Stoneworks purchased eight DVA T4 arrays and two DTF-4 cases, along with casters and covers for the cases, two dBTechnologies DVA S30N dual-18-inch 3,000-watt powered subwoofers and a number of Live Wire, RapcoHorizon and ProCo cables.

“We leave the DVA T4s in the cases and leave the line arrays all daisy-chained and wired together,” Sanchez said, “so all we have to do is roll the case into place, rig the cases to a fly bar, run one cable from the mixer and connect one power cable.” Depending on the venue, Sanchez can either fly the case or stack it, and either ground-stack or fly the subwoofers.

The DVA T4 and DVZ S30N feature built-in Digipro® Class D amplification with sophisticated DSP and sound-tailoring capabilities. “Not having to carry heavy racks of amplifiers is a big plus – I remember the backbreaking days of amps that weighted one pound per watt!” noted Sanchez. “But even more importantly, the speakers’ and subwoofers’ DSP and programmable crossover points make it really easy for us to dial in the optimum sound for any venue.” The DVA T4 offers eight system presets for high- and low-mid frequency correction and the DVZS30N provides crossover and delay presets plus continuously variable crossover adjustment.

“We were able to offer really attractive pricing for Six,” Robertson pointed out, “and work with dBTechnologies to deliver all the products quickly, in time for a particular gig Six really wanted to use the dBTechnologies line for. In fact, Six was able to upgrade to better subwoofers than what he originally thought he needed because we were able to put together a great package for him that fit within his budget.”

Sanchez concluded, “I couldn’t be happier with the sound we can provide to our clients now that we’ve stepped up to high-quality line arrays. Sean at GC Pro was able to take my idea of the sound I wanted to hear – clear, powerful vocals in any indoor and outdoor venue – and translate that into the recommendation of speakers that not only match but exceed my requirements.”

For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Guitar Center Professional is the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. Its clientele includes recording studios, audio engineers, producers, recording and touring musicians, live sound venues, post production facilities and more. Emphasizing extraordinary individualized service via local account managers, GC Pro offers expert consultation and a comprehensive selection of the world’s finest equipment for music and audio professionals. More information on GC Pro can be found by visiting www.gcpro.com.

GC Pro Appoints Jessica R. Sullivan as Nat'l Sales Mgr

Jessica Sullivan, GC Pro National Sales Manager

— A veteran of the M.I./pro audio industry with a rich background in sales and marketing, Sullivan joins GC Pro management team —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, April 4, 2016 — Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the business-to-business (B2B) division of Guitar Center providing highly customized service for professional accounts, has appointed Jessica R. (Jess) Sullivan to the position of National Sales Manager. The announcement was made by Bradley Johnson, GC Pro Director, and reflects the division’s ongoing efforts to assemble the strongest leadership team possible. In her new position, Sullivan will be responsible for the overall management of the GC Pro Account Managers, developing/growing their overall sales figures through effective management of their clients’ needs. She will also form a working partnership with the Retail Store Managers, District Managers, and Regional Vice Presidents to ensure the success of each Account Manager.

Sullivan is a veteran in sales and marketing and the M.I./pro audio market sectors, having spent 14 years working with numerous manufacturers. She has particular expertise in B2B integrated sales, digital marketing and business development. Her previous positions include Online Marketing Manager at Line 6; Director of Advertising Sales for NewBay Media (Guitar Player, Bass Player, Keyboard, EQ); Director of Business Development for Premier Guitar; Director of Marketing at Musicians Institute; and more.

“It took me a while to find the right person for this position, and I’m glad I waited,” states Bradley Johnson. “Jessica brings a wealth of knowledge in several areas within sales and the industry overall. Her can-do attitude, analytic mind and idea generation are just some of the masterful skills she brings to this position. I’m thrilled to have Jess be a part of the GC Pro team and look forward to her contributions in taking us to the next level as the professional choice for all AVL needs in the industry and the business verticals we serve.”

Sullivan remarks, “I’m excited to join the team at GC Professional and add to their existing foundation of being client-focused and serving multiple business verticals. Throughout my time in the industry, my motto has always been if I can fix things and help people, then I’m in the right place. I’ve been fortunate enough to live this motto throughout my career in this industry, from advising over 200 clients on what the right marketing strategy was for them, to tackling issues on improving student acquisition and experience. Now at GC Pro, I have the opportunity to work with over 50 Account Managers nationwide to take their abilities to the next level while implementing strategies to increase the customer experience. With these exciting initiatives in front of me, GC Pro offers me an opportunity to do what I do best, and for me, that makes it the right place.”

“We are extremely happy to have Jessica join our team,” adds Larry Gerber, Vice President of Services and Business Development at Guitar Center, Inc. “With her experience and aptitude we look forward to her leading our Guitar Center Professional division to new heights as we continue our quest to be the premier audio, video and lighting solution experience in the nation.”

For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Guitar Center Professional is the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. Its clientele includes recording studios, audio engineers, producers, recording and touring musicians, live sound venues, post production facilities and more. Emphasizing extraordinary individualized service via local account managers, GC Pro offers expert consultation and a comprehensive selection of the world’s finest equipment for music and audio professionals. More information on GC Pro can be found by visiting www.gcpro.com.

Calvary Community Church Chooses the Right Console

The Avid® VENUE | S6L console setup at FOH at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, CA.

— GC Pro helps Calvary Community Church find exactly the audio mixing platform they needed to handle live FOH mixing and recording —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, March 31, 2016 — Launched in 1976 in a Hungry Tiger restaurant in Thousand Oaks, California, the Calvary Community Church moved into its 235,000-square-foot building on a 17-acre site in nearby Westlake Village in 1999 and have kept on growing ever since, now seeing an attendance of about 3,500 people each Sunday. One of the hallmarks of the church’s success has been careful management of capital costs, something that extends to its AV systems infrastructure. And just as the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, the road to replacing major sound and video platforms at the church began with the decision to replace its aging FOH console last year. For that, they enlisted the aid of Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the business-to-business (B2B) division of Guitar Center providing highly customized service for professional accounts, which was brought into the decision process at a point when the church leaders thought they had already come to a final decision.

“The console they had decided upon was a fantastic desk, but it also would have made it difficult to achieve all of their goals for the new console,” explains Neil Penninger, the Account Executive based at GC Pro’s Los Angeles location. “Part of what they were looking to do was increase the I/O count and facilitate recording directly to a Pro Tools system. The interface on the console they were considering would have made that complicated.”

Instead, Penninger recommended an Avid® VENUE | S6L, a modular system with onboard industry-standard plug-ins and Pro Tools integration. “We arranged for Avid to come out and put on a special semi-private demo — one of the first in Southern California for this console,” says Penninger. “The church leaders were all very impressed.” He pointed out how this console allowed them to have 64 channels of Pro Tools recording and playback and put it all on a single strand of AVB-networked Ethernet cable. “The console is also very user-friendly to operate, which is important to a church that often brings in outside acts with their own FOH engineers to run sound,” he says.

John King, the Pastor for Worship Arts at Calvary Community Church, says what GC Pro was also able to do was offer a better long-range strategic solution for them. “We’ve been using two of the consoles by the manufacturer of the first console we had been considering, because we were familiar with its operation,” he recalls. “But what Neil showed us is that the Avid was a platform that would continue to evolve, that it was an ecosystem that would be with us for five or ten years because it would be more upgradable. That kind of thinking is important for a church because of the need to spend so carefully.”

King says they’re looking forward to working with GC Pro over the next several years. “Every sale isn’t just a transaction — it’s the building block for a bigger, long-term relationship that benefits all of us,” says Penninger. “That’s what we do at GC Pro — build relationships.”

For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Guitar Center Professional is the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. Its clientele includes recording studios, audio engineers, producers, recording and touring musicians, live sound venues, post production facilities and more. Emphasizing extraordinary individualized service via local account managers, GC Pro offers expert consultation and a comprehensive selection of the world’s finest equipment for music and audio professionals. More information on GC Pro can be found by visiting www.gcpro.com.

Recording Academy® Producers & Engineers Wing®

Avid Product Rep Mario de Arce (left), demonstrating Avid’s upcoming compact control surface, "Dock," along with an Avid S3 console to noted hip-hop producer 9th Wonder. Photo courtesy of The Recording Academy®. © 2016.

— Recent events include the P&E Wing’s 9th Annual GRAMMY Week® Celebration honoring Rick Rubin at the Village Studios in West Los Angeles, where GC Pro served as Supporting Sponsor —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, March 28, 2016 — Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the business-to-business (B2B) division of Guitar Center providing highly customized service for professional accounts, continues to be a proud supporter of The Recording Academy® Producers & Engineers Wing® and its events. Working closely with the P&E Wing on events both large and small, and as the vendor of choice for many of the P&E Wing’s members, GC Pro has been a loyal sponsor and supporter of the organization for well over a decade.

Recently, the industry gathered at the P&E Wing’s annual GRAMMY Week® event, held this year at the Village Studios in West Los Angeles. The event kicked off GRAMMY Week by honoring individuals who strive for audio excellence and, as described by Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow who have "championed creative freedom throughout their career.” The event also celebrated the career of GRAMMY®-winning producer Rick Rubin, this year’s recipient of The Recording Academy President's Merit Award. Representatives from a large range of top manufacturers, services and organizations were in attendance, and GC Pro served as a Supporting Sponsor for the evening.

At the Village event, GC Pro took the exclusive opportunity to display Avid’s upcoming compact control surface, "Dock," along with an Avid S3 console, at its booth space. Pairing the S3 with the Dock gives music makers an incredibly powerful editing system in a very small footprint. GC Pro also supported the GRAMMY Awards, which took place the following week, by providing a set of Dynaudio AIR 15 reference monitors for use on-site at the Staples Center in the P&E Wing Lounge, located adjacent to the Music Mix Mobile (M3) remote broadcast trucks.

“GC Pro is a long-time supporter of The Recording Academy and the P&E Wing, because their goals and values align with GC Pro’s,” stated Derek Snyder, GC Pro Manager of Strategic Development. “Dedication to high-quality audio, supplying professionals with the tools they need, and advocating for best practices are just a few of the initiatives that we find to be of tremendous value, and GC Pro proudly continues our long-term relationship with the Wing.”

For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Guitar Center Professional is the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. Its clientele includes recording studios, audio engineers, producers, recording and touring musicians, live sound venues, post production facilities and more. Emphasizing extraordinary individualized service via local account managers, GC Pro offers expert consultation and a comprehensive selection of the world’s finest equipment for music and audio professionals. More information on GC Pro can be found by visiting www.gcpro.com.

Yamaha Montage Exclusive Preview at GC Pro

Yamaha has a new flagship synthesizer that builds on the legacy of their industry-leading synths like the DX and the Motif... and you can be among the first to check it out in person.

On Thursday March 31 at Guitar Center Hollywood, we're hosting a special exclusive preview of the new Yamaha Montage Synth. It sets the next milestone for synthesizers with sophisticated dynamic control, massive sound creation and streamlined workflow, all combined in a powerful keyboard designed to inspire your creativity. Composers, sound designers, and serious synth geeks alike will not want to miss this free event. Join GC Pro and Yamaha factory expert Blake Angelos for this exclusive first look.

Three time slots are available, and we request that you RSVP at the appropriate link below to join us.

Guitar Center Hollywood
7425 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 874-1060

RSVP NOW: MARCH 31, 11AM

RSVP NOW: MARCH 31, 1PM

RSVP NOW: MARCH 31, 3PM

New Sound System for Legendary Jazz Club Blues Alley

The entrance of legendary Washington, D.C. venue Blues Alley.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, March 2, 2016 — Blues Alley is one of the country’s most prestigious jazz clubs. Since 1965 the legendary Washington, D.C. venue has hosted a who’s who of jazz greats including Sarah Vaughan, Sonny Rollins, Tony Bennett, McCoy Tyner and dozens more. For around 360 nights a year, aficionados can hear the greatest stars in jazz in an intimate setting that feels like a large living room. Until recently, however, the venue was using an older sound system that needed an upgrade, which was achieved thanks to Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the business-to-business (B2B) division of Guitar Center providing highly customized service for professional accounts.

Blues Alley was in need of a new soundboard and was referred to Scott Schwartz, GC Pro Account Manager based at the division’s Rockville, MD location. Schwartz impressed them with his knowledge and professionalism, giving several recommendations, and even working with brand reps to allow the club to get hands-on experience in practical application by sourcing sample units to use in the club. So when it was time to upgrade the rest of the system, in preparation for the club's 50th anniversary, a call back to GC Pro and Scott Schwartz was a no-brainer. "Scott understood our needs, recognized our challenges and immediately had a team together, ready to get started,” says the club's Operations Director Kris Ross. Schwartz told Ross "You're a world-renowned venue, and I know we can make your system better." The club agreed and gave GC Pro the contract.

Schwartz worked hand-in-hand with installation firm Koko Brothers Entertainment, a longtime member of the GC Pro Affiliate Program. This program includes a growing number of award-winning companies and individuals who specialize in key areas of professional audio system design, integration and installation.

“The overriding consideration was that the system had to sound natural and complementary to the mostly acoustic instruments used in jazz, and to vocalists,” said Schwartz. “Blues Alley needed a system that would enhance the sound of the performers, not impose its own sonic signature over everything.”

The new audio components include a total of five QSC AD-S12 (2-way 12-inch), AD-S8T (2-way 8-inch) surface-mount and AD-S82YM (2-way 12-inch) yoke-mount loudspeakers, powered by QSC PLD4.3 and PLD4.2 four-channel processing amplifiers with built-in DSP. A Shure ULDX24D/SM58 dual-channel handheld digital wireless microphone system, Behringer X32 digital console and Whirlwind MS3210XL 100-foot 32-channel snake complete the main system. In addition, two AD-S82YM speakers are installed in the kitchen area with another AD-S82YM speaker located outside.

A view of the stage at legendary Washington, D.C. venue Blues Alley, with one of five QSC AD-S12 (2-way 12-inch) loudspeakers visible – part of the extensive AV upgrade sourced through Guitar Center Professional.

“We had to overcome significant acoustic, architectural and logistical challenges, not the least of which was having to get the system installed in one day over Labor Day weekend!” noted Angelo Kokkinakos, who with his brother Lou owns and operates Koko Brothers. “There’s a narrow ‘alley’ of seating at stage left, and wider, shallower seating at the center and right. The ceiling is very low and there are two columns in the middle of the room that affect the acoustics. We had to configure the system to ensure there was even coverage everywhere even though the seating of room is so non-symmetrical.”

To this end, representatives from QSC collaborated with GC Pro and Koko Brothers in the design phase of the project. The team determined the AD-S12 speaker would be the best choice to cover the long, narrow ‘alley’ at stage left, while a combination of AD-S8T and AD-S82YM speakers would be ideal for the center and right seating areas. “We were able to turn the potential disadvantage of the two poles into a benefit, as they proved to be good locations for mounting the AD-S82YM yoke-mount speakers,” noted Kokkinakos.

Integrating the main speakers with the ceiling-mounted subwoofer might have been difficult if not impossible if not for the QSC amplifiers’ built-in DSP. “The amps’ built-in presets made them almost plug-and-play in matching them to the main speakers,” said Kokkinakos. “We had to use some serious DSP to get the subwoofer integrated and EQ’ed with the rest of the system, which in fact took the most time. However, the amps’ extensive speaker management and time-alignment capabilities made it possible.” The amplifiers are configured into various zones, which further enabled each amp to be optimized to each speaker.

“The sound is dramatically better with the new system,” said Kokkinakos. “The intelligibility coming off the mics is far improved, and visiting front-of-house engineers love it. And even though the speakers are small and sleek, they cover the entire room, and the sound is smooth and even no matter where you’re sitting.”

For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Guitar Center Professional is the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. Its clientele includes recording studios, audio engineers, producers, recording and touring musicians, live sound venues, post production facilities and more. Emphasizing extraordinary individualized service via local account managers, GC Pro offers expert consultation and a comprehensive selection of the world’s finest equipment for music and audio professionals. More information on GC Pro can be found by visiting www.gcpro.com.

Junkie XL Outlines His Workflow Built with the Help of GC Pro

Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, February 3, 2016 — Tom Holkenborg, also known as Junkie XL or JXL, is one of the top film composers working today, and he took a unique route to get there – aided in part by the sourcing power and expertise of Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the business-to-business (B2B) division of Guitar Center providing highly customized service for professional accounts. Having achieved worldwide success as electronic artist Junkie XL, licensing music to video games, films and commercials, and topping the charts in 24 countries with his remix of Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation,” he decided it was time for a change. Twelve years ago, the Dutch multi-instrumentalist, remixer, producer and engineer relocated to Los Angeles to add a “film composer” credit to his name. And the move was attempted somewhat naively, admits Holkenborg. “I came here and said, ‘Let’s score movies!’ I sat in with Harry Gregson-Williams — still one of my favorite film composers — and saw how he worked, how he combines the orchestra with other elements, and how he dealt with meetings with the studios, and I realized that it is not as easy as it looks.”

So Holkenborg decided to take a back seat, working as an assistant for various composers while also composing music for projects as they came. And more and more came in, and Holkenborg steadily built a reputation as one of the hardest-working and talented composers in Hollywood. By 2015, those 12 years of hard work have more than paid off, with composer credits on several major motion pictures: for example, Run All Night, Mad Max: Fury Road, Black Mass, Kill Your Friends, and Point Break just in 2015 alone. As 2016 gets underway, his music will be heard in Deadpool and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, with more to come as the year progresses.

The point at which a film composer is brought into a project can vary. “I’m now working on a science fiction movie that comes out in a year or so; I got the script in March 2014. Fury Road I got almost two years ago,” he says. “But then there are movies like 300: Rise of an Empire or Black Mass that come in five weeks ahead. That’s a whole different set of challenges.” If no film has been shot yet, he says, “If you’ve got a script your head takes you to places that are not connected to the images yet. I start to think about the story and what would fit the characters and the movie.” Initially, he says, he would read a script, put it down, and immediately start working. But now, “I tend to take more time to think about it. At a certain point it starts playing in my head, which comes after years of making music. Then I start working.”

Holkenborg and his family recently moved into a house in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley, converting an entire wing into a series of studios, including his main writing and mixing room, which features two enormous modular synthesizers. “I’m particularly fond of rooms that have a liveliness to them, like this room,” he says. “When I mix here, at first it sounds very cluttered because of the reverb and slapback, but if I can get a mix really tight in this room then it will sound really awesome in a theater.”

As for a DAW, “I’ve been going between Cubase, Pro Tools, and Logic since the beginning of time. For the last three and a half years it has been Cubase. It’s been really wonderful; I’ve been able to build a massive template that runs really smoothly. The Cubase machine is a super-fast PC. Linked to that are six server units running VSL [Vienna Symphonic Library] Pro. Cubase comes with a ridiculous amount of plug-ins, so I pretty much have everything that’s available.” He continues, “The speakers are very important to me. I’ve had the Dynaudio AIR 25s almost 14 years. They really work for me. I get good mixes out of them, and it’s a pleasure to listen to them for a long period of time.” Holkenborg also has racks of hardware, including a pair of early-1980s Yamaha REV7 reverbs and a Korg DRV-3000 multi-processor, but notes, “Outboard gear is essentially irrelevant when it comes to working in-the-box. But it’s super important when creating sounds or during recording.”

GC Pro has been a key partner throughout. Holkenborg notes, “I've known Derek Snyder [currently Director, GC Pro Business Development] at GC Pro for 14 years now. He has always had my back for any technical or gear challenge that I have faced. To have a relationship like that is very important to me. It keeps the creative energy flowing. Whether its guitars, amps, software or hardware, I always rely on his expertise.”

He has no standard approach to composing: “I love to be as original as I can. I usually end up with a score that is quite left of center.” But composing music for motion pictures is not like making a record, he stresses. “It’s not about the music, it’s about the film. Your prime responsibility is to enhance the film and come up with something that really fits the film.” Once he is confident with his direction and has some music recorded, Holkenborg sends what he calls his sketchbook to the film director. “As a music product it’s finished, but it’s a sketchbook in the sense that I want to show my ideas to the director. We’ll use that as a template. I’ll ask, do you recognize your movie in this? It’s not even to picture. We start a discussion. I’ll take chunks of the music and rework it to a scene and see the director’s response. It’s teamwork. There are people who think that the composer can determine what’s going to happen in a film score. That’s not true — the director steers the ship.”

For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Guitar Center Professional is the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. Its clientele includes recording studios, audio engineers, producers, recording and touring musicians, live sound venues, post production facilities and more. Emphasizing extraordinary individualized service via local account managers, GC Pro offers expert consultation and a comprehensive selection of the world’s finest equipment for music and audio professionals. More information on GC Pro can be found by visiting www.gcpro.com.