New York’s Outpost Digital

The control desk at one of the new audio post suites at New York City’s Outpost Digital, featuring gear sourced through GC Pro.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, September 14, 2011 — Outpost Digital, a leading New York City audio and video post production company whose clients include Dodge, Champion, ESPN, Cingular, IKEA and others, recently completed a significant expansion of its facilities on Manhattan’s lower West Side. Thirteen new post suites were added in newly available space on the same floor as the company’s existing facility, five of which are full-service audio post studios. This substantial expansion required careful consideration of new technologies and products that would keep Outpost on the leading edge but also integrate easily and smoothly with existing equipment that the company planned to install in the new studios. Outpost found a great resource in Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users.

The team from GC Pro’s Manhattan location was able to help Outpost make informed decisions and create a plan that brought the new rooms on line quickly and efficiently, and GC Pro helped them choose equipment including an Avid Pro Tools|HD 3 Accel system, Blue Sky MediaDesk 5.1 MKII and Prodesk 2.1 MKIII Active Monitoring systems, Studio Tech StudioComm 78/79 7.1 Surround Controllers and Bryston 3BSST2PRO power amplifiers.

Michael Yorky, Account Manager at GC Pro in New York, understood that Outpost’s expansion needed the kind of service for which GC Pro has become known. In addition to depth of inventory and great prices, Yorky arranged additional support services for Outpost, such as complimentary on-site factory calibration of the Blue Sky monitors, and in other cases arranging Skype video calls between vendors and Outpost staffers. “One of the advantages GC Pro can bring to a client is our long and deep relationships with our vendors,” says Yorky. “We go beyond being a one-stop shop – we have our clients’ backs with this kind of vendor support.”

Randy Main, Chief Engineer at Outpost Digital, offers other examples of how GC Pro was the perfect resource. He cites how Yorky spent time on site, watching and coming to understand Outpost’s workflow patterns and needs. As a result, he suggested the acquisition of the Lynx Aurora 16HD DA/AD converter with an LT-HD Expansion card. The Lynx Aurora 16 DA/AD provides full support for Pro Tools with the expansion slot as well as acting as DA/AD for other applications. “He fulfilled our needs perfectly. We were able to combine our vision for our Pro Tools applications and facility-wide applications into a comprehensive system,” Main explains. “Michael really understood what our workflow was about.”

One of the new post suites at New York City’s Outpost Digital, featuring gear sourced through GC Pro.

He also lauded the fact that GC Pro allowed Outpost to test drive demo systems on site, to see how well they would fit into their workflow. “We went through several choices of control surfaces for the Pro Tools systems, and that ability to test them before making a decision meant we always made the right decisions,” Main says. “We got great advice, great equipment and great prices. So going with GC Pro was the right decision, without a doubt.”

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

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, 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 Provides Advice & Equipment for House-of-Worship

The front-of-house position at the newly opened Sacred Heart Community Center facility at the Knanaya Catholic Congress of Central Florida in Valrico, Florida, featuring lighting and projection technology sourced through GC Pro.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, September 12, 2011 — Every house of worship has its own particular needs, and Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, knows how to meet those criteria better than anyone else. Recently, at the newly opened Sacred Heart Community Center facility at the Knanaya Catholic Congress of Central Florida in Valrico, Florida, and at the Grace Bible Church in Sebring, Florida, the team from GC Pro’s Tampa location designed and supervised the installation of new live sound, acoustical treatment and lighting systems. Notable products included JBL VRX-928 stereo line array PA systems with JBL PRX618XLF subwoofers, Crown XTi 2000 amplifiers, Yamaha LS9-32 digital consoles, Eco-Panel acoustical treatments and Chauvet® LED lighting fixtures. The Sacred Heart Community Center additionally received Altman conventional fresnel and ellipsoidal lighting fixtures. Beyond the deep well of technologies and products that GC Pro brings to the H.O.W. market, it also brings a level of unmatched expertise, like the fact that GC Pro’s Mick Hall, Professional Accounts Manager at the Tampa office, has himself worked in church technology ministry for over 20 years. That combination of great gear, great prices and expertise of the technology and the market make GC Pro the go-to resource for the H.O.W. sector.

“One of the things that characterizes the H.O.W. market is that they often have to work with multi-purpose spaces,” explains Hall. “They’ll need to go from a worship service to a music or theatrical performance to a community function, all in the same room, sometimes in the same day. You need to help them pick the equipment that will let them do that, do it cost-effectively, and not tax their congregation’s ability to operate the equipment. And that’s the GC Pro advantage – we can give them all of that in a turnkey, one-stop package. Because we have access to Guitar Center’s buying power and supply lines, we take the pressure off the customer and give them exactly what they need within their budget.”

The worship space at the Grace Bible Church in Sebring, Florida, featuring JBL VRX-928 stereo line arrays and a variety of other products sourced through GC Pro.

At the Knanaya Catholic Congress of Central Florida, the new Sacred Heart Community Center, which opened in June, was built to accommodate the congregation’s growth. “The new center seats about a thousand, compared to the 200 the previous center held,” says Hall. Working with A/V systems integrator Christian Sound Installation, a member of the GC Pro Certified Affiliate program, GC Pro guided the equipment choices and helped design system layouts that would let the cultural center be used for a variety of applications, including movies shown via the Panasonic PT-DW6300US projector and a 20-foot diagonal motorized DaLite projection screen that can be recessed for concerts and other live performances.

“We purposely recommended the long-throw lens for the projector so that it could be located further away from the stage and keep that area clear for other uses,” Hall explains. “We did the same with the P.A. design; we also chose an Elation Show Designer II lighting control console to give them more flexibility over lighting control.”

James Thomas, Secretary of the Association for Knanaya, was very satisfied with the outcome and GC Pro’s knowledge. “Mick gave us ideas and helped us prioritize our technology choices,” he says. “It turned out to be a great experience, and we’re already enjoying the result.”

Over at Grace Bible Church, GC Pro helped Matt Christian, the church’s Praise & Worship Minister, make similar choices. With a less complex lighting system, they were able to utilize Show Express software that lets them run the lighting from a laptop instead of a console, saving the church considerable cost while keeping control accessible.

“The challenge here, as it often is with houses of worship, was to make the most of a multi-use space,” says Hall. “The design intent was to place all the systems in such a way that they maximized their performance but didn’t have to be moved. That really took advantage of GC Pro as a one-stop solution.”

Minister Christian feels that what GC Pro delivered for the church achieved all of their goals, including great systems for use now and a pathway to upgrade for the future. “We needed up-to-date technology, an expandable strategy going forward, and reliability,” he says. “We got all of that from Mick and GC Pro, along with great pricing.” But best of all, though, Grace Bible Church found a partner. “Mick listened to what we had to say,” Christian says. “Dealing with other vendors was often frustrating – they didn’t listen to what we wanted to do and instead focused on trying to sell us the equipment each of them represented. At GC Pro, we never got that feeling. They listened to us, we got exactly what we needed, and it all turned out great.”

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

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, 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.

Mixer/Producer John O’Mahony

GRAMMY®-nominated mixer and producer John O’Mahony, with his 16-channel AMS Neve Genesys, sourced through GC Pro.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, September 8, 2011 — Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, has supplied GRAMMY®-nominated mixer and producer John O’Mahony with a 16-channel AMS Neve Genesys mixing console outfitted with Encore fader automation. O’Mahony, who works out of his own room at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in New York, is known for his work with artists such as Coldplay, Metric, Alberta Cross, Kashmir and The Cribs. GC Pro is the exclusive U.S. sales channel for the innovative Genesys, a custom-crafted, expandable analog recording console that incorporates digital workstation control.

“When I set about building a smaller setup for myself and owning my own console, I looked around and thought, what’s close to what I love, and what has all the functions that I need?” says O’Mahony. The Genesys proved to be the perfect companion to Pro Tools and the ideal candidate for his new studio. “It’s so forward-thinking in terms of its setup, with DAW control. It’s all there in one package. And it has Encore moving faders, an option that I had installed. I had spent quite a bit of time working on the Neve 88R, which is the big brother of the Genesys. With Genesys I’m able to automate the analog side of things the way that I was accustomed to on the 88R and on Flying Faders, which was the automation system I grew up on.”

As he elaborates, his console purchase was a response both to the recession and to changes in the record industry. “I work with bands from all over the world. Five or ten years ago bands would have flown to town or would have flown me to their town. Now that happens probably for 20 percent of those artists; the rest work via email. So I had to put together a system where I could work on mixes, send them out to clients, get notes back, and get back to working on them quickly.” With Genesys, he says, “I have all of my automation and full-board recall, because the EQs and compressors can be recalled with one button, even though they’re analog. That means that I can come back to a mix with just five minutes of work.”

O’Mahony initially contacted Account Manager Niyi Adelekan, based at GC Pro’s West 14th Street office in Manhattan, for a demo of the Genesys. “I took a song I mixed on a different console, and I did a quick mix of it on the Genesys at GC Pro. I felt, apart from the time-consuming details, I had sonically beaten the other mix in almost a matter of minutes. The Genesys had what I was really hoping for, which is the stereo bus of the 88R – from an audio standpoint it sounds the same to me. It sounded so much better than the console I’d originally mixed that song on.”

He relates that although his new room, which is located on the second floor with a window overlooking Eighth Street, took longer than planned before it was ready, “Niyi was never pushy. Unlike a lot of other dealers, where you feel like you have to avoid their calls after a while, Niyi was always polite and comfortable to talk to. I have to say the guy is fantastic. I never felt any pressure from him; he would just want to make sure I was happy. That’s pretty rare in the industry.”

O’Mahony relocated to New York from his native Ireland in 1998, initially taking a staff position at Chung King Studios before going independent in 2001, and previously operated out of Studio C at Electric Lady. “It has a decent-sized live room and a big lounge and all this space that I wasn’t using – but I was paying for it,” he says, so he decided to scale back. A project with The Submarines in Los Angeles last year also proved to be a revelation, he recounts: “I mixed on a 36-input console and I loved how it came out. I realized I didn’t need all those faders anymore.”

Another huge selling point for the Genesys is its expandability, he continues. “The first day I sat down with Niyi he mapped out how much it would cost in all the different configurations. You can take it up to 64 channels. I don’t see myself going that far, but my intention is to expand to 32 channels.”

But while his days of working on an 80-input console are over, O’Mahony says, working in the box was never an option. “I’ve tried mixing in the box and I felt it wasn’t getting me to where I wanted to be. I need a console just to put electricity into the music, and to sit behind it so I can feel like I’m in a studio.” Plus, he adds, “I started in Ireland when I was 17 and I got my first tape op job. When you’re a kid – I’m in my 30’s now – wanting to do this for a living, the picture you have in your head is sitting behind a big old console with lots of big knobs on it. I’m just not mature enough to give up on that!”

For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.
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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, 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.

Guitar Center Professional Appoints Kurtis Ewing

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, August 9, 2011 — Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, announces the appointment of Kurtis Ewing to the position of Account Manager, based in the company’s Sherman Oaks, California location, effective immediately. In his new position, Ewing will draw on his extensive experience in sound production to help GC Pro expand its presence in the studio, live, post-production and house-of-worship market sectors. The announcement was made by GC Pro Vice President Rick Plushner and further underscores GC Pro’s ongoing commitment to the continuing growth of GC Pro as a turnkey supplier for professional end users.

Ewing brings a wealth of experience in the music production, television and house-of-worship market sectors to the GC Pro team. As a third-generation TV soundman, he knows the unique needs of the Southern California audio industry. With a high level of expertise, Kurtis is passionate about servicing GC Pro’s diverse client base in Los Angeles, including the post-production and composer communities. Ewing has a talent for producing music, and aside from his work in TV sound, he has written music for such hip-hop stars as The Game, Ne-Yo and many more.

“Kurtis, or ‘XL,’ as he’s called, comes to us as a solid veteran of sound production,” stated GC Pro Vice President Rick Plushner. “His ongoing work as a television sound engineer, something that he was exposed to at an early age by his family, places him in a unique position to reach out to the television and film industries to supply equipment and services for their audio needs. And his work as a producer and composer has given him the real-world experience to give musicians and composers the solutions they are looking for. Kurtis is the total package, and we are exited to have him as part of the GC Pro team.”

“Whether you need a specific solution to solve a problem, or want to create a complete world-class studio built from the ground up, GC Pro and I can provide the best options that your budget will allow,” stated Ewing. “I look forward to serving the television and video; and house-of-worship; and music production communities in my position as GC Pro’s latest Account Manager. I am proud to be on board.”

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

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, 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.

Chicago’s Uptown Recording

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, July 28, 2011 — Uptown Recording, named for the boom town that blossomed into the entertainment and cultural center of Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century, has been steadily growing since first establishing its roots in the still-thriving neighborhood over 15 years ago. Outgrowing its original basement location, established in 1995, and moving into a state-of-the-art multi-room facility in 2001, Uptown Recording has long considered Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, its go-to source for pro audio equipment as the studio has grown.

“I call on GC Pro because they've always had the ability to get anything I wanted. If they didn't have it, they found it through their network – and at prices that were cheaper than anywhere else,” says Rob Ruccia, Uptown Recording’s chief engineer. GC Pro always has the studio’s best interest in mind, he adds: “Rather than just sell us stuff, they tell us what our options are and lead us towards the most cost efficient way to keep up. We like to stay on top of things, and so does GC Pro – they are always up on the latest offerings.”

The 5,000-square-foot Uptown facility, which is in a former electronics repair shop, features two studios outfitted with similar equipment, such as Digidesign Control|24 control surfaces and Pro Tools|HD3 Accel DAW rigs with Apogee converters, to allow projects to move easily from one room to the other. Addressing the needs of local and national acts, which account for about 60 percent of the facility’s business, Studio East boasts the larger of the two control rooms, and additionally has an analog focus, featuring a two-inch, 16-track Sony/MCI JH16 tape machine formerly owned by Merle Haggard. The large tracking space encompasses two isolation rooms, and there is also a lounge. To help grow Uptown’s production, voiceover and sound design work for film and television, Studio West is outfitted with a 5.1-surround Genelec monitoring system and plasma screens for video playback.

The control room at Uptown Recording’s Studio West, outfitted with an assortment of gear via GC Pro. Top photo: Uptown's Studio East.

The complement of outboard equipment, a mix of new and vintage signal processors, is also similar in each studio, and includes Empirical Labs, SSL and Universal Audio compressors, for example. Studio East, with its focus on music production, additionally relies on API preamps, EQs and compressors, rather than a large mixing console. Ruccia explains, “Everything in our mindset is ‘the big board is dead.’ Having a giant 80-channel console in our studio is pointless. Instead, we have four channels of classic API, a couple channels of John Hardy, some Avalon equipment, some Universal Audio. We’ve got different flavors for whatever purpose we'll need.” Drawmer, Focusrite and Presonus preamps are also available at the facility.

According to Ruccia, “The John Hardys are a workhorse, and you can use them on just about anything. Also, he is from nearby, so we see him all the time. If anything ever goes wrong, he will come out and fix our gear – he is like a local hero.”

As for microphones, Electro-Voice RE 22, Neumann U87 and TLM 127, Royer phantom powered active ribbon and Sennheiser evolution 900 series models are heavily favored. “The Sennheiser 900 series are amazing on drums. Also, since they are on clips, they save setup time and clutter and are less intrusive to drummers,” Ruccia comments. Available backline gear includes a large variety of vintage amplifiers and drums, a grand piano and a 1950s Hammond organ.

The vibe at the facility, which enjoyed a major makeover in 2006, is still reminiscent of that original basement studio, comments Ruccia, who worked at the studio with his band in late 2001 and never left. “The décor is somewhat ‘basement-like’ – and we do this on purpose. We are going for a less corporate vibe in here because we’re all musicians – we all play in bands in and around the city.”

In addition to the staff’s credentials, Uptown Recording’s location close to historic venues such as The Aragon Ballroom, Riviera Theater, Uptown Theatre and Green Mill Jazz Club – one of the country’s oldest jazz clubs – has also been good for business, Ruccia relates, attracting such nationally acclaimed artists as James Iha, guitarist with the classic lineup of Smashing Pumpkins, and New York-based indie-pop singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. “She had been playing a gig at the Riviera Theatre, and her label called and said she needed to track a couple of things,” Ruccia recalls. “Being close to those national venues is fantastic and has brought us some great opportunities.”

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

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, 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.

Geoff Pillar’s New Electric Thunder

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, July 25, 2011 — After years of carting his collection of outboard gear from one studio to the next, Nashville-based freelance mixer Geoff Pillar opened his first recording studio earlier this year with assistance from Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. Electric Thunder, which opened in January 2011, features a fully automated 16-channel Neve Genesys analog recording console, which Pillar purchased from GC Pro, the exclusive U.S. sales channel for the custom-crafted, innovative desk.

“Chad Evans is my rep, and he’s great. I can go to him for just about anything I need. Not only does he know the product, but I know he’s worked in studios before, so I trust a lot of his recommendations,” says Pillar. He reports that GC Pro also recommended wiring specialists and other contractors to help complete the studio in addition to supplying equipment.

The Neve Genesys, which is fitted with eight channels of dynamics and EQ, is the focal point of the Electric Thunder control room, which measures 30 feet by 15 feet and is served by three mid-size isolation rooms plus two vocal booths for tracking and overdub sessions. Pillar comments, “The Neve Genesys is great. It’s got tons of gain and good headroom and you can really push it like a large format console. The Genesys really seems to shine on everything, especially on piano and electric guitars.”

The main control desk at Geoff Pillar’s new Electric Thunder studio in Nashville, featuring a Neve Genesys console outfitted via GC Pro.

An Avid Pro Tools|HD2 system handles recording and playback and is paired with two Lynx Aurora 16 AD/DA converters. A Universal Audio 2192 master audio interface provides clocking for the Lynx units. Reference monitor choices include a pair of ProAc Studio 100s, Event Opals or classic Yamaha NS10s.

Pillar, who has been accumulating outboard equipment for over a decade, offers Electric Thunder clients a broad palette of signal processing options. Notable pieces include a pair of original Neve 1073 modules, LA-3As, Calrec PQ 15s, Focusrite ISAs and Universal Audio 1176s. A Gates Sta-Level compressor takes pride of place: “These are the original classics, and they get used a lot here,” he points out. A vintage British-made Chilton QM1 discrete, germanium transistor-based analog recording console is available to provide additional tonal variations.

The mic locker at Electric Thunder includes Audio-Technica 4047s, Sennheiser 421s and MKH 40s and Shure SM 57s. But more likely than not Pillar will reach for his Japanese-made Sanken CU 41 mics first. “They get used on just about anything from vocals, to piano, to drum overheads,” he reports.

Pillar comments, “It took me about six months to get everything exactly the way I wanted, solid to the point where I wanted to bring clients in. I wanted to be able to offer a facility that is comfortable and affordable and that has great gear and great ears. It is very inviting and relaxing here, and people know what to expect when they leave. Clients can be sure that their work will translate very well if they take it somewhere else.”

Of his original business plan, he says, “My basic goal was to cater to up-and-coming artists and be able to mold what I have to offer to people with different budgets and price ranges. I wanted to be able to work on good music and get a good product out for bands that don't have a lot of money as well as acts that have label backing.”

Having previously concentrated on independent mix projects, Pillar is enjoying the diversity of the work coming through the door of his new business venture: “As a studio owner, I am able to take part in a lot of projects that I might not have had exposure to had I still been an independent freelancer. I get to meet all sorts of bands and artists I wouldn't have otherwise had a chance to meet.”

There has certainly been no shortage of work since the doors opened, including a session with noted Nashville producer Rogers Masson, he reports. “All of my clients have come through word of mouth and projects just keep coming through the door.”

That said, Pillar looks forward to attracting more long-term projects: “I want to get more instruments and bands in here and cut full albums. I’d like people to camp out for a month and do a record and make Electric Thunder their own. If I can keep the momentum going that I’ve got now, it will be great!”

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

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, 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.

Sterling Microphone Sweepstakes

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, July 20, 2011 — Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, has launched its latest online sweepstakes at www.gcpro.com. The new contest, featuring a Sterling ST69 Multi-Pattern Tube Condenser Microphone, is now live and will run through September 30, 2011, shortly after which a brand new contest will begin.

Several times a year, GC Pro management selects one particular product from a high-end gear manufacturer to feature on the website and give away as that sweepstakes prize. This latest contest features a Sterling ST69 microphone, a $1199.00 value. The ST69 is an excellent choice for recording engineers and musicians looking for a superior studio microphone. A combination of new and traditional technology, blended with Sterling’s Disk Resonator™ system, yields wide frequency response and quick transient response without sacrificing warmth and tone. It is ideal for capturing the full, detailed sound of vocals, acoustic and electric instruments, and drums. And its precision-machined, brushed stainless-steel finish complements the ST69's technical brilliance.

Greg Riggs, Sterling Product Manager, stated, “Sterling proudly sponsors GC Pro’s sweepstakes contest with an ST69 Tube Condenser microphone package. The ST69 studio microphone is equally suitable for a variety of projects from major label work to serious home recording.”

To enter the contest, users simply go to gcpro.com and click on the “Sweepstakes” tab. There, entrants will complete and submit a short entry form. The winner will then be selected at random and contacted after September 30, 2011. Complete rules can be found at gcpro.com. Past sweepstakes have featured products from such manufacturers as Blue, Apogee, Focusrite, JBL, Mackie and SSL.

For more information and complete rules, please visit www.gcpro.com.

About GC Pro Sweepstakes
ELIGIBILITY: This Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the contiguous 48 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, except and excluding Rhode Island, who are eighteen (18) years of age or older as of the day before the start of the Sweepstakes and who had Internet access on or before the day before the start of the Sweepstakes. Void in Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories and possessions and wherever prohibited or restricted by law. Subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws. Employees and agents of Guitar Center Stores, Inc. and each of its respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, and advertising and promotional agencies and their respective officers, directors and agents (collectively, the “Sweepstakes Entities”) and the immediate family members and persons living in the same household of each are not eligible.

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, 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.