WheelPower Studio Biking Fitness Center (Deerfield, IL)

WheelPower Studio in Deerfield, Illinois, featuring audio and lighting systems sourced through Guitar Center Professional. Photo courtesy of Evie Steege.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, June 15, 2016 — Fitness centers may not be the first thing people associate with Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the business-to-business (B2B) division of Guitar Center providing highly customized service for professional accounts, but in fact GC Pro has supplied audio and lighting systems to several exercise facilities, for instance, through its long-standing working relationship with Atlanta-based Indoor Cycle Design. The company specializes in creating and outfitting indoor biking studios, including one of its latest projects, the just-completed WheelPower Studio in Deerfield, Illinois.

Tracy Chudnow, “chief sweat officer” of WheelPower worked hand in hand with Barbara Chancey Hoots of Indoor Cycle Design, Ryan Nigh and Jonah Joffe (Account Managers at GC Pro) and Mike Love of GC Pro’s Affiliates Program partner Accutronics LLC, in bringing the project to the finish line. WheelPower is GC Pro’s first fitness-center installation in the Chicago area. It has a unique interior design with a main exercise room that features tiered banks of indoor cycles in a stadium-seating arrangement, complemented by a sound system that Nigh points out “can rock the house with more SPL than most nightclubs and bars,” programmable LED lighting along the ceiling perimeter and two video screens.

“Chudnow and Hoots wanted to create an exciting, adrenaline-pumping atmosphere that had more in common with a rock concert or dance club than your typical static gym environment,” said Nigh. “The instructor can instantly tailor the music and lighting and the video screens can display the performance of the cyclists in real time.”

WheelPower’s four zones of distributed audio and lighting – main “cycle stadium” room, strength-training room, locker room and reception area – are all controlled by a unique custom instructor’s podium at the center of the cycle stadium, designed and built by systems integrator and acoustical consultant Accutronics.

The podium houses all the audio and lighting control gear and enables the instructor to operate all audio and video sources and lighting via laptop. “The podium is completely custom,” noted Nigh. “Mike Love had it custom built. It’s really a functional work of art.” In addition, wall controllers mounted throughout the facility enable adjustment of volume and source selection.

WheelPower Studio in Deerfield, Illinois, featuring audio and lighting systems sourced through Guitar Center Professional. Photo courtesy of Evie Steege.

At the heart of the installation is a Rane HAL DSP platform for distributed audio, paging and room combining. The system’s HAL 1X multiprocessor utilizes Cat5 cable to send audio and control signals over long distances.

A total of 17 QSC AD-S10T (2-way 10-inch), AD-S8T (2-way 8-inch) and AD-S6T (2-way 6-inch) surface-mount loudspeakers are mounted on ceiling brackets throughout the facility, and the speakers in the main room are angled at the tiered rows of cycles to provide smooth, even coverage for every rider. The speakers are driven by QSC PLD4.3, PLD 4.2 and GX5 power amps. A QSC KW181 18-inch, 1,000-watt subwoofer can deliver up to 135dB peak SPL of low-frequency impact to the main room and a QSC AD-S112SW sub handles the bass for the strength-training room.

20 Chauvet COLORband3 IRC strip lights are mounted along the ceiling, providing striking lighting effects including RGB color mixing and three control zones that can be synced to the system’s Elation DR-PRO RACK DRP665 DMX lighting controller. A Shure BLX14/SM31 headworn wireless mic system ensures that the instructor can be heard over the sound system.

To say that everyone was under pressure during the project would be like pointing out that the Tour de France is an important bike race. “The irony that we were racing against time to get a cycle studio completed was not lost on anyone,” Nigh said. “The installation simply had to get done by WheelPower’s April grand opening.” Love and the Accutronics crew had to work after hours so that the other contractors could complete their work during the day. “If any of them delayed, that cut into our allotted time,” Love pointed out. “We wound up working 16 to 18-hour days.”

Adding to the challenge, WheelPower Studio is located in a strip mall in between a hair salon… and a mattress store. Love noted, “If you’ve ever been to a mattress store you know it has to be dead-quiet – and here we were installing a system that could hit a high volume! Ryan did a great job with specifying the acoustic treatment in the wall – you can put your hand on the wall and not even feel the slightest vibration.”

“Considering all the challenges, in particular having to conform to the extremely strict Illinois electrical codes and the acoustical requirements, the actual installation itself went very smoothly,” Love said. “The Cat5 connectivity of the Rane components really saved time and labor and they worked exactly as specified, the QSC speakers could not have been easier to mount and GC Pro was top-notch in recommending the right products for the job and making sure we got them on time.”

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.

Installations, System Upgrades at Chicago-Area Restaurants

Red Star Cocktail Lounge in Chicago’s south side, featuring sound and lighting design from Guitar Center Professional in collaboration with GC Pro affiliate Accutronics.

— GC Pro brought its sourcing acumen and pricing power together with a trusted installation and integration partner from its Affiliates Program to provide the owner of The Island Sports Bar & Grill and the new Red Star restaurant and lounge with the kind of sound and lighting that helps set them apart —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, April 11, 2016 — Adam Shorter thought he needed a few speakers for his new Red Star restaurant and lounge on Chicago’s storied South Side. What he ended up with was a sound and lighting design for both Red Star Cocktail Lounge and his existing Island Sports Bar & Grill that puts both venues miles ahead of the competition, done on time and within budget, thanks to the resources of Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the business-to-business (B2B) division of Guitar Center providing highly customized service for professional accounts.

“Adam came into the Chicago Guitar Center store looking for help with his new bar, Red Star, which was then under construction,” recalls Ryan Nigh, GC Pro Account Manager based in Chicago. “He needed a sound system very quickly and was going to just purchase a few speakers when the store associate told him about Guitar Center Professional and our installation services. We scheduled a meeting with Adam, brought in Accutronics, one of our long-time Affiliate partners, and together we designed a custom PA solution that we were ready to install in less than a week.”

Mike Love, Owner of Accutronics, says Shorter appreciated the nuance he was able to bring to the project. “We want the sound to be great but not to interfere with the look of the venue, so we did things like using the JBL Control 60 series pendant speakers that are suspended instead of attaching speakers to the wall on brackets,” he explains, noting that the system is powered by Crown XLS amplifiers and controlled through a dbx® Driverack, all supplied through GC Pro. “GC Pro was able to get every piece of equipment we needed to the job site on time or even ahead of schedule, so that we were able to make Mr. Shorter’s grand opening date in early December.”

In fact, the project was going so well that Shorter asked GC Pro and Accutronics to upgrade the lighting in his other venue, the Island Sports Bar & Grill, in Blue Island, also on Cook County’s South Side, including fixtures from American DJ, Chauvet and Elation.

Shorter says he was extremely pleased with how GC Pro and Accutronics approached his venues’ needs. “They were responsive, always there, and they took the time to explain in detail everything they were recommending, so I never felt like I was out of the loop,” says Shorter. “And the results are fantastic. When I start getting ready to open my third location later this year, I’ll be doing that with GC Pro. I couldn’t imagine not using them again. That’s how good this experience was.”

“By using GC Pro services, both of his clubs have a professional setup that was designed specifically for the space, and both locations were completed before Christmas,” says Nigh. “What I really appreciated is that he embraced the idea of a first-rate sound system for Red Star. We put a VRX sub, which is JBL’s touring sub, in the ceiling, so it’s a sound system that really stands out in terms of quality. In a lot of ways he is the perfect customer, because he understands quality. And that makes GC Pro the perfect vendor for him, because quality is all we know.”

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.

Seacrets: King of the Virtual Beach

Seacrets, a nightclub, bar, restaurant and concert venue located in Ocean City, MD, recently upgraded with audio and lighting systems sourced through Guitar Center Professional. Photos courtesy of Jason Cruz/Seacrets. © 2015.

— Sprawling Ocean City, Maryland entertainment venue Seacrets renovated their music stages over the winter in preparation for a big summer, and GC Pro was their go-to source for audio, video and lighting —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, October 20, 2015 — Seacrets is a nightclub, bar, restaurant and concert venue located in Ocean City, MD, beside the Isle of Wight Bay. Opened as a “locals only” bar in 1988, it has since grown exponentially, now consisting of 16 bars, four performance areas, a clothing boutique, and an FM/Internet radio station located on the property, all with its “Jamaica USA” theme still intact. And the aesthetics of the place match that: live reggae DJs start at 10 a.m. every day, the restaurant features plenty of jerk chicken, and every year dozens of palm trees are planted and maintained for the summer season. In fact, summer is Seacrets’ biggest season, running each year from St. Patrick’s Day through Halloween, and this year’s summer sounded and looked better than ever, thanks to audio and lighting systems sourced through Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the business-to-business (B2B) division of Guitar Center providing highly customized service for professional accounts.

Using GC Pro’s extensive inventory and resources, AV Manager Jason Cruz was able to acquire all new systems for the Beach, Old Main Bar and Pier stages. These include a 64-channel Soundcraft Si Performer digital console, four new Crown XTI 6000 series amplifiers to beef up the existing PA systems, JBL Control series in-ceiling speakers and ASB subwoofers to extend the reach and range of the music, a Shure ULXS wireless microphone system and wireless PSM in-ear monitors, dbx® DriveRack DSP, Chauvet Rogue spotlight, Elation moving-head fixtures and American DJ Vortex moving washes. It’s a long list, and only GC Pro was able to provide a one-stop source for all of it.

“I have to replace some products and systems fairly often because the sand gets in there and it’s brutal on some pieces of gear,” says Cruz, who started at Seacrets in 2009 as a DJ and now supervises the AVL for the entire operation, even as he keeps his hand in spinning records at times. “Having GC Pro as a partner is a necessity, to be able to get what we need, when we need it, at a good price.” But GC Pro is more than that for Seacrets and Cruz. “I totally trust Mitch to let me know what the best product and system choices would be for any of the venues,” he adds, referring to GC Pro Account Manager Mitch Shaivitz at GC Pro's Baltimore-area office. “As the AV Manager, I’m expected to know everything about everything, and that’s impossible, so I rely on Mitch to fill in my knowledge gaps.”

Seacrets, a nightclub, bar, restaurant and concert venue located in Ocean City, MD, recently upgraded with audio and lighting systems sourced through Guitar Center Professional. Visible are JBL Control series in-ceiling speakers. Photos courtesy of Jason Cruz/Seacrets. © 2015.

One example of how GC Pro made a difference instead of just a sale is Shaivitz’s recommendation of the Shure in-ear monitors to replace stage wedges at the Beach stage. That not only eliminated another piece of equipment that would be exposed to the wear and tear of sand but also helped bands keep their stage volume in check, keeping the sound inside the venue and away from neighboring houses. “He also helped us make the transition to LED lighting, which resists sand better than conventional lights,” he says. Seacrets’ next season will also see a trip to GC Pro over the winter for new Crown amplifiers for the main concert hall. “GC Pro has made my life easier and Seacrets’ experience better,” says Cruz. “It would be hard to be this good without them.”

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.

Bellevue Christian Center (Bellevue, Nebraska)

The Bellevue Christian Center, in Bellevue, Nebraska, featuring new audio, video and lighting solutions sourced through Guitar Center Professional and installed by Whiteley Solutions.

— AV systems integrator Whiteley Solutions relied on GC Pro to execute a lengthy and varied equipment list for a Nebraska church that needed to renovate two auditorium spaces over a strict timeline —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, September 24, 2015 — The Bellevue Christian Center, in Bellevue, Nebraska, had a big project to tackle: the renovation of an auditorium that would be used as a temporary sanctuary so its existing sanctuary could also be renovated. It was a huge project, one that generated a lengthy equipment list for audio, video and lighting, and one that would require every item from that list to arrive exactly on time, to keep to the project timeline and to assure that the congregation would have a suitable sanctuary every Sunday during the renovations. That’s why the AV systems integrator on the project, Whiteley Solutions, turned to Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. “We knew they’d have what we needed, and they’d have it on site when we needed it,” says Zach Anthony, the Senior Systems Engineer at Whiteley Solutions.

The equipment list was substantial and included lighting systems from Martin, Chauvet, Altman and Elation; audio products from Yamaha, RCF, Sennheiser and AKG®; and video platforms from manufacturers including Vaddio, Blackmagic Design and Da-Lite. The project was scheduled for two phases, the first taking some audio and acoustical products into the church’s auditorium to allow it to be used to hold Sunday services. Once that was done, the work switched to the existing sanctuary, where the vast majority of the equipment purchased through GC Pro would be utilized.

GC Pro’s depth of inventory and logistical capabilities were crucial to the project’s success, says Anthony. “We’re a young contender in the AV industry,” he says, referring to the very recent merger of Whiteley Solutions with another regional AV systems integration company. “What GC Pro gives us for complex projects like this is a one-stop vendor that can supply us with everything we needed on this job — every part, every product, every bolt. And they can do it at competitive prices. And on a project like this, time is critical. They simplified the process for us and the client.”

GC Pro also supported the project by taking care of the logistics, arranging for shipping from Dallas to the suburban Omaha job site. Jeff McDaniel, the GC Pro Account Manager that Anthony worked with, says this is what GC Pro does every day. “We have the broadest selection of equipment in the business, so even the esoteric items are able to be sourced immediately,” he explains. “And GC Pro has locations all over the country, so getting it to a remote job location on time isn’t a problem. There’s no other company that can offer that level of service.”

Zach Anthony agrees — the Bellevue Christian Center project was scheduled to finish on time, with the opening on June 7. “I’ve been working closely with GC Pro for five years, and they have never let me down,” he says. “It’s been a rewarding relationship, for me and for my clients.”

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 Professional Helps Strike 10 Roll a Perfect Game

Strike 10 Bowling & Sports Lounge in Hallandale Beach, Florida, featuring fantastic sound and lighting, thanks to Guitar Center Professional and GC Pro Affiliate Program member Automated Interiors Inc.

— The GC Pro location serving south Florida brought its powerful sourcing and Affiliate Program to bear on a novel concept that synthesizes a Miami nightclub with a bowling alley, giving it a South Beach-style touch for sound and lights —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, June 24, 2015 — Strike 10 Bowling & Sports Lounge is the latest addition to the sleek and sprawling Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. By day, it’s a family fun center, a hub for children’s birthday parties and bar/bat mitzvah celebrations. At night, it can transform into an experience attraction for adults, with a full bar and DJ booth as well as bowling. But whatever mode it’s in, Strike 10 Bowling & Sports Lounge is awash in fantastic sound and lighting, thanks to Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. The Hallandale office of GC Pro, which serves all of south Florida, brought its huge product-sourcing capability to bear on the sound and lighting for Strike 10, in addition to its Affiliate Program, which matches clients and projects with the most appropriate AVL systems integrators to install and commission those products. In this case, GC Pro brought in Automated Interiors Inc., of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to install sound equipment, including 44 JBL Control Series ceiling speakers and subwoofers powered by Crown CDI 1000 and CDI 2000 amplifiers, and a large array of lighting including Chauvet® Nexus LED washes and LED displays, a Gobo Shot LED projector and a Rouger moving-head fixture. Live bands will also be able to crank it up at Strike 10 thanks to the comprehensive Acousti-Block sound management materials installed at the lounge.

“Fantastic is the word I would use for how this turned out,” comments Moises Jafif, part-owner of Strike 10 and part of a team that pioneered the bowling alley/lounge concept at several locations in Mexico before bringing it to the U.S. with the 15,000-squre-foot Hallandale site, which opened in March of this year. “The experience of working with GC Pro was spectacular from day one. They really know their stuff.”

Jafif says that while the main components of Strike 10 are the same as the locations in Mexico, he wanted to adapt the theme for the Miami area. That’s where GC Pro came in. Working with sources at HARMAN and Chauvet, as well as Automated Interiors, GC Pro Account Manager Ricardo Cintron-Jimenez chose products that would realize Jafif’s vision for Strike 10. For instance, a key strategic idea was the decision to install all-white furniture, floors and walls — even an all-white bar — which literally creates a blank canvas for the Nexus wash lighting fixtures, allowing the space to change hues and create entirely new environments to fit the moment, whether it’s a kids’ party or late-night ladies-night out. “It’s a unique feature,” says Cintron-Jimenez. “The all-white furniture, bar, floors and walls acquire the color of choice, from the Nexus lighting fixtures, changing the atmosphere at will.” GC Pro also supplied backline equipment for live music and for a DJ booth, which the acoustical treatments will also enhance by controlling the volume.

The bar at Strike 10 Bowling & Sports Lounge in Hallandale Beach, Florida, featuring fantastic sound and lighting, thanks to Guitar Center Professional and GC Pro Affiliate Program member Automated Interiors Inc.

Daniel Roller, President of Automated Interiors, says the project turned out so well thanks in large part to GC Pro’s depth of inventory and access to a wide range of brands. “The client was adamant about wanting Chauvet lighting,” says Roller. “And GC Pro has a huge array of brand choices when it comes to lighting and everything else, so we were able to get the client exactly what they wanted. It’s one of the things about working with them that makes my job easier.” Roller was also enthusiastic about his ongoing relationship with GC Pro’s Affiliate Program. “We’re mutually supportive of each other,” he says. “We find ways to create more value than by working alone, which was evident on this project, which really turned out cool.”

Jafif agrees. “It has the flash you need for Miami,” he says, “And the place sounds as good as it looks. Ricardo was always there for us. He took us to different showrooms so we could check out equipment. We have eleven lanes — the idea is to keep it feeling very exclusive and special, and GC Pro picked out products that were in line with that goal. The customer service was spectacular. We actually became pretty close with the staff at GC Pro.” That’s good, because GC Pro is a national presence and Jafif plans to open additional Strike 10 venues, already scouting locations in the South and the Northeast. “We’re really comfortable with GC Pro, so they’re the ones we’d turn to,” he says.

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.

Guitar Center Professional Helps Outfit Cycle Scene

Ashburn, Virginia’s Cycle Scene features installed sound and lighting systems worthy of a high-end nightclub, designed by and sourced through Guitar Center Professional. Photo by Jonah Joffe, GC Pro. © 2015.

— State-of-the-art audio and lighting components provide patrons with an immersive “club” experience, setting the facility apart from other area fitness establishments —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, March 26, 2015 — Cycle Scene put a new “spin” on the indoor cycling studio when it opened in Ashburn, Virginia, at the beginning of March with installed sound and lighting systems worthy of a high-end nightclub. Designed by and sourced through Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, the equipment was installed and programmed by Angelo Kokkinakos of GC Pro affiliate Koko Brothers Entertainment, a Baltimore, Maryland-based audio, video and lighting design and integration firm.

“The spin industry is blowing up now, and every cycle studio has to be hotter than the next one to capture market share in the area,” explains Jonah Joffe, GC Pro Account Manager at Guitar Center in Falls Church, Virginia. Joffe worked with Cycle Scene owners Clay and Jenn Sharman to create the right vibe at the new 6,000-square-foot high-tech fitness facility. “These folks were going for a dance club in a cycle studio, so it was super important that we got the audio and lighting right.”

The Cycle Room, outfitted with 60 custom-built stationary bikes, features two 75-inch display monitors, each flanked by a pair of QSC Audio AcousticDesign AD-S12 600W surface mount speakers that each house a 12-inch woofer and 1.4-inch compression driver. A single QSC KW181 18-inch self-powered subwoofer adds low frequency extension to the system. The Stretch Room, dedicated to strength training, core fitness and yoga, is outfitted with a pair of QSC AD-C821 8-inch, 200W ceiling speakers, while a smaller QSC AD-Ci52T two-way speaker, featuring a 5.25-inch woofer with 1-inch tweeter, is installed in the reception area. Four QSC AD-S6T surface mount cabinets, each incorporating a 6-inch woofer and 1-inch dome tweeter, cover the extensive hallway, a popular gathering place. Two QSC four-channel amplifiers—one PLD4.2 and one PLD4.3—provide power to the passive speakers.

A Rane HAL1x 16 in/16 out multi-processor is installed for optimization and management of the facility’s multi-zoned sound system. “I got to experience HAL for the first time,” says Angelo Kokkinakos. “We did all of the dynamic processing and EQ inside of HAL. It’s a great tool; we were really happy with it.”

The system is controlled by Rane Digital Remote DR1 and DR3 wall panels installed in each of the three zones together with connector panels enabling the introduction of external audio sources. “The user interface is just so simple, with a keypad and a simple LCD display to select your input source and volume,” says Kokkinakos. “The end user just has a single rotary knob to increase or decrease volume for the mic—it doesn’t get much easier than that.”

A pair of Shure SLX14 wireless systems, with UA221 antenna combiner, and SM31FH Fitness headsets are available for Cycle Scene’s instructors. The HAL DR remote interfaces are so intuitive that the instructors can focus on their jobs without having to learn how to operate a complex audio system, says Joffe. “Each source selection and volume knob has a digital readout, so we made it really, really easy—it says: Headset Mic 1, Headset Mic 2, Music. Anyone can use this system very easily. Not only that, because of all the processing we’ve got behind it, it sounds incredible in there.”

To meet the expectations of the owners, says Joffe, “We went with Chauvet moving head lights—just like dance clubs use, but in a smaller version, and we had Angelo do custom programming so it would look just like a dance club. The client is super happy with the lighting.”

The Chauvet DMX-addressable light fixtures installed in the Cycle Room include two Intimidator Spot LED 250 50W moving head units and two LFS-75DMX 75W LED framing spots. All four fixtures are suspended from two 12-ft. box truss spans, which are each illuminated by two SlimPAR Quad 3 IRC four-color LED lamp. A total of 18 COLORband 3 IRC three-zone LED strip lights provide a wash down the rear and side walls. A Numark Orbit Wi-Fi panel combined with a Chauvet Xpress 512 PLUS interface controls the lighting rig, which was programmed using Chauvet’s ShowXpress software. All control components are neatly housed in an electronics machine room hidden away from the general public, providing a more aesthetic look to the installation.

“We don’t usually see a lot of moving head fixtures in these cycle rooms,” comments Kokkinakos. “But when we programmed the lighting rack it came down to subtle, slow, simple, predictable movement along the walls, keeping it off the bikes, and making it more of an atmosphere than a distraction. When we first revealed the lighting to the client, they were thinking that they would leave all the fluorescent ceiling lights on all the time in there. But when they saw the effect, they said, ‘This is plenty of ambient lighting for us to conduct a class in here, and such a great atmosphere, why would we ever turn the other lights on?’ Pretty much the only time they turn the other lights on now is just to clean the room.”

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 Helps Source Gear for Las Vegas Clark County Library District “Learn to DJ” Program

A view of three different DJ stations in use for the Las Vegas Clark County Library District’s “Learn to DJ” program, with gear sourced through GC Pro. Photo courtesy of Salvador Avila. © 2015.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, February 24, 2015 — The Las Vegas Clark County Library District’s “Learn to DJ” program (a part of their broader TechArt Studio initiative and part of the federally-funded STEM program scholarships) has been going strong since 2013. The program was recently brought to a higher level with gear upgrades sourced through Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. GC Pro Account Manager John Stevens worked closely with Enterprise Branch Manager Salvador Avila, who runs the class, to assemble a full complement of all new DJ gear, lighting and headphones to serve this free, twice-weekly class, for students age 13-17.

This interactive, hands-on experience introduces and exposes young people to DJ skills, including scratching, mixing and lighting. After mastering the many functions of the controller and software, students are able to create their own mix, burn it to a disc and share it with family, friends and fellow DJs. More generally, the program helps kids develop skills in computer use, music composition, public speaking and event/equipment management. There is also a separate class for adults, meeting twice monthly. The classes are held at the Enterprise Library branch at 25 E. Shelbourne Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89123.

Avila runs the class, where he is known as “Coach.” He states, “Libraries all over the country are having a hard time attracting teens, and they are approaching the problem in unique ways. Here, in one of the entertainment capitals of the world, it made sense to start a DJ program for young people. We started with one controller, one set of speakers, a set of lights and a laptop, and our program members quickly outgrew this setup. I recommended to the Public Services Administration that makes library decisions that we convert one of the conference rooms into a full-time DJ studio with five stations, and they agreed to it! It was a risk, but it paid off.”

Avila and Stevens decided on an extensive equipment list, and the program ended up purchasing Numark NS72, Pioneer DDJ-SX and Numark NS6 controllers, with Pioneer DDJ-SX2 controllers soon to join the arsenal; Chauvet Obey™ 70 lighting controller; Alto and Mackie speakers; a selection of microphones and more.

Avila notes, “I have a curriculum in place, but it’s based on the students’ own comfort level, their own competency. If you’re new, first you have to learn how to do cues and loops, and master those two things. Once I feel that you have mastered those two functions, we move on to looping and scratching techniques. Once you’ve mastered that, we introduce effects. It’s a journey. I have kids that have been attending since day one. They can attend as long as they like.”

He adds, “I got involved with Guitar Center and GC Pro because I like loud music, and they have the professional-grade loudspeakers that I like. When I went there to build my own home DJ setup, John Stevens was so knowledgeable that I developed a relationship there. Once the program was getting off the ground, I went back to John and he walked me through the process of what would be the right equipment and accessories, for the age group that I was dealing with. That’s how I became a GC Pro customer, mainly because of the great Account Managers and the right advice.”

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.

Global Harvest Church Gets Help from GC Pro

Global Harvest Church in Carrollton, Texas, featuring upgraded AV components sourced through GC Pro.

— GC Pro shows the value of relationships as it helps Global Harvest Church move to its new space with the right technology, installation and service —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, December 1, 2014 — As churches expand, break off, or move into new spaces, they often need help finding the right mix of AV technology to let them get off the ground as successfully as possible. That’s exactly what Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, was able to do for the new Global Harvest Church, in Carrollton, Texas, earlier this year.

For years, Global Harvest Church shared worship spaces with the New Song Church, also in Carrollton, but more recently members of the existing congregation sought to express their own worship style with their own separate worship facility. New Song Church has been a long-time customer of GC Pro, which had sourced audio and video products for the church in the past. Thus, the founders of Global Harvest Church became familiar with GC Pro’s vast inventory, competitive pricing and extensive knowledge of the entire AV spectrum of technology, and in particular with GC Pro’s Affiliate Program, which pairs clients who need AV installation/integration services with vendors with specific capabilities to fit those needs. In this case, the nascent church’s leadership approached GC Pro’s Dallas office with their plan, and GC Pro stepped up to help them accomplish this smoothly.

Beginning a year ago, GC Pro Senior Account Manager Jeffrey McDaniel began coordinating between the church and Omnicoustics, a local AV integration company that is a member of the GC Pro Affiliates Program. As plans with the new church’s architects began to come together, GC Pro and Omnicoustics owner Adrian Gamez developed AV systems designs that would perfectly integrate into the church’s physical architecture. These include a sound system featuring a DB Technologies DVA T4 powered line array, two DB DVA-S20DP Dual 18-inch powered subwoofers, a Symetrix SymNet® Open Architecture Dante® Scalable DSP processor, and Sennheiser handheld wireless microphone and in-ear monitor systems. Video components include a Blackmagic Designs router and SDI converters and Panasonic cameras, and three Apple iMac Quad Core computers, as well as lighting components from Chauvet.

“We’d had a lot of time to get to know them,” McDaniel says of the founders of the new church. “And they knew us from all the work we had done together at New Song over the years. We knew each other as people as well as professionals, and that makes a huge difference, especially in the house-of-worship category, where trust in who you’re dealing with is everything.”

The choice of Omnicoustics proved to be a good one for the church. Company owner Adrian Gamez recalls that the church, which has a fairly low ceiling, specifically wanted a line array sound system. “That’s usually not a good combination,” says Gamez, who analyzed the space using EASE software and determined that the DB Technologies T4 line array would be a good solution. “GC Pro sourced that for us, as well as all the other equipment and products we needed,” he says. “There’s a good balance between what we do and what GC Pro is best at that really delivers a great end result for the client.”

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

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Founded in 2001, 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.

State Theatre Updates Audio Systems with GC Pro

The front-of-house engineer position at State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, featuring gear sourced through GC Pro.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, November 24, 2014 — The nearly century-old venue State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, opened its doors in 1936 but closed down in 1988. Luckily, it later underwent a multi-million-dollar restoration and renovation that both buffed up its Art Deco design elements and added modern sound and lights with a 20-foot video screen, turning it into one of the leading live music venues in the region, sporting a wide-open dance floor and 200 seats in the restored balconies. The State Theatre just got another upgrade, this one to its audio and lighting systems, with all components sourced through Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users.

The new audio and lighting components include an RCF dual-hang line array sound system, managed by a dbx DriveRack 4800 speaker processor and mixed through an Avid SC48 VENUE digital FOH console. There is also a new High End Systems Road Hog 4 lighting control console and 16 new Chauvet LED and PAR lighting fixtures. All of these components were installed by Koko Brothers Entertainment, a proud member of the GC Pro Affiliate Program.

“That’s one of the things we love about working with GC Pro — any product we think we might need on a job, GC Pro will always be able to get it for us,” says Angelo Kokkinakos, who with his brother Lou owns and operates Koko Brothers Entertainment. The Baltimore-based firm is one of an elite group of approved vendors in the GC Pro Affiliate Program, which includes a growing number of award-winning companies and individuals who specialize in key areas of professional audio systems design, integration and installation.

“There were a couple of challenges,” says Angelo Kokkinakos. “It’s an old, landmarked building, so there’s not much you can do from an acoustics point of view, because the historical nature of the interior must be maintained. The owner” — Thomas Carter, who with a partner bought the State Theatre and brought it back to life — “wanted better sound. What had been in there was a ground-stacked system, which was good, but the coverage was uneven; it needed a number of under-balcony fills to make it work. Working with Jonah [Joffe, GC Pro Account Manager based at the Washington, D.C.-area office], we determined that a flown line array would be the best choice.”

State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, featuring gear sourced through GC Pro.

“When we explored the different options and prices [for the P.A. system], the RCF came up as the right solution for the job,” says Angelo. “And once we had it installed, it really exceeded our high expectations. And that’s what I mean about working with GC Pro: whatever we might ask for, they’ll always tell us, ‘No problem! We can get that!’ And if something comes up in the middle of the project, like it did here when we discovered that the crawl space between the FOH position and the stage was longer than the snake we had specified, no problem — GC Pro and Whirlwind worked together to get us the items we needed to modify the snake.”

On working with GC Pro, Angelo notes, ““It’s a great partnership,” says Angelo Kokkinakos. “Every project has turned out exactly the way it’s supposed to. Clients love that!”

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

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Founded in 2001, 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.

Perry, Georgia’s New Hope Baptist Church

Perry, Georgia’s New Hope Church, featuring upgraded audio, video and lighting solutions designed by and sourced through GC Pro.

— GC Pro acts as a one-stop shop for church’s AVL needs, including systems design and integration, readying the facility for a new generation of worshipers —
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, November 20, 2014 — The New Hope Baptist Church of Perry, Georgia, intimately understands the need for AV technology for communicating its message. But like many churches, New Hope needed help figuring out what would best suit its needs. That’s where Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, came into the picture. GC Pro account manager Brad Lyons met with the church’s leaders and offered a turnkey solution that comprehensively addressed audio, video and lighting in a single package.

GC Pro brought in one of its Affiliate Program members, locally-based Commercial Sound and Video, to implement all of these integrated solutions. They included a single-point line JBL VRX932 line array above the church’s front area with JBL CBT70J side-fills on each side. Three JBL PRX718XLF self-powered subwoofers were cut into the stage and installed. The choir monitor is a single JBL CTB70J1 line array cabinet behind the VRX line array. This is all powered by nine Crown XTI2002, XTI4002 and XLS1500 power amps. A new 32-channel Soundcraft Expression console with a 32x8 stage box is connected via CAT5.

Congregants gathered at Perry, Georgia’s New Hope Church, featuring upgraded audio, video and lighting solutions designed by and sourced through GC Pro.

“The best feature is we put this on a wireless network, allowing control from the floor and on-stage with an iPad, especially useful considering the booth is a room in the upstairs back corner part of the sanctuary,” explains Lyons. “Another huge feature was being able to program the console and lock-out controls for the volunteer team so that they have perfect sound every week.”

For video, two new Panasonic PTDW640 projectors now illuminate a pair of new 12-foot-wide Da-Lite screens. A newly installed Blackmagic ATEM1/ME video switcher has become the centerpiece of the entire facility. “We re-purposed an old projector and screen to be used as a rear-wall confidence monitor,” Lyons explains. “The Blackmagic allows us to send independent video sources to the two front screens as well as the rear-screen. This has really increased the effectiveness of the church’s video system.” In addition, a new Blonder Tongue QME Modulator allows them to distribute live video and audio to previously installed televisions in the foyer, kitchen, pastor’s office, treasurer’s office, fellowship hall and other overflow areas. A new lighting package consists of two Chauvet Ovation 165w LED fresnels and a Chauvet Ovation 190 ellipsoidal that now provide a dramatic improvement to lighting the pulpit.

What really made the difference for New Hope Baptist Church was how GC Pro was able to offer a comprehensive solutions approach for all of the church’s AVL needs. “The great thing is that Brad [Lyons] speaks their language,” says Nathan Miller, owner of Commercial Sound and Video. “Churches aren’t residential or commercial — they are their own category and have unique needs and requirements. GC Pro understands that, and that’s why they’ve been so successful in this category. We ‘get’ what churches need. And only GC Pro is positioned, through its sales, inventory, sourcing and integration resources, to provide that kind of service.”

Willie Williams, long-time member and project manager for New Hope, went on to say, “We couldn’t be more pleased with the upgrade investment our church has made. In fact, we continue to receive compliments on just how much better everything looks and sounds. There are a few more projects we need to tackle, but we are happy and excited to be working on these projects with both GC Pro and Commercial Sound and Video.”

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

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About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Founded in 2001, 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.