— Established German brand makes U.S. debut with exclusive distribution by Korg USA —

MELVILLE, NY, December 23, 2010 — Korg USA, exclusive U.S. distributor of Korg, Lâg and VOX products, announces a new entry into its line of premium M.I. and Professional Audio brands. As of January 2011, the company will take on exclusive U.S. distribution for the Elements line of HK Audio products. With global headquarters and engineering based in Germany, HK Audio has been bringing to market high quality and environmentally responsible sound reinforcement systems for over 20 years. Their Elements line of portable audio products will be debuted in the U.S. by Korg USA at the 2011 Winter NAMM trade show.

Korg USA President Joe Castronovo noted, “In line with Korg USA’s longstanding reputation as a brand builder, we welcome the opportunity to develop the HK brand in the U.S. HK is a high-quality more

— New dedicated section highlights amazing deals on unique high-end audio gear —

Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, has gone live with a new section of its website titled “GC Pro Clearance,� (http://gcpro.com/clearance/), which makes available to customers some amazing deals on unique high-end audio gear. This section is updated on a regular basis and provides further discounts on a wide selection of professional audio products and accessories.

The new section of the site features a streamlined interface and straightforward navigation, with the ability for customers to search for products by: Keyword; Category; Price Range; Zip Code; Miles from Zip Code; National Search; Just Added; and Image. “The new clearance section is seamlessly integrated into the site’s main pages and offers our customers the latest news on items that are competitively priced for more

— Legendary producer and now co-owner of Anarchy Studios finds that moving from Los Angeles to Nashville was seamless because GC Pro has him covered in both cities —

Bob Ezrin has had a lot of continuity in his career. The producer for artists including Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, KISS and Peter Gabriel, Ezrin – an inductee to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame perhaps best known as co-producer of Pink Floyd’s iconic LP The Wall – continues to work with many of those same artists today, including last year’s Scratch My Back with Gabriel, and extending his long relationship with Cooper through Welcome 2 My Nightmare: The Shriekquel, currently in production. So it’s not surprising that Ezrin has relied on Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, to keep him at the cutting edge more

The BAM (Barcelona Acciò Musical) Festival, which runs concurrently with the Spanish city’s traditional La Mercè celebrations, attracted 120,000 music fans last year to a jam-packed schedule of free, mostly open-air concerts throughout the downtown area. This year’s 18th annual BAM Festival included a host of European and American rock, hip-hop and dance artists, such as Goldfrapp, OK Go, Anti-Pop Consortium, Belle & Sebastian and El Guincho, and featured substantial Lab.gruppen-powered EAW® P.A. systems on the MTV-BAM and Electro-BAM stages at the Parc del Fòrum.

For the MTV-BAM stage (larger of the two), production sound company FOCUS, S.A., a renowned sound company based in Barcelona, supplied an EAW speaker system comprising twelve KF760 Long-Throw Line Array Modules, four KF730 Compact Line Array Modules and eight SB730 Compact Line Array Subwoofers per side, all under the control of UX8800 Digital Signal Processors. Focus S.A., with over 20 years experience designing, more

The new EAW® KF740 Three-Way Full-Range Line Array module recently made its German debut at a historic concert in Berlin that featured one of the best-known oratory works by world-renowned Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. Berlin-based Hacksound Veranstaltungstechnik provided the multi-zone P.A. system, comprising all EAW speakers powered by Lab.gruppen amplification, for the performance of “Canto General� at the Max Schmeling Hall on November 13, 2010.

Hacksound supplied a main left/right flown system composed of nine KF740 speakers plus two KF730 Compact Line Array Modules, for down fill, per side. A dozen additional KF730 speakers, in two hangs of six, provided out fill to the audience on either side of the stage. Five more KF730s were positioned to provide front fill. Three hangs each of six KF730 speakers, plus a pair of SB730 Compact Line Array Subwoofers, were employed for left, center and right delay. Lab.gruppen amplifiers supplied power to more

— Located in Echizen City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, Technica Fukui is a state-of-the-art facility with an emphasis on wireless technology, research and product testing —

Audio-Technica, a leading innovator in transducer technology for over 45 years, recently opened the doors on a new facility, Technica Fukui. Located in Echizen City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, Technica Fukui integrates the three pre-existing A-T Fukuoka branches into one location, consolidating and streamlining design efforts with increased collaboration among A-T’s global design teams. The new facility is equipped with a dedicated acoustic lab and an advanced-design anechoic chamber specially designed for audio testing. An emphasis has been placed on further advancing wireless technologies with research and product development.

Technica Fukui is designed to streamline Audio-Technica’s product development process with emphasis on innovation, accuracy and efficiency. Investments in cutting-edge wireless communication measurement tools will allow A-T to create wireless products for both professional more

Online Consumers in more than 90 Countries Worldwide can now Shop the Brand

Guitar Center, the largest domestic retailer of musical instruments and equipment, announced today it is now selling online, through its website at guitarcenter.com, to more than 90 countries worldwide. To facilitate this global online expansion, Guitar Center has partnered with FiftyOne, the leading provider of international e-commerce services and infrastructure to United States retailers with global ambition.

Guitar Center is using the FiftyOne platform to extend its e-commerce operations into more than 90 countries and to accept payment in 42 currencies, with all applicable taxes, duties, and shipping costs included in full.

“We are thrilled to have been able to extend the Guitar Center brand to consumers worldwide,� said Richie Pidanick, Vice President at Guitar Center. “We carry one of the world’s largest available selections of guitars, amplifiers, percussion, keyboards, pro audio and recording more

— Yellow DOG studios standardizes its control rooms with Endless Analog’s CLASP® —

Endless Analog’s CLASP® (Closed Loop Analog Signal Processor) system, which uniquely integrates analog tape machines into the digital audio production workflow, has been so successful at yellow DOG studios in Austin, Texas, that producer and engineer David Percefull has installed a second unit. According to Percefull, the first CLASP unit has been in constant use since it was installed in Studio One earlier this year, ensuring that yellow DOG would also take pride in placing a unit in the newly constructed Studio Three.

Percefull, who moved into the facility, formerly known as 5AM, with partners producer-musician Ed Robinson and singer-songwriter Steven Todd Hudson near the end of 2009, reports, “Everything that I record hits tape through CLASP and goes to Pro Tools. I thought initially I would use it on occasion, if the client wanted more

Xantech, a leader in the field of audio/video remote control and distribution for 40 years, has introduced WiPad, a secure and easy-to-install solution that enables an Apple iPad® to be permanently wall-mounted for use as a touchscreen A/V control interface or standalone iPad use in commercial and residential applications. The Xantech WiPad is designed not only to securely protect the device but also to allow easy access to power, audio output and other connectivity.

With Apple’s iPad becoming an increasingly practical and popular control interface, the Xantech WiPad presents an ideal solution for system integrators seeking an easily mounted and tamperproof solution for residential and commercial A/V installations. The precisely machined aluminum construction is finished with brushed surfaces for a high-end look that blends into any conference room, hotel hospitality kiosk or other application.

The Xantech WiPad measures 12 in. (L) x 9.81 in. (H) x 0.875 more

— Sacramento-based Associated Sound upgrades boardroom at Shriners Hospitals for Children® – Northern California with A-T’s SpectraPulse®, providing immunity from local RF traffic while insuring HIPAA regulations protecting patient privacy and confidentiality —

Audio-Technica, a leading innovator in transducer technology for over 45 years, is pleased to announce that the Shriners Hospitals for Children® – Northern California is the latest facility to upgrade its boardroom with A-T’s award-winning SpectraPulse® Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless microphone system. The system was specified and installed by Sacramento’s Associated Sound, who recommended the system based on federal changes to the usable wireless frequency spectrum and the need to satisfy Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations that protect patient privacy and confidentiality. Ideal for fixed installation, rental staging and corporate/boardroom applications, SpectraPulse offers secure wireless operation free from RF competition, frequency coordination and “white space� issues.

“We needed to make sure that more