— Aphex cures technology’s tin ear with iOS and Android app —

BURBANK, CA, December 6, 2012 — Listening to Holiday music on your mobile device just got better. Hear Bing Crosby and Eartha Kitt the way they were meant to sound with the Audio Xciter™ app – free to demo and now only $0.99 for unlimited play. Aphex, a leader in audio enhancement technology for more than 35 years, today released Audio Xciter app for Android devices (previously only available for iOS). Audio Xciter is the only music player app that dynamically improves the sonic quality of music, audio books and podcasts on mobile devices through its patented Aphex DSP.

Since 1975, legendary musicians from Paul McCartney to Led Zeppelin as well as today’s top artists including Flo Rida, Bruno Mars and Rihanna have relied on the technology behind Audio Xciter for audio mastering. This technology now allows music lovers to experience the detail and richness of an artist’s original sound created in-studio on their mobile devices.

The patented Aphex technology behind Audio Xciter restores missing harmonics to music and voice. Unlike EQ apps, which typically add gain and distortion, Audio Xciter is gain-neutral, resulting in increased brightness, clarity, spaciousness and presence.

“In this era of HD video and 4G download speeds, I’m amazed that smart phones and tablets still deliver compressed audio that sounds flat and boring. The quality of music downloads and streams has not improved in more than a decade. Consumers have been fooled into buying music that’s only good enough, not great,� said David Wiener, CEO of Aphex and founder of DWV Entertainment, Aphex’s parent company. “Audio Xciter turns compressed audio into a new listening experience by exposing the ‘quality gap’ – now vocals are clear and airy, the bass hits harder and you’ll hear instruments and voices appear that were previously buried in the mix.�

A free demo of Audio Xciter is available through iTunes for iOS and Google Play and Amazon for Android devices. An upgrade provides unlimited use (only $0.99 through the end of the year, $2.99 thereafter) and the professional Audio Xciter Studio ($4.99, regularly $7.99) allows users to fine-tune the Xciter DSP settings for a truly custom experience.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Audio Xciter goes to Respect the Music, Aphex’s nonprofit foundation supporting musical education in schools.

Additional information including demo videos and screenshots are available at http://AudioXciterApp.com.

— Boston-area eateries The Salty Pig, Canary Square and Trade get new indoor and outdoor sound systems specified and sourced by GC Pro to assure maximum integrated performance —

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, December 5, 2012 — In today’s “foodie� culture, every new restaurant needs to immediately establish its own distinct look and feel, but also ensure that the customer experience there will be top notch. Where can three very different kinds of restaurants go to make certain that they have the best AV system design and components for their specific styles? Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, was able to answer that question definitively for a trio of new establishments in the Boston area. GC Pro drew upon its depth of resources, such as access to the full array of audio systems solutions from HARMAN Professional, to supply these three restaurants with sound systems that perfectly match their particular styles and are helping them each make their mark with their unique audiences.

At the Salty Pig, GC Pro Senior Account Executive PK Pandey designed a sound system that provides full-range music reproduction and intelligible paging with no compromises for either task. “The challenge here was the many hard, highly reflective surfaces, including wood and tiled floors and table tops,� explains Pandey, who assembled a system that uses seven JBL Control Series C67P/T pendant-type speakers, two JBL SB210 subwoofers, five JBL Control 24C ceiling speakers, along with a JBL CBT 50LA columnar line array on the restaurant’s outdoor patio, powered by Crown XLS 2000 and XLS 1000 amplifiers, and managed by a dbx 1260m zone controller. As critical as the audio equipment components was the Auralex acoustical treatment that Pandey also sourced for the design. “In addition to the highly directional speakers we used, we needed a lot of absorption around the dining areas to enable the sound be present and very clear,� he explains. “The results were excellent.�

In fact, the sound was so good that the Salty Pig’s owners asked GC Pro to work their same magic for their other restaurant, Canary Square, where Pandey redesigned the sound systems to include a dozen JBL C67 P/T pendants and four CBT 50LA line arrays on the outdoor dining patio, powered by Crown XLS 2000 and XLS 1000 amplifiers, and managed by a dbx ZonePro 1261m controller with ZC9 and ZC1 remotes. “The problems they were having at Canary Square were volume level and intelligibility – the same issues we were able to successfully tackle at the Salty Pig,� says Pandey, who also used carefully-aligned acoustical treatment panels to minimize reflections and maximize intelligibility, allowing the music to be present without being overpowering.

Trade, another trendy Boston-area eatery, called on GC Pro after experiencing the exceptional sound of the Salty Pig. “The owners of Trade liked the way we used the speakers to enhance the architectural/aesthetic appearance at the other restaurants,� Pandey says. “This was of primary importance to them, as well as great sound. We worked closely with the architect on the project to achieve both goals.� For Trade, GC Pro specified 10 JBL C67 P/T pendant speakers, eight JBL 226C/T ceiling speakers and a JBL SB210 sub, powered by Crown CTs 3000 and XLS 1500 amplifiers and managed by six dbx ZonePro 1261m controllers with ZC9 and ZC1 remotes.

These are just three of the numerous, recent restaurant projects where GC Pro has been able to help deliver great sound in challenging situations. “We can offer them what no one else can – access to great equipment, like the technology from HARMAN Professional, as well as system designs that are within the client’s budget, flexible installation options and project management from start to finish,� says Pandey. “We understand what our clients are attempting to accomplish, and we become their partners in helping to achieve it.�

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

— ProPAD™ is designed for decoupling monitors and reducing structural vibrations —

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, December 5, 2012 – Auralex® Acoustics, Inc., the world’s leading brand of acoustical treatments and currently celebrating its 35th anniversary, is proud that its ProPAD™ Monitor Isolation Pad, the latest product in its ISO (Instant Sound Optimizer) line, has been chosen by leading artists, engineers and producers as a vital piece of their recording setup. ProPAD provides superior isolation from the vibrations and resonant energy created by studio monitors, preventing this energy from being transmitted into the supporting furniture, which would greatly color the monitors’ sound and degrade their imaging.

Guitarist/multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Adrian Belew is noted for his work with Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Talking Heads and King Crimson, as well as his acclaimed solo career. He is blown away by the difference the ProPADs make in his monitor setup. “Once you listen to your monitors on the Auralex ProPADs, you won’t want to hear them any other way. They’re the best I’ve heard,� he states.

Producer/engineer Russ Long, whose credits include Wilco, Dolly Parton, Steven Curtis Chapman, etc., is also impressed by the contrast between his monitors with and without ProPADs: “After making records in my studio for nearly 20 years, I added ProPADs to my configuration, and my monitoring became more accurate than ever.�

Mixer/engineer/producer Peter Moshay has worked with such acts as Hall & Oates, Mariah Carey and Sean Lennon, and currently he serves as house engineer for Daryl Hall’s Live at Daryl’s House program. He states, “I never thought my monitors could sound better until I tried ProPADs. I’ll never be without them.�

Producer/mixer/engineer/songwriter Glenn Rosenstein’s CV features many of music history’s heavy hitters: Madonna, U2, Talking Heads, Ziggy Marley, etc. He adds, “The Auralex ProPADs are unlike any other professional monitor isolators I’ve used. No harmonic resonance … and no sonic artifacts!�

Paul Umbach’s tenure in the pop world has led him to a stint as a key producer at Jive Records, where he worked with superstars Britney Spears and ‘N Sync, to name a few. He has also collaborated with acclaimed singer-songwriter Matt White. He is similarly impressed with his ProPADs: “The new Auralex ProPADs are amazing. It’s like somebody pressed the clarity button.�

The ProPAD is sold in stereo pairs and is designed to work with nearfield monitors employing up to 8″ woofers. ProPAD’s updated design features a 0.75″ layer of laminated black MDF covered with a thick layer of Auralex’s proprietary IsoPuckâ„¢ isolation material, which is made of recycled rubber. Six stick-on feet, also made from IsoPuck material, are supplied for flat or angled applications. The ProPAD is the perfect solution for decoupling monitors and reducing structural vibration in all manner of sound-critical spaces, including recording studios, post-production/edit suites, mobile recording facilities, hi-fi listening rooms, home theaters or anywhere a monitor/speaker isolation platform is needed to improve sonic purity.

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

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (Dec. 3, 2012) — The Recording Academy® Producers & Engineers Wing® Manufacturer Council Breakfast was held on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, during the 133rd AES Convention. At their biannual meeting, the group of industry leaders — who are dedicated to the advancement of sound quality and to the overall growth of the professional audio industry — shared ideas and discussed issues with the goal of raising awareness about the importance of high-quality audio and the professionals who create it, as well as topics of mutual interest to pro audio manufacturers, retailers and the producers and engineers who use their products.

A key topic of conversation was the P&E Wing’s recent partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) in debuting www.qualitysoundmatters.com, an online portal launching in early December 2012, aimed to promote enhanced consumer awareness of higher-quality sound for music.

— GC Pro’s Atlanta office has been the key resource for one of America’s most prestigious African-American colleges, as they have equipped the college’s Ray Charles Performing Arts Center and
King Chapel with live sound technology —

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, December 3, 2012 — Morehouse College, a beacon of men’s liberal-arts education, particularly for African Americans, has given the country its share of Rhodes Scholars, ministers, economists and doctors, but it seems to have a special affinity for the arts. Graduates include filmmaker Spike Lee, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and rapper Lil Jon. So not surprisingly, the college has tried to keep its performance venues, including the King Chapel and the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center and Music Academic Building, at the cutting edge of live-sound technology. Helping them do just that is Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, which has become the first-call provider of live-sound equipment and advice for Morehouse College over the last several years.

Most recently, GC Pro’s Atlanta office provided a dB Technologies DVA T4 line array sound system for the college’s King Chapel, which regularly hosts musical performances in addition to religious events and ceremonies. The system is configured into two six-box hangs on either side of the stage. And last year, GC Pro was the resource to which the college turned to upgrade the sound for the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center and Music Academic Building, a $20-million, 76,000-square-foot facility built in 2010. There, GC Pro provided a new Avid Venue D-Show FOH console with an integrated Avid Pro Tools HD multitrack recording system with FOH and stage racks as well as a large selection of microphones. GC Pro also outfitted the Center’s recording studio with a new SSL AWS 900 analog recording and mix console. Whatever the college’s needs when it comes to pro audio technology and products, GC Pro has been there with the resources, prices and advice that they needed.

“We pointed out to the college that they could save a considerable amount of money by buying a new PA system for King Chapel rather then continuing to rent systems, as they had been doing,� explains Eugene McNair, Jr., Account Manager for the Atlanta GC Pro office, who has had a close relationship with Morehouse College for years. “They were familiar with the dB Technologies system so we went with that one. We also sold them cases for the system, which lets them take it down as needed and store it, which gives them that much more flexibility with the system.�

McNair says this sale underscores the kind of relationship that GC Pro has developed with Morehouse College, and with many of its institutional customers. “They’re sensitive to price, of course, but anyone can offer a better price,� he says. “What Morehouse College is most interested in is service from someone who understands their needs and the technologies and products that can best fulfill those needs. They want service, honesty, knowledge, and even some personality. It’s not just about the sale – it’s about the relationship. I’m local, we’re local, we’re here for them when they need us.�

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

— GC Pro continues to be the first call for The Studio at the Palms for its professional audio technology needs —

Las Vegas-based Studio at the Palms, located at the fabulous Palms Casino Resort and which has hosted such artists as Lady Gaga, Ne-Yo, The Killers, LMFAO and others, recently upgraded with three new Avid Pro Tools HDX systems. The new systems were installed in Studio X and Studio Y, along with a “floater� system that lets any space in the studio become a fully compatible recording environment. The HDX systems, sourced and supplied through Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, join the other gear that GC Pro has sourced for the facility over the years.

“We really pride ourselves on being state-of-the-art here and always ready at a moment’s notice to serve our clients,� says Studio at the Palms Director Zoe Thrall, noting that artists working on long-term projects or just passing through Las Vegas for performances or for awards shows often use some of their time there to record new tracks or finish up existing ones. “They expect the best from us, and that’s what we strive to deliver.�

Thrall, one of the most respected studio managers in the entire industry (prior to coming to the Studio at the Palms, she supervised operations for The Hit Factory and Avatar Studios in New York City), says GC Pro has been an invaluable resource in keeping her studios at the cutting edge of music technology. “They really know their stuff, and they can get me what I need quickly and cost-effectively,� she says, noting that she’s purchased DSP and software system through GC Pro, as well as used them as a portal to the vast inventory of musical instruments and equipment available at Guitar Center itself. “My relationship with GC Pro goes back to the New York days, and wherever I’ve worked with GC Pro, it’s always been a great experience,� she adds.

Las Vegas-based GC Pro Sales Associate Don Hartley, who handles the Studio at the Palms account, says that clients at that level need the kind of attention only a full-service, high-end pro-dealer can offer. “We give a facility like Studio at the Palms a concierge level of service, because that’s what they require in order to serve that caliber of clientele,� says Hartley, who will often personally bring equipment to the studio on short notice when necessary. “The Studio at the Palms has a huge inventory of great equipment, and a fantastic tech specialist in Brent Spear, who did the entire installation of the new Pro Tools HDX systems himself. But GC Pro is always here to fill in any gaps they may encounter – from a console to a guitar stand – any day, any time.�

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

— Waves Audio Consumer division continues to expand and thrive
with new technologies and business strategies —

The Consumer Electronics Division of Waves, the industry leader in professional audio digital signal processing and recipient of a Technical GRAMMY® award, has recently promoted Tomer Elbaz to the position of Executive Vice President, Waves Consumer Division. The announcement was made by Waves co-founder Gilad Keren, and further underscores Waves’ ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market sector.

Under Tomer Elbaz’s direction, the company has forged strategic business relationships with a wide variety of leading electronics firms who are incorporating Waves Maxx technologies into their products. Waves’ digital signal processing (DSP) technology is utilized by the top professionals in the pro audio and broadcast market sectors, and their reputation and proven track record has made them a perfect fit to work with companies like Dell, ASUS, Toshiba, Sony, iOS/Android developers and more, who have employed Waves digital signal processing (DSP) as part of the feature set of their product offerings. Other endeavors include strategic alliances with semiconductor and DSP core companies, as well as general strategic alliances with brands and recording artists. Through these developments, Waves is helping bring studio quality sound and the highest standards of audio to the consumer listening experience.

“Tomer and his team are helping Waves expand our reach into the consumer market sector,� stated Gilad Keren. “As part of our long-term strategic business plan, Tomer continues to urge our technologies into the hands of new and exciting partners and thrilled consumers. We are at the edge of a bold new phase for Waves, and we look forward to Tomer’s ongoing leadership.�

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

Genelec Inc., the U.S. subsidiary and distributor for Genelec Active Monitors, announces the appointment of Reisterstown, Maryland-based firm Samuel K. Macdonald, Inc. (SKMac) as manufacturer’s representative for its professional products, serving the Mid-Atlantic States territory. This region includes southern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Company principals Perry D’Angelo (President) and Todd Peden (Sales Manager) will lead their team and work closely with Genelec U.S. sales personnel in spearheading Genelec sales and increasing market share in the region.

SKMac is a far-reaching, well-respected, dedicated and service-driven manufacturer’s representative firm serving the professional audio, video, lighting, MI, and security markets in the Mid-Atlantic States. Their mission is to provide comprehensive system solutions and innovative products to local integrators, contractors, consultants and dealers, and to promote education via extensive product demonstrations throughout the sales cycle. The SKMac brand offers the unwavering promise of dedication to superior service and best-in-class product offerings. They leverage their corporate structure and resources to facilitate more quality salespeople on the streets, extraordinary customer service, unrivaled salesmanship and an exceptional line-up of the industry’s premier manufacturers. Established in 1926, SKMac has been making waves in the electronics representative business for over eighty years.

John Conard, Genelec USA National Sales Manager, commented, “We are pleased to have Samuel K. Macdonald, Inc. come on board as our new representative for the mid-Atlantic states. SKMac bring a great team of people with many years of experience in the business to Genelec. We feel their organization will help strengthen and have a positive impact in that region by adding great care to our dealer base as well as to the end users of Genelec. We look forward to working with the SKMac team. We recently hosted them here at Genelec, Inc. for training, and their early commitment has already resonated volumes to us and will surely serve the region well. We look forward to the coming months and hitting the road together.�

For more information, please visit www.genelecusa.com/.

— Leading Hollywood post production facility chooses Genelec to help them expand their film trailer post capabilities to 7.1 while relying on Genelec’s award-winning 8200 Smart Active Monitoring (SAM) system to keep the studio’s acoustics perfectly tuned —

SSI, a leading Hollywood audio and video post production company specializing in cinema trailers, has purchased a new 7.1 monitoring system by Genelec, the world’s longstanding pioneer in active monitoring. The new system, which was installed in September and consists of three Genelec 8260A Tri-Amplified Active Monitors for the L-C-R array, four Genelec 8250A Bi-Amplified Active Monitors for the rear and side surrounds, and a Genelec 7271A Active Subwoofer, was chosen to help SSI further expand its leading role as a post production resource for trailers for top Hollywood films. These include The Hobbit, Rise of the Guardians, Cloud Atlas and the upcoming Brad Pitt film World War Z. All three of these products reflect Genelec’s recently introduced Smart Active Monitor (SAM) concept, which allows monitors to be controlled with digital networking to enable the building of highly flexible computer-controlled systems of monitors.

This purchase also continues SSI’s longstanding tradition of being an all-Genelec facility for its audio studios, with all seven of its mix rooms fitted with Genelec speakers, including 8240A speakers for stereo monitoring. SSI provides a range of services to the film industry, including 5.1 theatrical trailer mixing, 5.1 digital audio sweetening, sound design, telecine, full service audio transfers and digital delivery services. RSPE Audio Solutions in Los Angeles sold the Genelec speakers to SSI.

The decision to buy and install new Genelec monitoring was based on two key things, according to Gary Fradkin, SSI’s Director of Engineering, who also designed the studio with SSI Mixer Matt Guiler and noted studio designer Scott Putnam. “We love they way Genelec active monitors sound, and the DSP system enables us to keep the studio tuned properly at all times,� Fradkin explains. “In the past, we’d have to have the room periodically analyzed and re-tuned as things changed. Now, with SAM, the speakers literally take care of themselves.� Genelec’s award-winning DSP Technology and GLM software provide powerful and practical tools such as AutoCal for automatic and accurate alignment, calibration and control of the monitoring system in all situations. But, says Fradkin, that’s only half the story behind SSI’s affinity for Genelec. “Sonically speaking, the accuracy of their imaging in 5.1 and 7.1 is far superior to anything else out on the market,� he says. “They just sound great, all the time, on everything.�

For more information, please visit www.genelecusa.com/.

— Growing church had to move to larger quarters across the street, and GC Pro made sure that it was ready for them when it came to sound —

The Pentecostal Church Assembly of God in Trenton, New Jersey, had the kind of problem many churches pray for: they just keep on growing. Fortunately for this congregation, a former house of worship became available right across the street. Having also been used as a school, the main sanctuary had been converted into a gymnasium, and Assembly of God ventured to convert it back into a worship space. This was certainly a blessing for the church’s membership, but a lot more space to fill in terms of sound. That’s when they called on Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, which brought to bear the huge range of services that only GC Pro can offer.

With GC Pro Senior Account Manager Billy Walker coordinating the effort, JBL Professional engineers were called upon to provide analysis and design based on drawings by Malvicino Design Group, a Forest Hills, New York-based GC Pro Affiliate Services Program member. Working with GC Pro personnel, the JBL Professional engineers created several sound system designs for the church’s executive board to consider. Then, GC Pro called upon Horacio Malvicino, Managing Director of the Malvicino Design Group, for further design consultation and to install and tune the JBL VerTec and VRX line array PA systems, as well as the Midas Pro 2 FOH console, that the church had decided upon. The project was finished in August 2012.

Deciding on a complex and costly new sound system can be a trying proposition for any church, and GC Pro has as much or more experience in the HOW sector of pro audio than any other retailer in the world. Knowing how crucial this decision would be for the church, Walker arranged with local JBL rep firm Sigmet Corp. to host a demo of the JBL VerTec system at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center in nearby York, Pennsylvania, so the church leaders could see, hear and experience the systems first hand.

“PA systems aren’t just about the sound, though that’s their most important aspect,â€� Walker explains. “They also have to have certain visual elements — they have to be able to blend in well with the rest of the church’s interior, and when they are seen they have to look good. Bob Reuther at Sigmet arranged for us to have a night at the Strand to ourselves, and the church could get all the time they needed seeing and hearing the JBL PA systems, until they felt comfortable with them.â€�

And they did. After the church made its decision, the Malvicino Design Group began the installation process, using the VerTec enclosures for the two main line array hangs and the VRX boxes for delay fills for the rear of the new larger church. “That’s the kind of comprehensive service we can bring to the HOW market,� says Walker. “We have the ability to source systems from many manufacturers, help churches pick the ones that are best for their needs, and even provide installation and integration services in a seamless, one-stop manner. It’s the best way to make the customer comfortable for a big purchase like this.�

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