Converse Inc. recently opened in Brooklyn a new recording studio and live performance venue facility, Converse Rubber Tracks. A community-based studio designed to generate interest in recording among young and aspiring artists, the facility is fully outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and instruments sourced by Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. Guitar Center Professional also provided their technical expertise and consulted on the studio’s wish list to make sure the studio would be equipped with the right high-end recording equipment and gear, to make Rubber Tracks a true resource and opportunity for emerging musical acts. Account Manager Billy Walker from Nashville’s GC Pro location worked alongside GC Pro Affiliate program member Horacio Malvicino and Malvicino Design Group of Forest Hills, New York, who provided acoustical design and treatment for both parts of the facility.
Guitar Center Professional sourced gear for both the recording studio and the complex’s live performance venue. For the venue side, they provided a complete QSC Line Array, including QSC KLA-12, KLA-181 and K8 Loudspeakers; an Allen & Heath W316:2DX Wizard Mixer; and a full complement of cables, mics and rigging equipment. On the studio side, GC Pro supplied a vast array of products, including an Ocean Way HR3 Tri-Amplified Monitor System (designed by multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning producer/engineer Allen Sides, and for which GC Pro is the exclusive dealer); a Digidesign Pro Tools|HD2 PCIe Accel system; a Neve 1073DPA Stereo Mic Preamp; Apple Mac® Pro 6 Core Computers; plug-ins from Waves and Universal Audio; a Lynx Aurora 16 analog/digital converter; a selection of microphones from such brands as Neumann, Sterling, Royer, AKG, Shure, EV and others; and much more. Additionally, acoustical treatments and fabric-wrapped panels from Auralex® Acoustics, Inc. were employed to help control the sound in the studio. This included 15 of their ELiTE C24 ProPanels and four CT45 ProPanels.
“Guitar Center Professional really delivered for Rubber Tracks,” said Brad Worrell, Studio Manager of Rubber Tracks. “We had strong ideas about what we wanted and they were really supportive of that. It was never about ‘product placement’, just about about ensuring that the studio was optimally outfitted. On the instrument side, Guitar Center went above and beyond the basics we’d initially listed. I’ll never forget the day that a truck showed up with literally a pallet of Marshall amps. Being able to work day in and day out with young artists in this atmosphere is as exciting for us as it is for them and we are extremely happy with everything in Rubber Tracks supplied by GC Pro and Guitar Center.”
Horacio Malvicino, Managing Director of the Malvicino Design Group, who worked closely with Guitar Center Professional and Brad Worrell, stated, “It was very special to be part of an initiative of this kind. Rubber Tracks is a great space with an outstanding location and has an incredible staff. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I’ve had as a studio designer and consultant in a long time. Rubber Tracks and Converse are providing invaluable help to bands that are trying to break into the music business.”
“This relationship with Rubber Tracks is the perfect opportunity for two like-minded brands to provide musicians a chance to work alongside a team of experienced engineers and create original music,” noted Richard Ash, Guitar Center Professional Business Development Manager for the Eastern Region. “We helped them put together their gear list, advising them on the types of systems they should be acquiring and getting the right monitors – that kind of thing. They had a great sense of what they needed for the project, and they turned to us to help move it to the next level. What we all ended up with is a very cool facility – just a great space for young bands to be creative.”
For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.
Source: Clyne Media Communications Press Releases
