— Pyramind produces professional commercial audio for clients and also offers professional music production training, and GC Pro has been able to provide technology support for both sides of Pyramind’s services —
Pyramind occupies a special space in professional audio: As a commercial audio production and post production facility, it excels as a leading supplier of audio for the video game industry. As such, they are noted for their work with major studios such as Sega, 2K Games, LucasArts, Sony PlayStation and others, producing the scores, voice over and sound design for blockbuster games like Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Kinect Disneyland Adventures, Infamous 2, Iron Man 2, Bioshock 2, the God of War trilogy and dozens more. Pyramind is also a leader in the growing field of pro audio education. Award-winning educators including YouTube Guru David Earl (sfLogicNinja), CSI composer and sound designer Brian Trifon (Trifonic), and G.A.N.G award-winning engineer Steve Heithecker teach Pyramind’s signature “Core” program (devised by Chief Academic Officer Matt Donner), emphasizing the three key disciplines for individual success in any creative field: creativity, technology, and business acumen. Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users, has been a vendor partner with Pyramind for over a decade, providing equipment, expertise and services that address Pyramind’s needs in all of their ventures. These include the sales of products such as Genelec Active Monitors, Avid ProTools systems, mic pre’s from Focusrite and Avalon and high-end microphones from over a dozen manufacturers, as well as being an educational partner, providing discounts for Pyramind students and staff and offering advice for students on an array of pro audio topics.
“We’ve been working with [GC Pro Account Manager] Vince Bedford for ten-plus years now, and the service has just been great,” exclaims CEO Greg Gordon. “We’ve had a longstanding relationship with Vince and GC Pro, and they have helped us across the board, from the biggest consoles to the smallest items. We really appreciate how responsive they’ve been in terms of helping out students, not only with educational discounts on equipment but also with advice and input on so many subjects. They treat everyone like a professional, and that means a lot to our students.”
Bedford says the feeling is mutual: “Pyramind is one of the finest music production schools in the country – every teacher there is an author or is a professional producer/engineer working in the field. We’re glad that a school of that caliber feels good enough about GC Pro to send all of their students to us. We are able to provide students with the right tools essential for their education, as well as high-quality information that reinforces their training at Pyramind. We’ve enjoyed supporting them in the past and look forward to continuing to do so in the future.”
Matt Donner, Pyramind’s Chief Academic Officer, says that GC Pro has been a long-time supplier to both of the company’s business lines. “On the training side, we recommend specific computers, keyboards and software – including Pro Tools, Reason, Live and Logic- and our students get great advice along with competitive pricing on all of that from GC Pro,” he says. “On the studio side, GC Pro has provided us with just about everything, including several last-minute needs that GC Pro solved immediately for a vocal session for the Halo soundtrack. Our relationship with them is very strong because they have what we need and they’re there when we need them. Most importantly for the students, they get solid advice, great pricing and solid customer service. In one purchase with GC Pro, they transition from being a hobbyist to becoming a professional. It’s worth its weight in gold.”
For more information, please visit www.gcpro.com.
