One of the special perks of shopping at Gand Music and Sound are our monthly free events on a variety of subjects. Some introduce new products, some teach you how to use specific products, and many are informative workshops on the basic techniques for using or choosing different categories of equipment. Our seminar room provides a great environment to be set up as needed anytime. Its quiet, out of the store itself, and has all the audio-visual equipment needed to do a professional presentation.
In the photo below, Mike Martin of Kurzweil was introducing the K2600 keyboard, and our video camera is pointed at the display which is projected on the television above.
t.c. electronics recently did a CD "Finalizing" workshop (below) where they explained how you can use their gear to perform
the job of an expert mastering engineer, yourself, in your studio. This enables your home-recorded CDs to have the same
punch, clarity and professional EQ as the big studios get with all of their dedicated equipment. The t.c. Finalizer has
been one of the top-selling "Cool Tools" at Gand Music and Sound since it came out.
Sonic Foundry (below) took our challenge to make a live recording in front of an audience of Gand customers...live to hard disk, that it...and then press a CD. We spent a wonderful evening listening to a jazz ensemble featuring Layni Myers on vocals (Layni doubles as our head buyer in the office) and her husband Dean on piano. Sonic Foundry Vegas software with a Lexicon Core 2 card perfectly captured the music into the computer. Sonic Foundry then demonstrated basic editing techniques, software features and shortcuts that can be used to improve the final master. Our audience was amazed as extraneous room noise was removed, EQ was tweaked, and other recording tricks, which normally take hours, were done in minutes on the computer.
Audio-Technica sponsored our first annual Mic Sale Day and Barbeque (below). We are calling it "annual" because after the success and great comments we received about this year's event, we're sure to do it again next summer. This is the only event we do outside in the parking lot, instead of the seminar room. Customers were able to demo products in the store as well. Special 1-day sale prices were offered on all Audio-Technica mics during the event.
Glenn Roop of Audio-Technica, Gary Gand of Gand Music and Sound, and Hugh Daly of Bormann Marketing show the set-up with Mackie PA system, and Audio-Technica demo table with a huge assortment of mics including stage, studio, and wireless (if you look close you will see that Hugh is wearing a headset wireless system, which enable him to do demos and be the first ever "Wireless BBQ Chef." Over 100,000 cars drove by on the expressway during the event, and the big Gand marquee sign drew attention to the unusual attraction of a free lunch, microphone demo, and free drawing to win A-T headphones.
Glenn Roop of Audio-Technica, Joan Gand of Gand Music and Sound, and Hugh Daly of Bormann Marketing strike a pose after they finished "setting the table" composed of Audio-Technica product boxes, and the BBQ buffet including hot dogs, brats, burgers, your choice of toppings, buns, salads, and of course cold drinks to complete the festivities.
During our April Guitar Month Sale, Layne Kurr of Fender showed the new line of Fender, DeArmond and
Guild guitars. We also had a drawing to win a DeArmond guitar worth $849! Other guitar month events included a Mesa Boogie day with a drawing to win a V-Twin pedal, a Taylor workshop with acoustic fingerpicking champion Pat Kirttley,
and the annual Gand Guitar Toss, sponsored by Monster Cable.
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