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Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano, Texas, featuring a number of innovative A/V and lighting components and systems sourced through GC Pro.

Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano, Texas, featuring a number of innovative A/V and lighting components and systems sourced through GC Pro.

PR AGENCY CONTACT:
Robert Clyne
Clyne Media, Inc.
Tel: 615.662.1616
www.clynemedia.com

COMPANY PRESS CONTACT:
Rick Plushner
Guitar Center Professional
Tel: (818) 735-8800 x2238
www.gcpro.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


 

GC Pro Helps Outfit Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano, Texas


— Only the unrivalled resources of GC Pro could provide all of the equipment
and technology platforms needed to outfit this massive 47,000-square-foot Haunted House —


— In addition to offering products and systems advice and consulting, GC Pro’s Affiliate Program was able to provide full AV systems integration services for audio, video, lighting and staging throughout the facility —


WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA, October 8, 2013 — Dark Hour Haunted House promises to be the scariest Halloween destination ever, enhanced by a number of innovative A/V and lighting components and systems featuring the latest media technology platforms available. Huge QSC sound systems fill the 47,000-square-foot former Sports Authority building in Plano, Texas, with ethereal sound effects, while a QSC line array powers a concert stage; Epson projectors and Samsung LCDs display hair-raising images; lighting fixtures from ETC, Martin and Chauvet® create the right mood; and a facility-wide Savant control system allows Dark Hour personnel to make sure visitors have a terrifyingly exciting experience from start to finish. And all of these diverse, sophisticated systems and platforms were sourced and supplied by Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users.

In addition to supplying equipment and systems, and offering consulting and advice based on decades of experience, GC Pro also provided access to its Affiliate Program, which matches certified AV systems integrators with custom installation projects. The program brought Dallas-based firms DJ Sound & Lighting and Profound Dimension to the Dark Hour project, assuring seamless installation and integration of all products and systems throughout the facility.

Dark Hour aims to become a benchmark in the growing market of haunted-house themed attractions in the U.S. Dark Hour’s technology complement will easily put it among the top such destinations. GC Pro-sourced equipment for the project includes a QSC KLA line array system for the main stage (in addition to QSC KW122 for floor monitors on the main stage; QSC S8T powered by QSC CX404 and self-powered K8, K10, KW181 for zone distribution; QSC AP5102 for the finale “drum circle” scene; and QSC AP5122 for thunder tacks); QSC Q-SYS System with a Core 500i to control all zones and playlists, mixed through Soundcraft Si Expression 3 console; Shure SLX wireless microphones; Epson Powerlite projectors and Samsung commercial-grade displays; Lutron lighting; a Savant control system that covers security, thermostats, cameras, lighting and other functions; effects lighting from ChamSys, ETC, Dark Light, Martin and Chauvet; and specialized products such as Ruckus networking products, Totem Acoustics Surround Sound and acoustical treatment from Auralex and Primacoustic.

Additionally, GC Pro and Affiliate Program member Profound Dimension spec’ed and installed a Savant Control System. GC Pro Account Manager Kevin Deal notes, “With an IOS device like an iPhone or iPad, through the Savant Control System, the end user can control the cinema displays, projectors, surveillance cameras, thermostats and architectural lighting. It’s all done over IP, so we installed a robust network with HP Pro Curve Networking switches and Ruckus access points and distribution.”

“The amount of equipment we’re using here is astounding, and all of it came through GC Pro,” says Mike Arties, COO of Dark Hour. “We partnered with GC Pro to make this happen. No other company could have made this work as a one-stop. We would have had to have gone to eight separate sources to get what we got from one GC Pro.”

A member of the Dark Hour Technical Crew says the company was aiming to be the best from the beginning. “From the standpoint of lighting, video and sound, this is likely the premier facility in the country for haunted houses,” he says. “It’s never been taken to this level before. We’re taking it to the level of an art form, and GC Pro was the only place we could go for everything we needed, including systems installation and integration.”

Mike Arties also points out that Dark Hour is not just a seasonal operation – after it opens in mid September and operates full time through the autumn holiday season, it will also open for select holidays throughout the year, such as Valentine’s Day, and parts of the facility will always be available for rentals for events. As such, Dark Hour needed to be a flexible and robust facility. “We took our vision of all that this could be to GC Pro, and they took it from there, in terms of helping us decide on and source the right technologies and products,” says Arties. “They’re a great partner to have.”

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

Photo File 1: DarkHour_Photo1.JPG
Photo Caption 1: Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano, Texas, featuring a number of innovative A/V and lighting components and systems sourced through GC Pro.

Photo File 2: DarkHour_Photo2.JPG
Photo Caption 2: Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano, Texas, featuring a number of innovative A/V and lighting components and systems sourced through GC Pro.

 

 

About Guitar Center Professional/Guitar Center
Guitar Center Professional is the outside sales division of Guitar Center that focuses on the needs of professional users. Its clientele includes recording studios, audio engineers, producers, recording and touring musicians, live sound venues, post production facilities and more. Emphasizing extraordinary individualized service via local account managers, GC Pro offers expert consultation and a comprehensive selection of the world’s finest equipment for music and audio professionals. More information on GC Pro can be found by visiting www.gcpro.com.

Guitar Center is the leading United States retailer of guitars, amplifiers, percussion, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment.  Our retail store subsidiary operates 253 Guitar Center stores across the United States.  In addition, our Music & Arts division operates 101 retail stores specializing in band and orchestra instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students.  We also are the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments and related products in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary; Musician’s Friend, Inc., and its catalogs and owned or operated websites.  More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company’s website at www.guitarcenter.com.

The Guitar Center logo is a registered trademark of Guitar Center, Inc. Other brand or product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

MEDIA CONTACT: Robert Clyne, Clyne Media, Inc. at (615) 662-1616

 



 

 

 

 


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