Icon Collective Turns up the Beat with KRK Systems
School Relies on ROKIT 10-3 Three-Way and Legendary VXT Monitors to Provide Consistent Sound between Studios
BURBANK, CA –Â When students at Icon Collective in Burbank, California step through the doors of this music production school, they can be assured that they’re learning on high-quality gear. For instance, the school, which recently moved to a larger facility due to an increase in popularity, is now completely outfitted with monitors from KRK Systems, including 11 pairs of ROKIT 10-3 Three Way Monitors and two pairs of VXT Active Studio Monitors.
The move brought Icon to the former Enterprise Studios, where many major records were produced in the 1990s. Within this 15,000-square-foot facility there are 11 studios and two mixing theaters that David Alexander and Christopher Wright, co-founders of Icon, turned into classrooms, studios and labs. As part of the update, the duo was also looking for a set of speakers that would unify the audio to give students one feel, especially between the larger studios and smaller rooms.
“The mixing theaters that we have were actually sound stages previously used to mix movies, so they are a perfect acoustic environment,” explains Alexander. “But, we needed a larger speaker to fill the space. The KRKs gave us the perfect balance between quality and volume, the two features that we were primarily looking for in those rooms. For the other studios, where the students are producing their own music, we wanted a speaker that was rugged and could handle a big load because they generally want to push the volume to get more of a club feel. They’re definitely able to do that with the 10-3s, which also have great low volumes for critical listening.”
Since the school operates with a largely independent outlook, students are often using the equipment on their own, which could lead to potential problems with the gear. “We used a variety of monitors in our old building, which led to a lot of blown speakers,” continues Alexander. “The KRKs bring us a sense of reliability and durability. They can take the abuse from the students and produce a high-quality sound. That’s a perfect combination. We haven’t had an issue with the ROKITs. What the students and teachers notice most is that we can all count on the speakers because of their consistency.”
After hearing what the KRK ROKIT 10-3s could really do, the school decided to order two pairs of VXT’s for the mixing rooms, known as Studio Alpha and Studio Genesis. One of them is the room that acclaimed producer Dave Pensando used for most of his records and has exceptional acoustics. “I think the VXT’s will do really well in those rooms,” adds Alexander.
Alexander and Wright founded Icon Collective in 2005 after noticing a gap in the education field for a school that taught aspiring musicians and artists how to become independent entrepreneurs. Additionally, Icon Collective works on the belief that students should feel empowered to use laptops and software that allows them to be independent and self-reliant.
“At the time, no one was really interested in providing that type of service to artists who want to be independent and release their own music,” says Alexander. “With the way the industry is today, artists are able to get their music out and interact directly with their fan base through social media. There is no need for distribution centers and a physical means of dispensing their product. So, that is our focus – empowering students to be self-sufficient. We saw a perfect opportunity to launch this educational model, and it’s been very well-received. Our graduates have been very successful. Most of them are touring or living a creative lifestyle, five even played Coachella this year, and we’re really proud of that.”
With a small class ratio of 18 to 1, Icon Collective is only able to accept 54 students every start date. The one-year program is broken into four quarters of full-time study, which equates to roughly three days, or 14 hours, of instruction per week. When the students aren’t in class, they are in the studios, focusing their attention on projects and other independent work. Visit www.learn2produce.com for more info on Icon Collective
About KRK Systems
Over the past two decades, KRK Systems, part of the Gibson Pro Audio division, has become synonymous with quality design and unparalleled performance in the world of studio monitors, subwoofers and headphones. And because KRK has remained true to its mission of providing accurate and reliable studio monitors, as well as developed products that fit its customer’s needs like a glove, the company occupies the industry’s #1 position for studio monitors. With four series of monitoring systems (both passive and active, in a variety of sizes), KRK offers products that meet the diverse needs of home studios, professional studios, and audiophiles. For more information, visit www.krksys.com.
About Gibson Brands
Gibson Brands, one of the fastest-growing companies globally, was founded in 1894 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Gibson Brands has a portfolio of over a hundred well-recognized brand names for musical instruments, consumer electronics, and professional audio. In addition to the number one guitar brand, Gibson, other instrument brands include Epiphone, Dobro, Valley Arts, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Maestro, Baldwin, Hamilton, Chickering and Wurlitzer. Professional audio brands include KRK Systems, TASCAM, Cerwin-Vega, Stanton and Cakewalk and continue Gibson’s tradition of quality in their respective markets; while consumer electronics brands comprise Onkyo, Integra, TEAC and Esoteric.
Gibson Brands expanded further into the consumer market with the acquisition of Philips' Home Entertainment business - inventors of the cassette tape, as well as the CD, DVD, MP3, and MP4 formats. It shows the same leadership in technological innovation for the benefit of our customers under the Philips and Fidelio brand names.
A global company, Gibson Brands has manufacturing, marketing and research and development centers throughout the world. All Gibson Brands are dedicated to innovation, prestige, and improving their customers’ quality of life. Visit Gibson’s website at www.gibson.com.
CONTACT:
Vanessa Bishop
D. Pagan Communications
631.659.2309
vanessab@dpagan.com
