Monday, June 30, 2008

All Pro Sound Insider Interview: Butch Gilmore


Here’s an interview with Butch Gilmore, another Sales Consultant with All Pro Sound’s Packaged Systems Division:

How long have you been working at All Pro Sound?
I've been working for All Pro Sound going on 20 years now and loving every minute of it.

When did you first start working with sound equipment?
I started working with sound & recording equipment when I learned how to play guitar. Some of my friends and I started a band and played on Friday & Saturday nights at a local community center that had dances for teenagers every weekend. I was always looking for ways to get a better sound out of the equipment we had. I'll never forget one time I got an idea to use a 4 track reel to reel recorder that I had for a stereo delay for 2 guitar amps that I had on each side of the stage. You heard a note out of 1 amp & then a split second later you’d hear the same sound out of the amp on the other side of the stage. This used the sound on sound feature on the 4 track recorder. It really sounded good back in the days when the only pedals out there were for distortion, and there weren't many of them, either.

How long have you been playing guitar, bass and keyboards?
I started playing around with the guitar back in 1956 learning everything I could from a few friends that had been playing for a while. I would sit around the house just picking around on my first guitar that I bought myself from Sears & Roebuck for less than 100 dollars. It was cheap even back then, but it did the job. I started playing the bass while I was in the Army in 1962 when I needed to earn extra money. While I was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, I used to go out on weekends to a club called Ces' Bon and listen to the band that played nightly. I got to know the band pretty well. One night, their bass player didn't show up and they asked me to sit in. Previously I had only played around on bass but had never played one in a band. That made me a little cautious at first, but it went well enough that night that they asked me if I would be interested in playing with them full time. I gave them an immediate yes answer, not fully realizing just how hard it would be to do that while being in the Army. But somehow I was able to work it out so I could play for them 6 nights a week without being thrown in the brig. I enjoyed playing the bass so much I kept playing at that same club until I got out of the Army & then some. I started playing keyboards just out of curiosity. When keyboards first became popular, I was intrigued with the thought of all the sounds that you could get out of them. As technology progressed and companies started producing keyboards that not only sounded great, but could record with multiple voices, multi-track style, I was completely hooked. I'm not what you would consider a real keyboard player. I just play enough to be able to sequence some pretty decent music using the keyboard’s midi sequencer. I'm really into midi. That’s where the real fun is, especially when you're using a good computer to control it.

You play bass and also work with post-production multitrack audio mixdown in your church. How does this help you assist All Pro Sound customers?
As far as the recording end of it goes, that's the real love of my life. A long time ago when I was still a kid growing up, my parents gave me a portable tape recorder that I just fell in love with on the first day. My first real recorder was a Roberts 2-track reel to reel recorder with sound on sound. I saw it on a shelf in a pawn shop and I knew at once that I had to have it. It quickly spread from there to everything that recorded. I put together a small recording studio that includes an Allen & Heath 32 channel mixing console coupled with an Alesis 24 track digital recorder that has the ability to dump all 24 tracks via firewire into a computer so that I can use software to edit the tracks. Then I master them down to 2 tracks and burn a professional CD. We put that in an EZdupe high speed CD duplicator to produce as many CD's as we need. The software we use is Adobe Audition. It is very easy to use and is also very powerful digital multi-track recording software. I find that doing the things that I do helps me relate all of my experiences to the many customers I deal with every day. All of us here at All Pro love what we do. When you are selling to the public, it helps to have a working knowledge of what you are selling. This makes it easier to understand customers’ needs better and also helps you avoid selling them something they don't need. The saves them time and money. Customers with equipment problems appreciate it when you are able to walk them through their problems and help them fix what’s wrong. That’s what this business is all about -- helping our customers get the equipment they need and making sure they know how to operate it correctly. We are able to do just that simply because we live what we do.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

All Pro Sound Softball Team Pounds Hammerheads


Last night’s twin games resulted in one win and one loss for the intrepid All Pro team. In Game 6, what coulda been never was as All Pro Sound lost 5 runs to the Coulda-Beens’ 18 runs. In the second game, however, All Pro’s stars pounded the Hammerheads with a convincing 25 to 11 win.

With plenty of games remaining, All Pro Sound invites you to come out and support our team. Games are played on Wednesday nights at the NEP Sports Complex on East Nine Mile Road across from Hillcrest Baptist Church in Pensacola.


2008 Summer Softball Men B
All Pro Sound
Game 1 All Pro Sound 16 vs. West Florida Baseball 15

Game 2 All Pro Sound 14 vs. Chicken Wings 17

Game 3 All Pro Sound 7 vs. Game Over 14

Game 4 All Pro Sound 11 vs. Jailbirds 6

Game 5 All Pro Sound 23 vs. Beef O’Brady’s 16

Game 6 All Pro Sound 5 vs. Coulda-Beens 18

Game 7 All Pro Sound 25 vs. Hammerheads 11

Wed 7/2/2008 7:00pm All Pro Sound vs. Eagle Packaging

Wed 7/2/2008 9:00pm All Pro Sound vs. Chicken Wings

Wed 7/9/2008 8:00pm All Pro Sound vs. Eagle Packaging

Wed 7/9/2008 9:00pm All Pro Sound vs. Free Agents R Us

Wed 7/23/2008 6:00pm All Pro Sound vs. Coulda-Beens

Wed 7/23/2008 7:00pm All Pro Sound vs. Beef O’Brady’s

Wed 7/30/2008 6:00pm All Pro Sound vs. United Forming

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

All Pro Sound Interview with David Robinson, Sales Representative for Canon, USA:


APS: David, thank you for joining us today.

It’s my pleasure.

APS: Canon has a long-standing reputation for providing quality lenses and video equipment to both the professional and consumer markets. What are the latest trends you are seeing in the marketplace?

Well, I’d certainly have to say that High Definition or HD has really taken off. Folks only have to see an HD picture once or twice to be sold on it. Canon has consumer HD camcorders starting at $899.00, so it’s becoming even more affordable.

APS: Watching high-def makes the viewer feel they can almost reach through the screen and touch someone. Is this interest in HD evident in the commercial and house of worship markets as well?

Absolutely. As more people get high definition television receivers at home, they want to see HD where they work and where they worship, too.

APS: A full high definition recording or presentation system may be beyond today’s budget for some organizations, but does it make sense to buy a high-definition camera today, even if the rest of the system is standard definition?

Yes, it’s a great investment. Today’s Canon HD cameras will deliver a standard definition signal to traditional recording or production equipment. Then, when the budget allows the customer to buy a complete high-def broadcast/recording system, these cameras are ready to deliver a full high-definition signal at the flip of a switch.

APS: What advantages do Canon cameras offer to the commercial or house of worship customer?

Canon’s history of providing their own lenses and cameras to the commercial and broadcast markets yields great dividends to the house of worship and consumer markets as well. Innovations that were first introduced in broadcast cameras have made their way to consumer level products.

Friday, June 20, 2008

All Pro Sound gets main Internet trunkline



Already served by Cox Optical Internet, All Pro Sound now has a main fiber-optic trunkline running adjacent to our Operations Center in Pensacola, Florida. Tying directly into Cox's fiber-optic IP backbone, this line provides All Pro Sound direct access to the Internet with tiered bandwidth and high speed. The new line adds redundancy to the main lines already serving All Pro Sound; virtually guaranteeing constant uptime. The accompanying photo was taken during installation of the cable on Michigan Avenue behind our plant. Learn More.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Building for the Future at All Pro Sound


A groundbreaking ceremony on April 7th, 2008 marked the start of construction on All Pro Sound's newest addition. Now that the foundation work is finished, the building is beginning to take shape. When complete later this summer, the three-story building will serve as a staging area where commercial and residential installations can be "pre-fabbed" before the install trucks are loaded. A long-standing practice at All Pro Sound, "pre-fabbing" enables us to pre-test components before going on site for the installation; thus helping to streamline the actual installation process. Currently this work is done in a leased building that is located at a considerable distance from our main plant. In addition to the pre-fab area, the new building will also contain additional warehouse and office space. Our continued growth demands that we strive to achieve greater efficiency for our clients, and this project firmly validates our commitment to excellent customer service.

All Pro Sound Makes Top 30 List


All Pro Sound has been named #23 on CEPro's list of Top 30 Hybrids. Companies in this list are ranked based on the amount of revenue generated by residential installations. The hybrid designation denotes retailers who specialize in custom installations. This recognition is a considerable achievement for a company whose main emphasis is on commercial installation and equipment sales to houses of worship. Learn More.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Interview with Mark Ellis, Packaged System Sales at All Pro Sound

Here’s the first in a series of interviews with consultants and others who work at All Pro Sound.
Mark Ellis joined All Pro in February, 2008. In addition to his new career as a packaged systems consultant, Mark is an accomplished lead singer with his band Good Foote.

What got you interested in music?

When I was five years old my father came home from work with an LP under his arm. (That’s an analog vinyl record for you younger folks.) Through his excitement I was intrigued. Before we ate dinner that night he put it on the family turntable. The record was “The Beatles 1962-1966.” Thirty years later, I can still remember sitting on the floor listening, looking at the pictures of these four guys, and reading the lyrics and liner notes. I loved the tunes so much that by the time I had turned eight, I owned every American (Capitol Records) release Beatles album. To say I was hooked is an understatement! So it's all Dad's fault.

How long have you been singing?

I've been singing all my life. To the radio, in church, and of course to those Beatles records. I've been asked numerous times "Where did you receive your vocal training?" or "Who gave you voice lessons?". My response is always "John and Paul, sometimes George." I developed my skills of harmony as well as singing in tune from.....you guessed it… those Beatles records. In middle school and high school I sang in typical garage bands. In 1999 I started singing professionally in establishments with my band Good Foote. I'm still singing in the band today.

Tell us about your Nashville days.

I moved to Nashville in 1996 from where I had been living (for six years) in Santa Cruz, CA. I had been building African style hand drums (Ashikos, Congas, Tumbas, Talking Drums) for West Cliff Percussion (in Santa Cruz). I was trained (how to build) by legendary master drum facilitators Arthur Hull and Cameron Tummel. When I arrived in Nashville, I found that Gibson Guitars USA were built there. I took one of the drums that I had constructed to Gibson. I met with the plant supervisor, showed him my work and was hired. During the day, I hand-shaped necks for Gibson's electric division; so if you have a Gibson electric guitar dating from 1996 to 1999, the neck on your guitar has passed through my hands.
During that same period my wife Tracy worked at Baptist Hospital's child care center. A parent of one child in her class was Bob Tassi, the head recording engineer at The Loft, a Warner Brothers-owned recording studio located on Division Street in downtown Nashville. Bob worked directly under producer Jim Ed Norman. Bob had asked my wife what I was doing for work. She told him about me working for Gibson. Bob asked her if I would like to come check out the studio. Of course I was interested! Upon our meeting Bob and I hit it off. He then asked me if I would like to intern at the Loft. I jumped at the opportunity! So there I was building Gibson guitars during the day and setting up recording sessions as well as making coffee for Bob by night. I watched Bob work his magic on numerous recordings. One of my favorite sessions was for the Grammy award-winning album by The Fairfield Four, "I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray". It contained the wonderful song "That Day Is Done" which featured Elvis Costello. That song still gives me goose bumps!

You have spent some time with some well-known musicians. Who are your favorites?

While in Nashville I met a lot of great musicians. Gibson had world-renowned players coming and going all the time. I met Joe Perry when Gibson started making his signature Les Paul guitar. Super nice guy! The incomparable Chet Atkins came in quite often before his passing -- not to mention Les Paul himself. One day Phil Keaggy was playing in the cafeteria as we ate lunch! That was the first time I heard and saw a loop pedal being used. I had a great time with the legendary blues guitarist/singer Son Seals. Boy, did Son have some stories. He started his career playing drums for Albert King.
Speaking of Kings, I was fortunate enough to spend time with B.B. King on his tour bus one night. After I told him that I shaped "Lucille" necks, I was "on the bus," as they say. Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band and co-founder of Gov't Mule is another one of those "one of a kind" type musicians. He is always so gracious to people who love music. My good friend Dick Boyden has made a few of his "Boyden Amplifiers" for Warren, so I have been able to chat with Warren a few times through Dick's friendship with him. I shaped a few guitar necks for him and Allen Woody (the late Allman Brothers and Gov't Mule bassist) while at Gibson.
I consider Col. Bruce Hampton a good friend of mine. We had lunch a few weeks ago. Col. Bruce is responsible for finding the finest unknown musicians and bands and making them known. Widespread Panic and Phish credit him often. You can compare him to the best baseball scout of all time in the music business.
My favorite musicians would be The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, The Band, Sly & The Family Stone, James Brown, Los Lobos, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Wilco -- right now. It always changes, though.

What kind of microphone do you use when you sing?

I've been using an Audix OM5 for nearly ten years now. I actually bought it from All Pro Sound (long before I worked here)! You can't get it off my mic stand! My band (Good Foote) just recently performed for a taping for our local PBS affiliate WSRE. They had another company's mic ready for me, but I insisted on using my OM5! If it's good enough for Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Ani Difranco, Lucinda Williams, Shooter Jennings, and Willie Nelson, it's good enough for me!

Describe the rest of your sound equipment.

For smaller gigs I use a Yamaha EMX512 powered mixer. With its digital power amps, the piece is super lightweight but also super powerful!! The built in compressor is a nice feature also. For my mains, I use Yamaha S115's which I've abused for years, but they sound just as good today as the first time that I used them. For monitors I use a pair of Yamaha SM12's.
For larger shows in my Gator roller rack, I use a Yamaha MG series mixer and two Yamaha P7000 power amps, although I am about to purchase a few QSC power amps in the near future. For bottom end I have a pair of Yamaha SW118's. I use a DBX dual 15 band equalizer, but I will soon replace it with the incredible Driverack processor from DBX. I haven't decided whether I'm going to purchase the Driverack 260 or ante up for the Driverack 480. I'm most excited about adding this piece to my system!

How do your musical experiences help you at All Pro Sound?

Wow! Good question. I guess you could say I'm a hands-on kind of guy. I learn by doing. So since I’m not only the lead singer of the band, but also the sound man, I've learned how to do things the right way by doing them the wrong way first! The "fly on the wall" experience under Bob Tassi was priceless. I learned so much just by watching him work his magic. So I feel I can communicate through my experiences to the customer on the other end of the line. I will admit that I'm still learning. My colleagues here on the phones at All Pro Sound teach me something new every day! If one of us can't answer a customer's question (which is rare), the next sales engineer over surely can!! It's truly an honor to work in such a knowledgeable and experienced environment!!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

American Red Cross and All Pro Sound team up to save lives


Born out of a desire to do something that would benefit the Pensacola community, All-Pro Sound hosted their first Lifeline Community Outreach on April 7 at their store, located at 806 Beverly Parkway in Pensacola. The event combined an American Red Cross blood drive with half-hourly CPR and basic first aid demonstrations performed by the American Red Cross of Northwest Florida. The blood drive was a great success, as 25 productive units were collected from the smiling donors
who turned out to give blood and save lives at the more than 100 hospitals served by the American Red Cross Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region. http://web.redcrossblood.org/portal/AL/

The All-Pro Sound team took the role of blood drive sponsor very seriously, recruiting friends, family members and co-workers in to give the gift of life. All-Pro Sound even went so far as to run advertising on several television stations serving the Pensacola market, thus drawing the public’s interest and pulling more people towards the mission of blood donation.

“The All-Pro Sound team really went above and beyond to guarantee that this blood drive was a success,” said Evan Duffy, Senior Communication Specialist for the American Red Cross Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region. “They were very enthusiastic about the opportunity to change lives through blood donation, and they donated not only their blood, but their time and resources to our mission as well. We owe All-Pro Sound a debt of gratitude for their willingness to partner with the American Red Cross, and patients in the more than 100 hospitals served by the American Red Cross surely appreciate their zeal for saving lives.”