Products from Auralex Acoustics, Inc. have recently been installed at the new Burbank, California home facility of West Coast Customs, the vehicle customization firm famous for involvement in MTV’s Pimp My Ride, the program Inside West Coast Customs and other media appearances.
The showroom has several vehicles on display that West Coast Customs has worked on for famous figures, including Justin Bieber, will.i.am and others. The new facility also features a recording studio (known as the “Sam Ash Studio”), outfitted by the Hollywood Sam Ash location with a full complement of digital recording equipment, outboard gear, and acoustical treatment from Auralex.
Rick Waite, customer experience manager at Sam Ash Music in Hollywood, was the main contact on the project. He notes, “The recording studio was conceived as a multi-purpose facility. West Coast Customs can use it to record promo spots, other voiceover work or music, but the real benefit is for the customers. Lots of prominent musicians have a relationship with West Coast Customs – what better activity to offer them while they wait than some studio time? Rockers, electronic musicians, rappers and more all pass through this showroom on a regular basis, and obviously inspiration can strike at any time. The genesis of next year’s biggest song could come from the time spent waiting for their vehicle, or from just stopping by to hang out.”
The studio comprises two rooms, with dimensions for each measuring 9′ x 12′ x 8′. Waite knew that the gear complement needed to match the look and atmosphere of West Coast Customs’ brand and showroom; they ended up sourcing a recording console from Allen & Heath, Blue microphones and more high-end components.
Tying the sound and look of the room together are the following Auralex products: ProPanels, SonicPrint ProPanels, MudGuard, ProMAX free-standing panels, MoPADs, GRAMMA v2, GreatGRAMMA v2 and HoverMat.
Waite notes, “Anyone who knows Auralex knows that their products perform at a very high level – they are a real standard-bearer in acoustical treatment, pure and simple, so it was an easy decision for us to have Auralex products involved. But beyond that, Auralex offers an aesthetic that suits West Coast Customs. They look awesome, and the ability to print custom designs and logos on several of Auralex’s flagship products is the perfect match, and indeed it reminds me a lot of the type of work that West Coast Customs does for these jaw-dropping vehicles. And further, Auralex offers service customized for each project. From day one, Auralex provided project notes and design specs, and their service personnel offered their personalized expertise every step of the way. Auralex founder and president Eric Smith even took a personal interest in this project, and he stopped by the facility with me to take a look for himself.”
Eric Smith stated, “West Coast Customs is an impressive organization, and we are honored to be involved in their new facility. I feel like our companies are kindred spirits: their ‘Render to Realization’ design and build process for their clients’ vehicles is right in line with Auralex’s long-standing free Personalized Room Analysis offered to all of our customers. We are proud to be part of their great new studio, and we look forward to hearing some of the results that pour out of their talented clientele.”