Alacran Group Studios installs Augspurger monitors

Alacran Group Studios has installed an Augspurger monitoring system in its main studio, a move that reflects the facility's focus on music production for a broad client base.

The Miami Beach studio added an Augspurger Duo 8-SUB 12-SXE3/3500 system as part of an overhaul of its main control room. The setup includes Duo 8-Sub12 monitors powered by Augspurger SXE3500 amplifiers. Installation and final tuning were carried out by Dave Malekpour, president of Augspurger and Pro Audio Design.

Alacran Group operates across music, film and live events, and opened the studio as a production hub for in-house artists, engineers and outside clients. Its roster includes artists linked to Warner Chappell, Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Atlantic Records.

Studio shift

The facility was built to handle more than conventional recording sessions. Designed with acoustics and AV consultancy WSDG, it can switch between recording, mixing, filmed performances and live presentations within the same space.

That multi-use approach shaped the decision to review the monitoring setup. Franklin Socorro, studio manager since September 2025, said the existing system no longer matched the demands of the room or the expectations of artists working across hip-hop, reggaeton and Latin music.

"Alacran Group Studios was designed as a creative hub for our artists where anything and everything would be possible," said Franklin Socorro, studio manager at Alacran Group. "The space was created with acoustics and AV technology consulting and design firm WSDG with the brief that it should possess a level of production modularity that enables us to record, mix, host and film performances, and showcase live presentations all in the same facility."

"We have a very diverse set of clientele, so that requires a versatile set of audio production systems to do justice to the various forms of art that we have a hand in creating," he said.

Socorro said his own studio background influenced the recommendation. He cited Augspurger's standing in genres where artists and engineers often expect a familiar monitor sound when judging bass, balance and translation.

"There were elements of our previous monitoring system that weren't doing what we needed, so I was asked to make a recommendation as I was first coming in," he said. "I came from studios that used Augspurgers and I've always seen them as a piece of gear that is reassuring to clients in those genres - they know that sound, they know they can rely on it, and they know that a studio with them is a serious place."

"Once we had a chance to demo them in the studio, it was an obvious choice - let's get a real pair in there!" he added.

Monitoring needs

The new system was selected in part for its ability to support detailed listening at lower levels while still handling sessions that required stronger low-end output. That matters in rooms used for both critical mix decisions and artist playback.

Socorro said the change had an immediate effect on day-to-day work in the room, particularly by speeding up decision-making during sessions and reducing the need to keep checking mixes on alternative speakers.

"The sound is incredibly clean and precise, which makes it easy to make decisions quickly on these various recording and audio production projects," he said. "You can get all that detail at low volume, but then at the same time you can really crank it up and get that low-end kick that is immediately inspiring to artists and gets them excited about what you're making."

"What we had prior to this in the place of the Augspurgers wasn't up to doing what we needed, and it's a night-and-day difference," he said. "We immediately noticed how much better things sound and how much easier it was to work on them. It smoothed our entire production process and you can't argue with that big 'punch' they have!"

He also said the studio had gained more confidence in how mixes carried over to other listening environments, an issue that remains central for commercial studios serving label clients, producers and artists working across multiple release formats.

"Something I had never done before but tried recently with the Duo 8s was leaving them on for the whole session without checking translation on other monitors," he said. "It was amazing how confident I could feel doing that, and when I did finally bring mixes elsewhere, it translated exactly how I wanted it to. The ability to trust those results was a major upgrade for us, and knowing that the team dialed them in specifically for our needs is a big part of that."

Business effect

Malekpour travelled to the studio for the installation and room tuning, and Socorro said the monitors were also colour-matched to the space. The work was intended as a long-term fit for the room rather than a simple equipment swap.

Socorro said visiting artists and DJs quickly noticed the new monitors and linked that visibility to an increase in follow-on session demand at the facility.

"Dave came down and got them installed and tuned just ahead of the Winter Music Conference in March, which was ideal timing for us," he said. "A lot of international producers and DJs got the opportunity to experience them first-hand during the conference and we found ourselves immediately bombarded with sessions after the fact. People noticed right away that we had them and that absolutely impacted our business and bookings."

"We wanted the OGs, and now that we have Augspurgers it makes us all feel like we can do our best work," he said.