Having been raised in a music-centric family, Luis Carlos Maldonado was destined to work in the industry. As a musician, performer, songwriter and lead guitarist for the GRAMMY Award winning band, Train, Maldonado is no stranger to top-of-the-line recording studio gear. For over a decade, Maldonado has exclusively used KRK Systems’ studio monitor offerings to mix all of his tracks. Today, Maldonado has KRK’s V6 Series Studio Monitors in his home studio. While he mainly relies on the V6 Series speakers to mix Train songs and new material, he also recently turned to his KRKs for recordings for the new film “Bill & Ted Face the Music.”
“I can't remember a time I didn't know about KRK,” says Maldonado. “It’s safe to say that anyone working in the recording industry within the last 20- to 30-years has used KRK speakers, a number of times—I know I certainly have. My first set of KRKs were the VXT Series studio monitors. I had upgraded to these from another brand—and I truly mean ‘upgraded.’ They were a great set of speakers.”
While the recording industry evolves over time, Maldonado realizes the significance of manufacturers adjusting their product lines to meet the current needs of music producers. “Fidelity in music and film has increased significantly—there's a lot more sound going on these days, opposed to the classic records of yesterday. How music is presented today is dramatically more advanced and I feel that KRK’s V6 Series is moving along with the changes and developments in music and film.”
For Maldonado, a standout feature of his KRK V6 Series monitors is the ability to differentiate between the high, high-mid, low and low-mid frequencies. “The V6 Series speakers have an incredible amount of detail and without the fatigue that comes when listening to music in a critical environment. The fact that you can attenuate or boost the low and high frequencies depending on your room size/shape is a total win. Also, setting up the monitors is extremely easy, especially with the ability to ‘tune’ the speakers to your room configuration.”
While working from home amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Maldonado has revised his home studio setup to have no limits in being able to produce and record broadcast-quality tracks. “The V6 speakers have raised the bar for critical listening in my home studio environment,” says Maldonado. “While recording from home, I’ve learned to prioritize tasks and work quickly—I spend more time on the quality of my tracks, and in the end, that's why we do this anyway. KRK is in a wonderful state of growth and I am very fortunate to be working with some key and creative people at the company. They have made this experience extremely enjoyable, professional, and welcoming—it’s one of the few times I feel that I'm in the right place at the right time. Big thanks to Todd, Beth, Mac, JC and Cesar!”
"The KRK brand has been at the forefront of innovation and sound evolution,\" says Cesar Gueikian, Chief Merchant Officer, Gibson Brands. “Behind great music and sound, there's always a KRK monitor that contributed to delivering that sound. We are focused on building great tools for artists and producers, enabling them to create the great music that we all love. I have been a fan of Luis' work for decades, and the fact that he's chosen KRK as the brand and tool he trusts, is a proud moment for all of us at KRK."
