What's more excitable than a gear-head set loose on a new piece of equipment? Try a few thousand gear-heads set loose at the coolest music technology show on Earth. Winter NAMM is unquestionably Mecca for gear-heads, technobabblers, audio-troggs, knob-jockeys, hi-fi hooligans and all manner of creatures left slack-jawed and mesmerized at the sight of blinking lights and shiny objects. And there was plenty at Winter NAMM to stir any gear-head's ardor. Your NAMM Report staff was there, snapping pictures, pressing buttons and asking questions, all in the effort to bring you the best of the best and a few "sleepers" we thought you'd be interested in.
Please keep in mind that this is not intended as a complete listing of all new or relevant products debuted at this NAMM show (we wouldn't have room for the rest of this issue if we told you about everything, so for a complete report, see our online report, nor is all of the information here guaranteed to be 100% correct. In many cases, manufacturers are still solidifying things like price (which is shown here as the expected list or retail price), availability, and features. We gathered all we could from the things that caught our eye. We hope you enjoy this first sneak preview.
AKAI showed off a very cool new line of compact powered mixers. The AMX Series all weigh less than 17 pounds and are housed in a composite flight case with a cover and a handle. When the gig is over, you just cover them up and carry them away like a suitcase. The 10-channel AMX10 ($699) and the 6-channel AMX6 ($599) are very efficient and feature digital effects, a high-quality mixing section with individual EQ, dual amps and more. Akai was also showing some new ultralight stereo power amplifiers, the APX500 and the APX1000. Both are high-efficiency PWM power amps and they sound promising.
For the low-end bass man, Akai offered two intriguing stomp boxes: The UB1 lets you "thicken" your sound via effects like adding an octave, or distortion, or enabling you to play harmony lines by yourself. It's great for filling out a band's sound on stage. The SB1 lets you play those fat, funky synthesizer bass lines on your bass. You can edit the sounds to get exactly the tone you want, and there are nine programmable memories that let you switch sounds while you play. And of course, where there's bass effects pedals, there's usually twice as many guitar pedals. First up is the W1 Variwah ($199), a box that gives you multiple wah: Pedal wah (there's a traditional wah pedal), Touch wah and a Swell wah feature all in one. The D1 Shred-O-Matic ($299) also goes by a less lively name, the Tube/Solid-State Hybrid Distortion box. Whatever you call it, the 4 distortion modes are exceptional, giving guitarists a wide choice of distortion sounds. The E1 Headrush ($279) is a tap delay/tape echo simulator/looping recorder effects pedal. Features include 16-bit digital delay with a delay time from 0.5ms to 23.8 seconds, and the Tape Echo mode, which simulates an analog 4-head tape echo machine. Finally, there's the P1 Intelliphase ($149), a cool sounding analog phaser with Soft Touch and Hard Touch mode.
Finally, they also had a very hip variable tempo phrase sampler called the U400 ($249), which gives you 35.7 seconds of recording time. Operation was very simple. You can playback the phrases at 2/3 and 1/2 speed without affecting the pitch, and easily isolate and loop a selected region. One of the coolest features for any instrumentalist who wants to learn their favorite solo is the Note Grabber, which takes you through a recording a single note at a time.
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| The Paul Reed Smith booth is always popular if you like gorgeous guitars: Here, their new single cutaway model. |
APOGEE. They were showing off two high-quality converter cards, the AP8AD ($1495) and the AP8DA ($1195). These are designed to add quality digital conversion to any Yamaha digital system equipped either with full-size YGDAI card slots. They would make a perfect complement to Yamaha's AW4416 workstation (see Yamaha section later).
AUDIO-TECHNICA. We love packs and bundles, and know a lot of budget-minded working musicians feel the same way. Audio-Technica has four great new, inexpensive microphone kits we think you'll like. The KP Series consists of an assortment of mics for specific tasks, held in a durable, travel-friendly case. The KP-Drums kit ($499.95) include four custom-engineered cardioid dynamic mics: Two Snare/Tom mics and two Kick/Tom mics. The KP-Vocals kit ($209.95) comes with three dynamic vocal mics with stand clamps and cable ties. The KP-Studio kit ($299.95) provides two cardioid condenser mics and a pair of ATH-M3X stereo headphones. Finally, the KP-Worship ($419.95) handles the diverse needs of sound reinforcement in churches and other places of worship, with two hanging "choir" mics, one gooseneck "podium" mic and a handheld cardioid dynamic "vocal" mic. The company also released their 1400 Wireless Series, featuring true diversity reception with independent RF sections.
BOSS brought out some incredible new gear, all seemingly aimed toward the performing/touring musician and songwriter. The BR-8 ($845 ) is an 8-track digital recording workstation for guitarists and other musicians looking for a simple, cost-effective alternative to a tape-based personal studio. If a serious fledgling songwriter wanted to make a really wise investment in gear, the BR-8 is it easy to operate, it includes many of the features that have made Roland's VS workstations such a hit. You get virtual tracks, COSM effects processing, excellent editing functions, etc. You also get Rhythm Guide, Phase Trainer, and a built-in chromatic tuner. Next up was the JS-5 JamStation ($595), which might actually be even cooler than the BR-8 depending on who you talked to. With the JS-5, guitar and bass players can jam along to high quality accompaniments in many different styles. You can even record up to 32 minutes of your work, just in case you hit that great groove that could turn into something. It's very useful for practicing, jamming, songwriting or learning to play in a new style of music. Hearing the demo gave all of us a case of the "gimmes."
CROWN. The latest addition to their CE Series amps, the CE 4000 is being targeted to nightclubs and DJ systems, regional touring PAs, A/V rental houses and fixed installations. It's one of the most efficient amplifiers that Crown has ever come out with: A switching amplifier design means the CE 4000's BCA topology delivers massive amounts of power while generating just one-tenth the heat of a conventional amp. It delivers a solid 1800 watts per channel (both channels driven) into 2 Ohms, 1200 watts into 4 Ohms and 600 watts into 8 Ohms. For such a powerful amp, it was very lightweight, checking in at about 34 lbs. Crown also gave us an award for Outstanding Sales in 1999.
DENON. Among their selection of excellent and reliable CD players, Denon had a couple of new products that will surely raise the beats-per-minute of any serious creative DJ. The first was the latest version of their DN-2600 dual CD player, the DN-2600F. Along with features like authentic scratching, the DN-2600F brings some exciting new functions to the tables (pun fully intended). Each drive has "Hot Start": The DJ can instantly and seamlessly change a track or cue point with the touch of a button. "Stutter" mode plays momentary audio as the buttons are pressed down, and then "recues" to the original point upon release. Also, the "Effector" features offer fully custom-izable frequency filter, reverb and flanger effects. Check this out!
E-MU. Coolness was running rampant at the E-MU booth. First up was their brand new sound module, the B-3. Just like the name says, the B-3 sound module delivers jaw-droppingly realistic B-3 tonewheel organ sounds. This includes all the effects, like loads of authentic drawbar settings, distortion, and percussion features that sound just like the real deal. The realtime controls give you tremendous rotary speaker control. It's expandable, too. Also strutting its stuff was the Xtreme Lead-1 ($895), an innovative single rackspace sound module / synthesizer. Designed as an all-in-one instrument for techno / electronica / dance artists, the XL-1 offers a very powerful and diverse set of features. There are just too many highlights to go into detail (like 32 MB Sound ROM with 512 ROM / 512 User Presets; 16 simultaneously synced arpeggiators, etc.), but one of its most impressive features was the SuperBEATS Mode, which allows you to trigger, latch and unlatch synced loops and grooves from separate keys on your keyboard. If grooves and BPMs are your musical currency of choice, you'll want to check this module out. But the shakin' doesn't stop there. E-MU has more. Or Mo', to be precise. The Mo' Phatt Urban Dance Synth picks up where the legendary Planet Phatt left off. Just like the name says, Mo Phatt gives you more. More sounds, more grooves, more creative options and a more powerful processor. Like the XL-1, Mo' Phatt features the SuperBEATS mode. Best of all, you can add your own unique touch to the grooves via a cutting-edge synthesis architecture and effects processor.
FOCUSRITE. They're reissuing their classic ISA 110 Mic Preamp and EQ ($2000). The ISA 110 was Focusrite's "building block" product and is still used in countless recording studios worldwide. This is a standalone one-channel unit in a 19" format with integral power supply, but otherwise it conforms to the original ISA110. They were also showing the ISA 430 Producer Pack, a front-end processor that makes a great front-end for Pro Tools. The ISA 430 includes a transformer-coupled mic preamp stage, plus line and instrument inputs with phantom power and phase reverse with direct input. There's also a Compressor and Expander / Gate featuring proprietary Class A VCA and side-chain circuit as used in the vintage ISA 130; a De-esser; a 3-band Limiter; and special Single or Split modes.
The MixMaster is Focusrite's latest addition to their award-winning Platinum Range of dynamics processors. Designed principally as the final processing stage when mixing, the MixMaster will also prove a valuable tool for anyone mastering his or her own recordings. Features include Stereo line input; Stereo expander; Stereo multiband (spectral) compressor; Stereo 3-band parametric equalizer; Stereo Image Controller; and Stereo limiter (frequency adaptive limiter for minimum distortion and maximum A/D protection).
FOSTEX. They were showing several great new releases sure to be of interest to recording professionals. The first was the NF-1A ($1598/pair), a nifty nearfield monitor that boasts an almost completely neutral sound. These were powered versions of the NF-1 introduced at AES '99. The NF-1A features a "patent-pending" hyperbolic parabolic transducer design that provides a tight off-axis response. Also introduced were the D 824 ($1795) and the D 1624 ($2795), two powerful, high-end hard disk recorders. They offer an RS422 interface and a total of five recording formats, including non-compressed 24-bit, 96kHz audio. The new interface increases the recorder's versatility dramatically by allowing remote placement and offering compatibility with video editors and other professional tools. Both feature unlimited Undos, Copy / Paste between programs, a dedicated "All input" key and much more. Continuing Fostex's tradition of top-of-the-line compact recording workstations is the VF-16 16-Track Digital Multitracker ($1500). It features 16 tracks plus 8 additional "ghost" tracks, and fantastic digital mixing capabilities. There are two independent digital multieffects using acclaimed Fostex A.S.P. technology. They also had the VM88 ($799) 8-channel Digital Mixer with DSP Effects. This was a nifty, compact submixer for live performance, loaded with great features and simple to operate. If you're a performing musician you need to check this one out.
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| Korg MS2000 Analog Synth |
Finally, the ES-1 Rhythm Production Sampler ($600) is the newest member of the best-selling Electribe family (this one happens to be green). The ES-1 is a variation on the ER-1 (that's the red one), but the ES-1 lets you process the samples in an astonishing variety of ways. You can tweak and alter your samples via the pitch, filter and effects knobs, and use the step sequencer to create complex rhythm patterns.
LINE 6. It's black. It's vaguely kidney-shaped. And it's for bassists! Line 6 opens the way for bass players to have a little effects fun with the Bass Pod, the bass version of their popular Pod modeler/effects device. Bass Pod offers 16 bass amp modelers, 16 bass cabinet models, 16 digital effects combinations, and much more. They were also showing their Rackmount Pod Pro, essentially a rackmount version of the Pod with extra nifty features, including 24-bit AES/EBU and S/PDIF digital out, and stereo effects loop.
MARSHALL. An acoustic guitar amp from Marshall? They exist, and our raised eyebrows were lowered when we got a look and listen. The AS80R Acoustic Guitar Amplfier ($1199) is an 80-watt chorus combo that sounds amazing. If you've ever heard one of Marshall's acoustic amps you know what we mean. All that power and clarity is applied to a more delicate sound and the results are stunning.
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| Martin Eric Clapton Signature |
Still think a young man ain't got nuthin' in the world these days? Think again. For the Young Man Blues, there's the Johnny Lang signature guitar, a jumbo 14-fret full access Venetian cutaway equipped with a Fishman Prefix Onboard Blender system. The face of the guitar has an aged, amber hue for that "dues-paid-in-full" look and feel. Martin was also showing off two Jim Croce limited edition guitars. Each guitar has a mint condition 1973 dime inlaid at the third fret fingerboard position, in honor of Croce's "Operator". Martin is limiting the number of Jim Croce special edition guitars to 73 in reference to the year Croce died.
There were other special editions we liked, but one that definitely caught our eye was the Custom D-45 Dreadnought, an incredibly ornate instrument featuring pearl inlay Chinese icons and symbols. The neck boasts an ornate double dragon motif, while the keys have beautifully intricate symbols of the Chinese calendar. There won't be many of these, but you can pick one up for a paltry $700,000.
MOTU. There was a really exciting development at Mark of the Unicorn's booth. We got to go behind closed doors to see their brand spankin' new 1296 audio workstation for Mac and Windows. It's the latest addition to their 2408 family, and boasts (what else?) 24-bit / 96 kHz. It's ideal for surround sound mixing and is available as a core system and as an expansion I/O. You can connect up to three 1296s for 36 channels. We'll have more on the 1296 very soon.
PARKER. They've added two new models to their line of innovative instruments: The Parker Hardtail ($2,650) and the Parker Jazz ($3,375) both boast Parker's characteristic light weight and easy playability, but add a stronger low-end to the overall tone. The Hardtail is a stealth gray color with a basswood body and neck. It also features a Drop-D tuner. The Jazz is a deep, classy red color with all gold hardware. The pickup is specially voiced to deliver a warm jazz tone.
PRESONUS. The Quad Com ($899.95) was their new, single rack, four-channel professional compressor/limiter. They also had the Quad Gate ($899.95), a single rack, four-channel professional frequency gate with zero crossing circuitry. Then there was the DigiMax ($1,499.95) eight-channel preamp featuring peak limiter, EQ enhancer, and Analog and Digital outputs. They had a new 4-band parametric EQ, the EQ80 ($2,299.95), with eight channels, Narrow Q select and High/Low shelving. Finally, their Blue Tube ($199.95) was a 1/2 rack space stereo tube mic pre. We'll be giving you more on all these fine units as soon as we get it.
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| Roland's show-stopping VP-9000 VariPhrase Processor |
They also were showing off their new XV Series of synths, all of which feature 128 voices and include the XV-88 expandable keyboard, the XV-3080 rack module and the flagship XV-5080 rack module. They are all expandable and feature enormous internal wave memory to 64MB and beyond with over 1,000 waves and sounds from many Roland classics, such as the JD-990 Super JD. Expanding on the technology and innovation that made the Roland V-Drum kit so popular, the HPD-15 Hand Percussion Pad ($1295) is a perfect example of a seemingly simple idea executed brilliantly. Just like the name suggests, the HPD-15 is sort of the hand percussionist's answer to the V-Drum kit. Percussionists can tap, slap and pound away like angry chimps. Like the V-Drum kit, the pads are touch sensitive for expressive performance, and the sounds are incredibly realistic. There's even a "D-Beam" and dual ribbon controllers. Trust us, it rocks.
But Roland's crowning achievement (at least at this NAMM Show) is a unique device called the VP-9000 VariPhrase Processor ($3295). The basic principle is that the VP-9000 makes music "elastic." It's an audio processor that allows you to manipulate pitch, time and formants in real time via knobs or MIDI control. But the sound quality of the original sample remains the same, whatever you do with it. Speed it up, slow it down, but the pitch stays the same. You can also instantly match phrase loops from different sources to the same key and tempo. But the VP-9000 goes far beyond pitch correction, or sampling. You can take a vocal line, drum beat, or other musical phrase, and change the "character" of a song, all in real time. Seamlessly. Still a little unclear? Well, we saw a number of different demonstrations of the VP-9000, and with each demo our appreciation grew. The applications are mind-boggling, encompassing everything from remix tasks, to postproduction for audio and video, to a complete creative tool. You're going to be hearing a lot about this new technology in the coming months, and Sweetwater will keep you up to date on all the latest developments.
STEINBERG. Here's another company with so many new products that it's nearly impossible to know where to begin. The Pro-Five VST Plug-in Synthesizer ($199) is based on the legendary Prophet Five synth used by many bands in the '80s. The quality of the plug-in is fully equal to the original hardware version. The second plug-in is the Model·E VST Plug-in Analog Virtual Synthesizer ($199), with 16 multitimbral parts, up to 64 voices and 8 outputs per instrument. The sound is pure, fat analog. It's also the first software synth optimized for the Apple Mac G4 Velocity Engine. Finally, there's the LM·4 VST Plug-in Drum Machine ($99), an amazing assortment of drum machine sounds. LM•4 comes with 20 high quality sound sets, each containing at least 18 drum sounds. You can also build your own kits. They also showed the current version of Nuendo ($1299), an entire Media Production System with hardware and software components. More on the Nuendo system and Steinberg's other new releases as we get it.
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| Sony DMXR100 Mixer |
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| TASCAM DA98HR |
YAMAHA introduced their CDR1000 Professional CD Recorder ($1799), a very impressive machine that seems destined to become the "must-have" recorder for any professional recording facility. Features include CD-R and CD-RW recording capabilities, sample rate converter and word clock input. Perhaps best of all, the CDR1000 includes an Apogee Electronics UV22 Super CD Encoder, which allows 16-bit encoding of sources originally recorded at higher bit rates, even 24-bit, without additional equipment. They were also showing off their very fine AW4416 Audio Workstation, a top-of-the-line recording workstation that combines elements of Yamaha's popular 02R, 01V and DSP Factory. Features on this fine machine include 16-track recording at 16- or 24-bit, 44 inputs during mixdown, editing, and an excellent eight-sample trigger pad that lets you sample up to 90 seconds of sound. There are two versions of the AW4416, one with a CD burner ($3799) and one without ($3399). There are tons of other great features, but the bottom line is that this is one of the most convenient, flexible, and most powerful recording workstations that we've seen in its class.
It wouldn't be Yamaha without keyboards, and the new addition to their distinctive PSR line, the PSR-9000 ($3495), seems like a perfect live performance keyboard for the solo musician. The speaker system is incredible, and it also boasts some of the best voices and voice effects Yamaha has ever offered. Another beautiful keyboard was the S30 Musical Synth ($1295), a 61-note version of their award-winning S80. It's identical in every way, except it includes only one expansion slot and fewer jacks.
Guitarists were certainly not forgotten at the show! The DG60 ($599), the DG80 ($999) and the DG130 ($1499) all boast first-rate sound modeling and guitar effects, with extremely easy, smooth operation. The amps are amazingly noise free, and contain no noise gate, so the audio is crisp and clear. Even cooler, the amps switch sounds instantly. The transition from one tone or sound to another is virtually seamless.
And the entries from Yamaha continue! The A5000 ($2295) and A4000 ($1595) samplers looked very exciting. The A5000 features 126-note polyphony, 6 effects processors, and a 9-disk CD library. The A4000 is just like the A5000 "cut-in-half." Both units include graphic editing with realtime control, loop divide functions, and a cool feature called loop remix, which lets you shuffle the sample and manipulate it by throwing in reverses, changing pitch, and much more. You can burn CDs directly from the samplers to an external CD burner. Both samplers are compatible with all the major manufacturers. By the way, all the Yamaha gear was being played through their MSP5 speakers - hardly a new product, we know, but the sound was excellent.
That's about all the space we have available in this "official" NAMM report. While we didn't see everything at the show (is that even possible?), we found ourselves very optimistic at the end. There wasn't too much that was wholly revolutionary, but we thought most of the products were more practical and better suited for the real world needs of today's musicians. This isn't to say we don't still have a ways to go, but it was one of the better shows in recent years. Next year, incidentally, the show returns to Anaheim, California. Meanwhile, much more information about all these products will be included in future issues of Sweet Notes and inSync, so stay tuned for further updates.