| 1997 Winter NAMM Report By Mitch Gallagher |
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Every January, when temperatures up here in Fort Wayne dip below zero, it can mean only one thing for Sweetwater's intrepid trade show team: Winter NAMM in Anaheim! Like clockwork, we trudge across the frozen tundra, board an airplane and emerge in sunny California hours later, ready to be inundated and overwhelmed with an amazing assortment of brand new "must have" products - sort of a music technology (and warm weather) fan's dream come true. No, don't thank us, it's all part of the job.
Now, nothing I can tell you can compare to actually experiencing the onslaught of a full-on NAMM Show, but I'll do my best to bring you up to date. Take a deep breath, grab your most comfortable walking shoes and ear plugs, then join me for a walk through some of the hottest products from this year's show.
First of all, everyone's been asking, so I'll get it out of the way right now: Yes, Mackie Designs was indeed showing their new digital mixer. The only word that comes to mind is "WOW!" Check out the story on page 4 for additional details.
The hot products this year fell into several categories: Computer audio cards, guitar amps (many digital), and anything that could possibly be construed as doing any sort of "modeling" were all present in abundance. Still, "digital" continues to be the Technology Buzzword of the Decade in the music industry.
Finally, for those keeping track, the trendy NAMM catch word this time out was "phat." Go ahead, impress your friends by using it daily (whether situationally appropriate or not...).
Disclaimer (hey, it's the '90s, so we have to have one of these): This is in no way a complete list of anything, just a sampling of what was on display at NAMM. All product names, specs, prices, colors, sizes, weight, relative "phat-ness," delivery dates, expiration dates, mileage, volume levels, compression ratios and anything else I can possibly think of are subject to change without notice. All prices are list, meaning when you call us for your actual price, it's going to be less, okay?
AKAI. The company's latest generation of the MPC series is the MPC2000 ($1495), which takes a modular approach to create an integrated sequencer/sampler/drum machine. A variety of options and upgrades can turn the MPC2000 into a true production center. Akai says it's "half the calories, all the phat."
ALESIS. These people seem intent on shrinking studios down
to the size of matchboxes! New models in the diminutive Nano series include the Nano Piano ($399), Nano Synth ($499) and Nano Bass ($299). Each offers a ton of music power in a tiny box. Also on display were the Studio 12r ($449) and Studio 32 ($1299) mixers, the Wedge ($499) desktop master reverb (very cool!) and the QSR synth module ($899).
ART. The Applied Research and Technology folks had their full line of studio, guitar and bass processors on display, including the innovative new Phat-Boy bass preamp/processor ($299). Also drawing attention was ART's expanding line of professional grade studio processors, including the Pro MPA ($599) and Dual MP ($329) tube preamps, Pro VLA ($599) and Dual Levelar ($329) leveling amps, Pro Gate ($1099), and a whole bunch of EQs, compressors, you name it � the company has entered the pro audio world in a big way. They also unveiled their Model 820 ($899) and 825 ($1299) classic guitar amps. The 820 is a head-only design, while the 825 is a dual 12" closed-back combo. These amps were designed by Dan Pearce around ART's popular Eighty/Eighty processor, offer built-in effects, MIDI control and top-notch construction.
CROWN. One of the most amazing new items at the show was also one of the most unassuming: The Crown K2 Balanced Current Amplifier ($1795). What's so special about this amp? How about a full 2,500 watts into two ohms, while only drawing four amps of current? Because of this tiny current draw, the amp needs no fan and has unmatched thermal efficiency (which provides TONS of hidden benefits). With pro specs and sound quality plus many neat features, this is a major advance in amplifier design, so check it out soon - the other amp manufacturers sure will.
DIGITECH. The Digitech booth was rocking with a bunch of exciting new products like the Studio Quad v2 ($549.95)
effects processor, the new XP Series Wah/Whammy ($199.95) and Modulator ($199.95) guitar pedals and the Vocalist Performer ($419.95) harmonizer were all getting their fair share of looks. But most of the attention went to the awesome new GSP-2112 ($1099.95) guitar processor and the company's entry into the world of guitar amps, the Johnson Millennium. The 2112 is a significant step up from the company's best-selling GSP-2101, while the Millennium is a stereo 150 watt, 2x12 combo amp featuring 12AX7 tubes, S-DISC processing and full programmability.
EMAGIC. The folks at Emagic win the award for sturdiest literature: Their lit was bound in spiral notebook style with stainless steel front and back covers (No, I won't be making painful jokes about using their software to record heavy metal music). In addition to their top-notch line of software products, Emagic entered the hardware world with their Unitor 8 MIDI interface ($799), which has 8 MIDI ins/outs, plus SMPTE and VITC for true video lock. Up to eight can be stacked for 1024 independent MIDI channels! Let's see now, that means I can have only sixty-four 16-channel multi-timbral keyboards playing at once... I hope that's enough!
The company also launched Audiowerk 8 ($799), a PCI recording card with two analog ins, 8 outs, S/PDIF and full compatibility with Mac and Windows 95. The unit will ship with VMR (Virtual Multitrack Recorder) software. Naturally, it's also compatible with Logic Audio. Emagic promised compatibility with other software manufacturers soon, as well as an optional digital out extension and an ADAT/S/PDIF optical link.
E-MU. It's called Planet Phatt "The Swing System" ($995), a rackmount unit which E-mu describes
as a "highly focused, professional tone module created specifically for Hip-Hop, Rap, Acid Jazz and Trip-Hop musicians." Taking the technology introduced in their Orbit The Dance Planet module (which they showed in the form of a V2 version) to the next level, we're betting that E-mu has another winner on its hands.
EVENT ELECTRONICS. The company had a huge variety of new products debut at the show. First off, Event expanded their successful 20/20 line of studio monitors with the fully-shielded 20/20p ($599), which features built-in 100-watt power amps and passive crossovers. For convenience, the amps are both housed in one speaker (the other is then connected via audiophile quality cable), though full independent control over each speaker is provided.
Event also showed the Tria tri-amplified workstation monitor system, consisting of a floor-mounted "station" housing five amps, active crossovers, controls and a floor-loaded 8" sub-woofer, plus two desktop satellites. This setup is perfect for today's digital audio and video workstations. With incredible sound, full shielding and a sticker price of $849, it should be a best seller.
The company also entered the digital recording melee with two 20-bit multitrack recorders, DARla and Layla. DARla is a Windows 95 PCI card (soon available for the Mac) offering two analog ins/eight analog outs, Omnibus technology for aux, monitor and bus routing, plus sample rates up to 50 kHz. Layla combines a Windows 95 PCI card (also soon for Mac) with an external audio interface that provides eight balanced ins and 10 balanced outs, S/PDIF, Word Clock, MIDI and more for under $1000. Both systems feature Plug and Play compliant designs allowing for easy setup and compatibility with most existing audio software.
Finally, Event was showing the new Rode NT-1 microphone, a single pattern, large diaphragm mic designed to provide the clarity and dynamic range that today's recording systems require. It has the looks, performance and fidelity to make it a valuable addition to every mic collection.
FOCUSRITE. New in the Focusrite Green Series are the Green 4 Dual Compressor/Limiter ($1495) and the
Green 5 Channel Strip ($1595). If you haven't had a chance to check out the amazing quality and value offered by the entire Green series, you owe it to yourself to do so soon, these pieces make outstanding additions to virtually any level studio.
FOSTEX. The folks from Fostex were showing new, improved versions of several products, including the D-80v2 and the DMT-8vl ($1295). Larger hard drives, optional SCSI expansion and a variety of new software features greatly enhance these already successful recorders.
LINE 6. The company released the Floor Board ($299), a companion foot control unit for their very hip AxSys 212 digital guitar system. Stomp box style FX control, wah and volume pedals and more. Every AxSys owner needs one!
MACKIE. The big news, of course, is the new digital 8 bus console, but Mackie was also showing off their wonderful HR-824 powered studio monitors ($749 each) to rave reviews. Definitely worth checking these out! For more on the Digital 8-Bus, see elsewhere on this page.
MARK OF THE UNICORN. MOTU was showing Version 2.0 of their superb Freestyle trackless sequencer ($199). New features include notation enhancements, Sense Tempo, new beat adjustment features, SMPTE sync capabilities and tons more. It's available for both Mac and Windows and is 100% PowerPC Native! Then there's Digital Performer for the Mac which is also moving to version 2.0 with PowerPC Native code, PureDSP, sample rate conversion plus all the features recently introduced in the latest Performer 5.5 upgrade. List price remains at $899.
MIDDLE ATLANTIC PRODUCTS. New from MAP is the MultiDesk Pro (price based upon configuration), an excellent solution for your studio organization and ergonomic requirements. A modular, flexible design allows you to set up exactly the configuration you need, without hassles. The new Pro Series line of studio racks, CPU mounts, overbridges and even cup holders (gotta have one...) add the finishing touches to your studio's organizational needs.
MIDIMAN. Along with an impressive assortment of MIDI and sync interfaces, small mixers and other useful items, MIDIMAN introduced Digipatch, a 12x6 coax and optical patch bay/router ($699). The optical lines support either S/PDIF or ADAT formats. Also new is the Keystation Pro MIDI controller ($199.95) with 49 keys plus full MIDI control capabilities, making it just about perfect for any size MIDI studio or keyboard rig.
ROLAND. See page two for a complete report.
SONIC FOUNDRY. New plug-ins for Sound Forge 4.0 were the buzz at the Sonic Foundry booth. The Acoustics Modeler ($249) models the acoustics of real environments and recording devices. Depending upon the acoustic signature applied, this plug-in can simulate responses varying from large concert halls to the vintage sound of an old tube mic! CD Architect ($395) writes Redbook audio direct to recordable CD. It has extensive support for PQ editing, as well as flexible playlist control.
TASCAM. The people at TASCAM had their awesome new digital mixing console on display, and it looks to be a red hot setup for those who want to seriously upgrade the quality and versatility of their studio. Priced under $10,000, it offers pretty much everything you could possibly want or need in a mixer, like full automation and that great TASCAM sound quality. More next issue on this one!
VOCE. The V5 Tone Wheel Organ module is the latest in Voce's series of B-3 simulators. It combines Digital Tonewheel Technology with MIDI drawbars for a compact, integrated package. Combine it with Voce's Spin II rotary speaker simulator ($399) and you've got a combination that's tough to beat. Hint: Spin sounds great on guitars, too.
WAVES. The company had lots of cool new plug-in software to show like the PAZ Psychoacoustic Analyzer ($550) and Renaissance Compressor ($550). I'd tell you more but we're out of room. Watch these pages for more on Waves products in upcoming issues (also see page 18 - ed.).
There you have it, just a few of the new items on display at NAMM. Give your Sweetwater sales engineer a call for availability and your special pricing on all this great gear!
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