Sweet Notes Animation Summer NAMM/Nashville 1996

The Summer Session of NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) was held once again at the Nashville Convention Center on July 12 �14, and the city of Nashville really put out the red carpet this year! Several of us from Sweetwater Sound attended the show and it turned out to be a very busy (but fun) time. As always we didn't forget our loyal customers and snapped lots of pictures with our Kodak DC50 Digital Camera so you could get a feel for the show, too (all are posted on our Website).

AKG showed their MicroMic Series II microphones: C411 Acoustic Pickup, C416 Accordian and Speaker MicroMic, C417 Lapel MicroMic, C418 Drum and Percussion Mic, C419 Wind Instrument Mic, C420 Headset Mic, DB1 Double Bass Bridge Pickup. Very cool! AKG has also developed a new microphone diaphragm manufacturing process that they say will deliver a more natural performance with near perfect transmission.

Alesis introduced the QS7, a 64-voice, 76-key expandable synthesizer that will start shipping very soon at a retail price of $1499. It features semi-weighted keys with aftertouch and release velocity, 16 Megs of new and enhanced onboard ROM, 640 programs and 500 multitimbral mixes which can be expanded using its two PCMCIA sound-card slots. The QS7 completes the Alesis keyboard family along with the 61-key QS6 ($1099 retail) and the top-of-the-line 88-key QS8 ($1999 retail). Alesis also showed their ATK Integrated Drum Trigger System, which includes the new DM5 Drum Module, 7 pads plus high hat, and kick trigger. A steal for under $2,000! If you like small, the new 1/3 rack space 18-Bit NanoVerb is a must-have for only $179. Or how about the stereo Nano Compressor with limiter and sidechain feature for ust $149?

ART has several new products to offer. The ART DST Eighty/Eighty tube preamp/processor and power amp s now shipping. Its preamp section is the fully programmable DST-4 circuitry, and all the control knobs are digitized. This cool guitar processor retails for $799. ART's Tube MP has been nominated for this years TEC Award in the Mic Preamplifier Technology category. At only $149 (list) the Tube MP is a hit! he Dual MP (retail $329) offers twice the flexibility in a single rack. The PRO MPA offers a professional, no compromise solution if you want to regain the warmth and definition that are the hallmarks of analog technology in a digital environment. Two large, illuminated VU meters plus phantom power, phase-reversal, ariable bass rolloff and balanced operation, all at a retail price of just $599.

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Audio-Technica has released the competitively priced Pro 95, a wide-range, fixed-charge condenser microphone with cardioid polar pattern designed for acoustic guitars and other stringed instruments. They also showed the new 1100 Series True Diversity Wireless Microphone System comprised of the TW-1127 UniPak transmitter, the ATW-1128 hand-held dynamic microphone and the ATW-1129 hand-held condenser microphone.

Last year, Clavia DMI made a big splash with the Nord Lead Virtual Analog Synthesizer. Now, with Software ROM Update 2.0, your Nord Lead can have from 10-30 Analog Drum Kits with as many as 8 zones each, plus 100 more Factory Performances, a new Notch Filter and many additional MIDI Features. The retail price of the Nord Lead was also lowered, so call for details. If you've already got 12 voices and still want 12 more, get ready for the Nord 12-Voice Expander coming soon.

The new dbx 1066 ($549.95 retail) is a stereo compressor, limiter and gate designed to provide simple, lexible operation for recording, broadcast or live sound reinforcement applications. At the heart of the 066 is dbx's new V2 VCA which, combined with the unit's design, enables the 1066 to perform like compressors selling for hundreds of dollars more.

Digitech has released the GSP2101 Artist guitar preamp/effects processor ($1,099.95 retail) which eatures 52 new presets written by prominent guitarists and bassists. In addition there are 100 presets from the original award winning GSP2101. Meanwhile, their retro-looking VTP-1 Tube Preamp (under $1,000) was also on display. It incorporates a vacuum tube mic preamp, tube/line amp, flexible EQ section and a digital output. It includes an 18-bit A/D converter, and it's all packaged in an attractive 2U chassis. It's fantastic for warming vocal tracks or allowing synthesizers, guitars and basses to be run directly nto a recording device.

JBL's Eon Systems continue to offer a complete sound solution to small performing combos. The JBL Eon 15 Pak System is made specifically to meet the needs of the small keyboard-based combos playing in clubs. he Eon 15 Pak features a built-in mixer and a bi-amped 15" woofer with a high frequency horn. The system also includes a JBL E50S microphone and all cables. The JBL Eon Power 10 System offers a small, lightweight set of components: two 10 inch bi-amped 2-way speakers, the JBL MusicMix mixer and two JBL E50S performance mics. There's also the Eon series performance microphones M50S, M70S and M90S with high-output cardioid polar patterns, rugged construction, a large "pop"/wind filter, rubberized shock ring and more.

Korg has introduced a new line of music workstations, the N-series. Featuring a new design and a metallic, two-tone, titanium finish, the 76-key N264 ($2495 retail) and 61-key N364 ($1995) provide the user with 64-voice polyphony, Real-time Pattern Play and Record and a four-octave arpeggiator. Both use Korg's AI2 ynthesis System, have 8MB of PCM wave memory plus 430 multisounds and 215 drum sounds (for 936 programs/combinations). Both units have 16-track, 32,000-event sequencers and two independent, programmable, stereo digital multi-effects. On the recording end, Korg was showing their SoundLink DRS, a collection of recording components designed to work together as a complete system.These include the 68RC Digital Recording Console (about $3,500), the first truly affordable fully-digital 8 bus automated onsole. It has a 16x8x2 configuration with a total of 24 Input and 22 Output interfaces in a combination f analog, ADAT Optical and S/PDIF formats. All available later this year!

On the Kurzweil Pro Keyboard side, there was an amazing live performance of the company's Take 6 CD-ROM (due later this year) which features extensive sampling of the vocal group Take 6. They also did demos on their newest 61-note K2vx ($3,495) and K2Svx with sampling ($4,195). Sweetwater got a sneak peek at the forthcoming four stereo bus, all digital multi-effects option for the K2500 Series called the KDFX price TBA). From what we saw, it's going to be a very exciting and flexible addition to the already powerful K2500 series. Kurzweil also previewed the DMTi Digital MultiTrack interface (price TBA) for the K2500 series. This will allow the K2500 to communicate with the Alesis ADAT, Tascam DA-88 and almost any other digital audio equipment via the AES/EBU and S/PDIF standards.

Lexicon was showcasing the new PCM 90 Digital Reverberator as a companion to the PCM 80 digital effects processor. The PCM 90 offers Lexicon's highest quality reverbs in a compact, single space, ffordable package at $2,995. The PCM-90 can create realistic reverbs from large canyons down to incredibly realistic small spaces like phone booths and drum rooms. You'll want one when you hear it!

Line 6 may not be a name you know, but their new AxSys 212 Digital Guitar System is likely to make them a amiliar name. The 2x12 Stereo Combo Guitar Amplifier has classic tube sound, a full set of integrated digital effects, and total programmability. This technology replicates the sound producing elements of classic guitar mp design and the trademarked TubeTone Modeling makes the AxSys a shape changer with the sound of a whole ange of the greatest guitar amps ever made.

Mackie featured their new SR40�8, a large-format, center-master section-style 40x4x3 mixing console with an unbelievable price-point ($8995 retail). There is also a SR56�8 version ($12,595 retail) now available. Also on display: the 1200-watt (into 4 ohms bridged) M�1200 High Current Power Amp, the first in the FR Fast Recovery) Series, a steal at $599 list.

Rane unveiled their new Mojo Series signal processing equipment consisting of the MQ 302 Stereo Equalizer $399 list price), MC 22 Dual Channel Compressor/Limiter ($299 list), MX 22 Stereo Two-way Crossover ($299 list), MX 23 Stereo Three-way Crossover ($399 list) and MH 4 Four-Channel Headphone Amp ($299 list).

The huge Roland booth showed a lot of new products like the MC-303 Groove Box, a self-contained, retro-styled sequencer/intergrated sound module. 448 dedicated dance sounds, 12 ryhthm kits, 300 variations on preset/user dance patterns, 16-part multitimbral operation and an 8-track sequencer are just some its features. The new RA-800 Realtime Arranger provides professional multi-instrument accompaniment for performers using a MIDI keyboard, guitar or percussion set. Features include 128 music styles with 16 variations each, 689 sounds with 25 complete drum sets, 64-voice polyphony with 32-part multitimbral capability, all on an easy layout with a large backlit screen.

Their breakthrough VS-880 Digital Studio Workstation, a completely self-contained digital recorder/editor with digital mixer is still a show stopper with a list price of only $2,495 (with 540 meg hard drive/$2,895 with an integral Jaz Drive). On a smaller scale, the PMA-5 Personal Music Assistant ($595 list) is a palm-held workstation, offering a 306 tone GM/GS sound source, an 8-track sequencer, Intelligent Arranger with 600 Patterns and serial port. It operates with a custom LCD touch-panel.There were tons more Roland products on display, but room is running out, so check out the complete report on our Web site or watch these pages.

Shure Brothers, Inc. has introduced the UHF Wireless Microphone System available in single and dual-channel configurations. Handheld transmitters are offered with Shure's industry standard microphone elements, including the Beta 58A and Beta 87 models. Body-pack transmitters feature Tiny QG connectors, and are compatible with a full range of Shure's lavalier and headset microphones. The receivers and transmitters are capable of selecting 191 separate frequencies throughout the system's 782-806 MHz operating range. As many as 20 systems may be operated simultaneously.

Sony introduced their new Mini Disc Multitrack Recorder with 4-Track Recording and Playback (up to 37 minutes per track), new editing features, auto punch in/out, jog/shuttle wheel for smooth operation, an analog mixer with 10 inputs and 2 AUX sends. Also new is the DTC-A6 Digital Audio Tape Deck ($995), ideal for CD production, it works with both coaxial and optical digital interface systems.

New from Spirit is the Folio Notepad, the smallest in the Spirit Folio range. It features 10 inputs, 4 Mic inputs, 2 stereo inputs, 2-Band EQ on every mono input, dedicated stereo effects return and global +48V Phantom power. This great multimedia mixer will go anywhere for just $249.95 retail. They also showed off the Spirit 8 Live Console, available in four frame sizes: 16, 24, 32, and 40 mic channels with up to 64 inputs available on the 40-channel version. Spirit Live 8 mixes 8 buses affordably with suggested retail prices starting at $4299.

Stewart Electronics has launched the Pro Reference amplifier series for pro recording studios, broadcast and project studio applications. These convection-cooled power amps accept balanced and unbalanced signals with LR or 1/4" TRS connections and feature Stewart's Harmonic shift correction, which adjusts the peaks of the 2nd and 3rd order harmonics so they occur with the peaks of the fundamentals and are masked from the listener.

TASCAM introduced the 424 MKII Portastudio for the musician looking to take the next step up in multitrack recording. A new Power Amplifier, the PA-150 rated at 150W sounds great and delivers the power you need at a list price of $400. They also showed two new products, the DA-38 8 Track Recorder (see our lead story) and a MiniDisk-based 564 4 Track Portastudio.

TC Electronic showed off the new Wizard M2000 digital studio signal processor which includes their Co-efficient Optimized Room Emulator Reverb as well as seamless Morphing during preset changes and dynamic real-time control. The company has also expanded its Wizard series of effects with the Finalizer.

As usual, we're out of room. Check out the complete report elsewhere on our Web Site (if you haven't already). If you have any questions about any product you've read about here, please feel free to contact your Sweetwater sales engineer for more details and your special Sweetwater pricing.

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