Announcement

Like most of you in the home and project studio game, I like to read the trade magazines and gear review sites frequently. I’m a firm believer in the “it’s-not-about-the-gear” mantra, but hey, if money weren’t an object…

Akai terms their Advance line of controllers as “unprecedented” plug-in control. The 49-note version that I played with came pretty close to the mark.  I can see its potential as a studio and live situation controller that, once you adjust your workflow, will help you organize, recall and control all of your software synths and effects.

It’s always been a mystery how Behringer comes out with products that pack so many features but don’t break the bank.   The new U-Phoria line of audio interfaces does just that. With world-class pre-amps from MIDAS, these seem to be a no-brainer.

In the crowded market of digital pianos, it’s hard to stand out. The Casio PX-760 seems to accomplish just that feat with a feature-rich package that impresses but at the same time, doesn’t intimidate.

Saturday is always the busiest day (and night) at NAMM – as you can see by the crowd waiting to get in. The weekend brings out a lot of local people who couldn’t make it the last two days and/or folks looking to spot artists roaming the floors. We didn’t have any specific appointments to hit today, so I took the opportunity to just walk around and see what I could find.

Saturday was a-buzz with artist endorsement and demonstrations. That came with the obvious lines and crowds huddled around the booths to the displeasure of convention centre security. NAMM sometimes becomes a game of “Do I know him/her?”.

It wasn’t really until today that I saw something that made me literally stop and backup.    Zildjian is famous for its cymbals and has an artist endorsement list that goes on forever. These cymbals not only look different, but the display also encouraged you to listen to them through headphones.   I just had to see what this was all about.

The XW-J1 DJ Controller for your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad is ideally suited to mixing music and videos. The controller is equipped with the latest functions and a number of effects, so even beginners can use it intuitively for successful performances.   As the controller is compatible with iOS, Mac and Windows, the product offers functions that are coordinated with the popular djay and vjay app from Algoriddim and Deckadance from Image-Line.

Shure has introduced a line of products for the portable or desktop recordist who doesn’t want to deal with lots of gear with bells and whistles. The new MOTIV line microphone solutions aren’t just re-issues of existing products, they’ve designed new products that have a cool retro feel and a feature-set that is just right.

Yamaha introduces a new category of mixers with their AG line. The AG03 and AG06 are hybrid mixing consoles and USB audio interfaces for web/podcasting, gaming audio, and music production. This new approach to mixers eliminates the need for software by putting all the control at your fingertips.