Musical Instruments

It’s only been one day at the NAMM show in Anaheim California, but I’ve been seeing a couple of themes recurring as I walk among the booths. Continued integration of or integration with touch-screen devices and miniaturization & portability seem to be features that a lot of vendors are including in their product lines this year. Day 2 will be a test to see if my hunches here are correct and to see if there are any other trends emerging.

On the faceplate for the BOSS GT-001 it reads, “Guitar Effects Processor”, but that is really selling itself short. The GT-001 is so much more than “just” a guitar processor. While it does contain the legendary BOSS guitar effects that will give you the sound to play vitually any style of music from metal to blues to indie, it also includes effects for acoustic guitar and voice as well as being a desktop audio interface that allows you to connect to your computer for practising or recording. And there’s more!

A tuner is an essential tool. Guitarists and bassists are lucky to have access to clip-on models, such as the excellent Korg PitchCrow-G.

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.

The Oscar Schmidt OS-300 is a Strat style instrument that will interest first time buyers or musicians that want access to those tones at a low cost.

I had a chance to test out the Spire Studio to record, edit, mix, and share my music compositions quicker and easier than ever before.

The DJ2GO2 Touch DJ Controller from Numark packs classic features in a portable DJ controller at an affordable price.

The musical instrument selection at Best Buy has grown yet again and this time, it’s expanded into the band instrument realm. A selection of entry-level brass and woodwind instruments have arrived for the budding musician in you or your family.    

Yamaha's PSR-E273 packs many interesting features and offers an affordable starting point for beginners.

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.