The winter NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show takes place every January in Anaheim, California. About an hour outside LA, it’s the world’s oldest musical instruments and technology trade shows. Our friends at Point Blank Music School took a trip to NAMM 2016 to find out what new software and kits are making waves in music technology. Check out their ‘Best of NAMM’ guide below!
Arturia MatrixBrute:
Usually busying themselves making some of the finest software models of classic synths, French company Arturia has recently shifted its focus onto hardware, where their Mini and MicroBrute synths – as well as their BeatStep sequencer range – have found favor among producers worldwide. Even so, their new MatrixBrute monster synth, billed as “the most advanced analogue synth ever made” definitely came as a surprise. The mono/duophonic synth features two VCOs, three envelopes, two LFOs and a modulation matrix at its core. No word on pricing yet, but we’re expecting to be at the top end of the scale.
Waves Abbey Road Plate Reverb:
Abbey Road’s status as a music industry icon is undisputed, but for those of us who can’t afford to record in their coveted studios, they’ve been sharing their sound through a series of plugins via their own platform and veteran developers Waves. The latest collaboration sees their revered plate reverbs make their way to our DAWs via the Waves Abbey Road Plate Reverb plugin. We haven’t heard it in action yet but we’re drooling at the thought of having those classic sounds at our fingertips! Hopefully the CPU hit isn’t too cruel.
Roland System-500:
Roland’s System 100m is a legendary semi-modular synth and the Japanese giants have brought it back to life in the form of a Eurorack friendly series of modules. The System-500 can be bought as a complete kit and accompanying power casing or as individual modules for anyone who’s already bought into the Eurorack system. It’s a sexy bit of kit with pricing still TBC.
Korg Minilogue:
Korg’s analogue renaissance continues with perhaps their most complete offering yet – the Minilogue. With four analogue voices, a built-in sequencer, arpeggiator and delay, two oscillators and envelopes, LFO and much more, it’s a fairly comprehensive affair that manages to come in at under $500.
Pioneer CDJ and DJM NXS 2:
Pioneer’s NXS range of CDJs and mixers are the industry standard, populating DJ booths around the world. Never ones to rest on their success, Pioneer has announced a brand new update to their multimedia players. NXS 2 will now feature a touch-screen display with full QWERTY keyboard for searching as well as new 96/24 converters and four extra hot cues. The DJM NXS 2 brings with it a dedicated send and return, multi-band effects and two USB ports for easy switching of laptops. Sounds like a step in the right direction!
Connect with Point Blank:
https://www.facebook.com/pointblankcollege
https://www.twitter.com/point_blank
http://www.pointblanklondon.com
Connect with NAMM:
https://www.facebook.com/nammshow
https://www.twitter.com/nammshow
http://www.namm.org
[Featured image by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM]
Share On
