Each year, the winter NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show takes place in late January at the Anaheim Convention Center. This semi-private event draws tens of thousands from around the world and provides a sneak peek at the latest trends in music technology and product innovation. NAMM 2016 saw many exciting new releases from top industry brands and CreativeLive was on location to witness the “Guitar Center 10X” madness firsthand (If you are attending NAMM, be sure to bring earplugs). While it is impossible to cover everything, we wanted to call your attention to a few new products you might want to know about. Read on to learn more about what’s new from NAMM 2016 below.
ZOOM F8 Field Recorder
First, the ZOOM F8 field recorder is a high quality device that makes professional field recording for film, video and advanced sound design more affordable without sacrificing any pro features. And, these impressive features make for an extensive list including 192K recording, dual backup, bluetooth, a companion app, redundant backup and many more. View the full list of features and learn more about the incredible ZOOM F8 here.
3 New Pocket Operators from Teenage Engineering
In our holiday gift guide for December, we had mentioned the The PO-12 Rhythm, PO-14 Sub, and PO-16 Factory from Teenage Engineering as must-haves. These affordable ($59 each) calculator-style devices each perform specific functions like drum machine, bass line creator and lead synth generator. They can be synced with each other to play in time using a standard 1/8 stereo cable and each device offers a unique, creative interface for programming. At NAMM 2016, Teenage Engineering added 3 more of these Pocket Operator devices to their lineup including the PO-20 Arcade, PO-24 Office and PO-28 Robot. You might be able to guess their function by name alone but if you want a full list of features, you can check them out here.
AKAI BT-500 Bluetooth Turntable
While the turntable is constantly being reinvented for audio fidelity, portability and better direct drive motor responsiveness for DJs, the BT-500 from Akai brings a variety of brand new features making this a record player and recorder for modern times. The BT-500 features Bluetooth compatibility with allows you to wirelessly stream your analog records to play on your favorite Bluetooth speaker. You can also convert your records to digital files with the built in analog to digital converter and get the audio files on your computer easily with the turntables’ USB connection. Sample rates can be selected at 44.1 or 48k. For a full list of features and a demo of this turntable, check out this video from Sweetwater here.
KORG Minilogue Analog Synthesizer
This brand new synthesizer from Korg packs tons of great features into an affordable, fully analog device. At less than $500, the Minilogue features 37 keys, a polyphonic step and motion sequencer, tape-style delay, oscilloscope, 4 versatile synth voices and much more. With the general trend at NAMM in the hardware synthesizer world featuring CV and Gate options, the Minilogue is no different. You are able to sync it with other Korg devices like the Volca series, SQ-1 or a eurorack modular setup. For more info and a full list of features, visit KORG’s site here.
Fishman TripplePlay FC-1 Guitar Controller
Finally, if you’re a guitarist looking to experiment with your guitar tone, look no further than the TripplePlay FC-1 from Fishman. This wireless MIDI device allows your guitar to interact with a variety of audio plugins so you can leave your computer offstage. There’s a relay switcher so you can wirelessly mix your regular guitar tone with sounds from a plugin or virtual synth. In addition, the floor controller has options for connection to your DAW making it equally great in the studio as it is for live shows. Learn more on Fishman’s site here.
