Innovation, Analog and the Star Wars CDJ: What Ruled at NAMM 2016
The annual winter National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show is a gearhead’s dream, with manufacturers coming together to each build their own miniature stores and impressive displays inside the massive Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California. To really understand the scale of the event, you of course have to go by the numbers: Approximately 99,000 people attend the five-day event, which spans over the Center’s 815,000 square feet of exhibition space.
There are thousands of booths, with everything from sheet music and guitars to DJ equipment and synthesizers. And this is the first thing that struck me: Our tiny subset of electronic dance music may seem like the whole world to us, but in relation to the greater industry, it’s really quite small. When you look at just how many booths spotlight guitars alone, for example, the number of displays dwarfs that of products catering to electronic music makers. But electronic music is represented, and we definitely showcased some of the most innovative and creative products on the floor.
That said, some would argue that NAMM is no longer relevant for electronic musicians; I beg to differ. Just walking around the floor, I ran into countless DJs and producer friends. Over the course of the weekend, my newsfeed was jammed with pictures of friends geeking out over all the new gear and developments. The overall positive feeling of being in a space with so many other musicians, regardless of style or genre, was overwhelming to say the least. Regardless if you were there to check out the latest guitar, were awestruck over a diamond-studded saxophone, or were overloaded in analog alley, everyone attending NAMM 2016 felt a shared energy driven by a passion for music.
Here are a few of the things I learned.
Electronic Music Is Pushing Innovation
As soon as I stepped into Sennheiser’s massive showroom-style booth, one of the hosts immediately ushered me over to an iPad, because I just had to check out their latest invention. The Venue Modeling VST is a reverb plugin that gives producers and DJs the opportunity to check out what their tunes sound like in the exact acoustic setting you’d hear at one of the many major clubs worldwide. Being from San Francisco, I was excited to put things to the test with local club Mighty topping my list (Berghain was also listed, but I’ve never been). After attending a show at Mighty this past weekend, I can say the VST holds up and will be a great way to get a feel for a room before you play it.
Performances and Demos Are Key
While the Pioneers and Akais of the world had immense booths that featured full stages for top DJs to showcase their skills on their latest equipment, a few of the smaller players had some of the coolest gear, and oftentimes they were hidden away among flutes and guitar straps. For example, Hercules’ P32 is a dynamic dual pad controller marrying live beat-chopping and DJing in a whole new way.
You see, the thing about NAMM is that you don’t just get to see the equipment; you don’t just get to touch and play with the gear. You get to see experienced users showcase the product for you in a way that brings it to its fullest potential. And of course, each manufacturer is either attempting to garner the support of the media or make sure their products are sold by retailers worldwide. Adding the performance aspect is so very key—not just for electronic equipment, but all across the board. Besides the booth demonstrations, NAMM has five sound stages featuring artists from every genre you can imagine throughout each day. Some of the artists that came to this year’s shows included DJ QBert, Weird Al and Foreigner.
The Big Guys Go All Out
Nothing can really prepare you for the size and scale of some of the booths here. Pioneer and Denon were the clear standouts, with booths featuring full stages for DJ performances and spotlighting full product lines with enough space for you to move around freely. Some of these booths were easily comparable to the size of a small bar. And as you walked throughout the show in the larger halls, booths of this size popped up everywhere, particularly from the biggest players in the music market.
The most impressive of all these, though, was Moog’s Analog Oasis. They brought in cacti of all sizes and set them up around a synthesizer booth with live performances all day. Around the booth, colorful cushions adorned the floor, giving you a comfy place to rest your tired feet and check out some of the legendary company’s amazing synths.
Analog Still Reigns Supreme
This has been a huge year for analog gear with Moog, Roland and Korg all rolling out new products. And NAMM had analog synths in high numbers. There was an entire row of convention space virtually dedicated to analog gear. I’ve never seen that many analog junkies nerding out that hard in my life. And while some of the more complicated, modular stuff was slightly intimidating for me, I did happen to check out the Elektron Analog Keys, the Korg minilogue, and the Novation Bass Station, which particularly sparked my interest with its small studio imprint and great sounds.
Yes, Pioneer’s CDJ-2000NXS2 and DJM-900NXS2 were both there and available to try out. However, the Millennium Falcon CDJ-2000 was there, too, and yes it’s fully operational.
Everyone Makes Big Announcements
There is a common refrain heard from many people in the industry: With the prevalence of the internet, NAMM is beginning to seem less a place to premiere new products and make big announcements. That couldn’t be further from the truth this year. Here are just some of the new products that made their debut at NAMM this year:
Denon DJ MCX-8000
Denon’s new standalone DJ setup and Serato controller see the company attempting to make its reentry into the DJ game in a big way. This isn’t just a controller; it works as a standalone mixer and a Serato controller, or both if you see fit. As a Serato controller, it will show the WAV forms on-screen, keeping you out of your laptop. As a standalone mixer, you have the option of using the two USB inputs up top and using Denon’s DJ Engine software, similar to rekordbox.
Keith McMillen Instruments K-Board Pro 4
Similar to ROLI’s Seaboard RISE, the K-Board Pro 4 features expressive touch options allowing you to change the sound of your synth with the way you move your hands about the keys. It was one of many products using the same technology as ROLI and is sure to represent the next wave of expressive controllers.
MIXARS Duo for Serato DJ
MIXARS made their premiere at NAMM this year with their line of affordable Serato-enabled mixers via the MIXARS Duo. There aren’t a lot of options out there for DJs looking for a solid Serato mixer under $1,000, but this one may be a great fit. With an innofader and eight pads that can switch between SP-6 and cue point control, this simple yet capable mixer felt solid.
ZOOM ARQ
The ZOOM ARQ looks like a spaceship and comes in two parts. The ring has a set of buttons lining the top and bottom on the outside, all of which can be assigned to synth and drum sounds. The base for the ring has its own drum and synth sounds preprogrammed and can be expanded upon with a USB key. Things really get spacey when you pick up the ring. As you move it through space, you can change the sounds and trigger FX just by tilting or waving the controller.
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