Concert Reports

THE 2015 NAMM SHOW AT ANAHEIM CONVENTION CENTER, JAN. 22-25

Annual Global Gathering of Music Products Industry Featuring 5,000+ Brands, Concerts, Interactive Demos, and Artist Appearances NAMM SHOW MEDIA PREVIEW DAY JAN. 21

Preview Musical Products & Technologies Before Show Opens & Funk Legend George Clinton with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus

All Photos: Ray Soto/Central Coast Rocks  

THE NAMM SHOW – The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) presents the NAMM Show, an industry-only global music product trade show annually drawing nearly 100,000 music industry leaders to Anaheim. Show features 5,000+ music instrument, product and technology brands, including guitars, drums, pianos, synthesizers, band and orchestra instruments, pro audio equipment, DJ gear and more. Additional visual and reporting opportunities include day and evening concerts, interactive demos, artist appearances and onsite interview opportunities with industry leaders, speaking to industry trends and new products. Apple co-founder, Steve "Woz" Wozniak opens Saturday morning’s breakfast session at the Hilton Pacific Ballroom at 8 a.m., discussing music and technology with NAMM’s president and CEO Joe Lamond.  

NAMM MEDIA PREVIEW DAY – Invitation-only event, the day before the show opens, for media to preview a curated selection of the top 20 most innovative instruments and technologies debuting at the NAMM Show. Pick up media credentials early and interview the designers and artists offering one-on-one demos and visual presentations.

MEDIA PREVIEW DAY EXHIBITING COMPANIES:  

IK Multimedia / iRig Mic Field – The first pocketable and adjustable stereo digital microphone for audio and video field recording. Now anyone can capture high-quality sound in the field with their Lighning-compatableiPhone, iPad or iPod touch mobile devices – like the new iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 and I Pad mini 3. Slim, light and fully rotatable; iRig Mic Field lets anyone make mobile audio and video recordings with Hollywood-style stereo sound.  

Peavey/PV 10 AT and PV 14 AT Series mixers. The new series mixers come with Auto-Tune pitch correction assuring the audience will experience perfectly tuned vocals to compliment the crystal-clear audio of the PV mixer.  

Make Noise/CTRSEL Synthesizer - New control/preset system for the modular synthesizer system. It will bring a level of predictability and consistency to an instrument that has been considered unpredictable.  

Line 6, Inc./Variax Standard – The first product Line 6 designed and built in partnership with Yamaha, Variax Standard combines exceptional quality with a collection of the world’s most coveted vintage electrics, classic acoustics and exotic instruments modeled with Line 6’s incredible Variax HD technology.  

iImitone – A real-time, low latency audio-to-MIDI application currently in beta. It allows the user to sing, hum, whistle or play into a microphone and control any virtual instrument as if they were playing the same notes on a keyboard.  

McCarthy Music/Illuminating Piano – Keys on keyboard light up in any color combination with multi-platform software that makes it easy to learn to play. 1000 tracks of fully licensed digital sheet music available for purchase.  

TC-Helicon/Ditto Mic Looper/Voice Jam Studio – The perfect looping pedal for singers, beatboxers and acoustic performers who want to realize a layered masterpiece quickly and easily. With just a loop button, stop/erase button and an oversized loop level control, performers can build any idea into a full-sounding performance instantly, while unlimited overdubs and undo/redo features help to bring the vibe up and down.  

V-MODA Crossfade M-100 – The Crossfade M-100 is the first crowd-sourced headphone. Crossfade M-100 uses state of the art drivers to create an immersive, yet explosive audiophile grade sound that is trusted across the music community.  

GTC Sound Innovations/GTC REVPAD – The GTC REVPAD easily turns any guitar into a Smart-Guitar. The REVPAD is an add-on 3D wireless touchpad effects controller and ultra dynamic sound processor, that can be easily attached (just like a sticker) to any amplified guitar-electric, acoustic or bass.  

Orange Amplification/Music Board – The world’s first truly interactive music theory teaching tool, using innovative patented technology to make teaching and learning musickinesthetic and more enjoyable. The board features a built in 61 note polyphonic weighted keyboard so hand positions and note pitches can be demonstrated to a whole class with ease.  

Marion Systems Corporation/Two-Voice Pro Synthesizer  

Blackbird Guitars/Ekoa (flax linen) El Capitan composite guitar – The first viable, mainstream solution to the wood-sourcing issue as old-growth stocks are increasingly depleted. The first Ekoa flax guitar ever made.  

Taylor Guitar/Taylor 600 Series (first World Wood Guitar) – The first truly sustainable, first world wood guitar at the show. With responsibly souced wood from the company’s own mills and new design enhancements. Players can expect a more musical and responsibly made guitar than ever before.

 Funk Legend GEORGE CLINTON discussed the importance of music education and a college music initiative in collaboration with The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus.  

Yamaha / AG Mixer – The AG03 and AG06 are hybrid mixing consoles and USB audio interfaces for webcasting, podcasting, gaming and music production. The AG series offers high-resolution 924 bit/192kHz) audio recording and playback, IOS compatibility and battery operation. Many USB interfaces rely on software to control routing, effects and monitoring, but the AG puts all those controls to the front panel and eliminates the need for software.  

iZ Technology/RADAR Studio (patent pending) – Is a game changer in the recording and playback industry. Instead of connecting several different pieces of gear, users can now record, edit and mix in a single box. RADAR studio custom combines all of the hardware and software necessities to suit the user’s application in one box making it the world’s first fully integrated professional DAW. This allows users to focus on the sound – not the science.  

Monster/DNA PRO 2.0 – A headphone designed to sound great no matter what genre. It is being released with an app that lets users customize the sound of the music. Rock and Roll High Guitars/Volt – A lightweight, high-quality guitar for kids.  

Epsilon / Airlink-15 Speaker – Portable speaker that you can take anywhere: tailgating (because it is battery powered) and you can stream your music to it because it is blue tooth. Great for musicians or DJ’s because the USB recording feature means you can record a gig, a jam session or whatever to that USB stick and can edit it later on your computer, or load to sound cloud.  

Roland Corporation/JD-Xi Interactive Analog/Digital Crossover Synthesizer – A new compact keyboard that’s powerful, versatile, and fun. Equipped with 37 mini keys, the JD-Xi features a true analog synth engine along with a wide selection of Roland’s acclaimed SuperNATURAL digital sounds. This affordable instrument also comes packed with many great extras for self-contained music creation, including built-in drum kits, a four-track pattern sequencer, and a gooseneck mic for using the synth’s Vocoder and AutoPitch effects.  

Cordoba Guitars/Cordoba Mini Guitar – A small nylon string guitar. It’s a brand new body size, and unlike any other small guitar on the market. It offers the playability of a full size guitar, but the small body size allows you to bring it with you everywhere. The Minis are available in three different wood combinations.

About NAMM  

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is the not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $16.9 billion music products industry. NAMM is comprised of approximately 9,200 member companies located in 102 countries. NAMM events and members fund The NAMM Foundation's efforts to promote the pleasures and benefits of music, and advance active participation in music making across the lifespan. For more information about NAMM, please visit www.namm.org, call 800.767.NAMM (6266) or follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.  

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