The most depressing NAMM event in history

[k77_99]

This has got to be the most depressing NAMM event in history. Not only is there nothing worth talking about; but the plethora of two bit unheard-of companies popping up with meaningless 'product' devalues this event and reveals that music technology is in real crisis.

Harmony Central's snails pace at placing press releases is not helping. On the synthesizer front, Roland have arguably released the most exciting news with the excellent looking VP770 and a new operating system for the V Synth Gt, yet Harmony Central do not have a Roland section by Saturday.

Absolutely pathetic.

[ESPImperium]

The Mesa Mark V and the new Peavey 6505 and JSX are the only amps worth mentioning, with exeption to the new Orange Dual Terror and Bass terror, maybes the Egnator Rebel 30 combo and the Vox Night train as well.

But i aggree, nothing really ground breaking.

[Zooey]

I'm enjoying the show. The small manufacturers hanging out in Hall E are always my favorites--they remind me why I like being part of this industry so much. Attendance is down a bit. I heard a rumor that they're selling $25 passes to the general public to keep the numbers up.

[Jon Hiller]

I've heard the "plethora of unheard of" companies argument made at nearly every Namm show I have been to. It's a big chance for some of those really small companies to make a splash, that's why there are so many of them at Namm. Last summer Namm it was pick company central, I bet I saw 25 different brands of picks I had never heard of before...

[TieDyedDevil]

I'm seen a couple of announcements from this show that seem pretty cool. I don't often say that about NAMM.

[Geoff Grace]

This has got to be the most depressing NAMM event in history. Not only is there nothing worth talking about; but the plethora of two bit unheard-of companies popping up with meaningless 'product' devalues this event and reveals that music technology is in real crisis.

Harmony Central's snails pace at placing press releases is not helping. On the synthesizer front, Roland have arguably released the most exciting news with the excellent looking VP770 and a new operating system for the V Synth Gt, yet Harmony Central do not have a Roland section by Saturday.

Absolutely pathetic.

This conclusion may be a bit premature. There has been more than one Winter NAMM in recent years in which the hit of the show didn't even get covered by the Web until after the event was over.

Edit: Upon further consideration, there's been a lot of exciting releases within the last few months -- Omnisphere, Pro Tools 8, Digital Performer 6, Symphobia, and Evolve, to name just a few. If the manufacturers of these products had waited just a little longer to release them, we would have had a much more exciting show; but they didn't. So hey, it's still a pretty exciting time for product releases, just not as exciting of a week as it would have been. ;)

Best,

Geoff

[van hellion]

well you guys should come by the diezel booth and play the new class a schmidt, great amp!

A Wood

[Geoff Grace]

And you should watch the news -- we're all supposed to be filled with hope this week. ;)

Best,

Geoff

[dethblow]

I've seen some good stuff from twobit companies. That's how the market changes. Innovators come in and the big guys buy the rights or steal the design. Remember Fender came out with a amp that looked just like Hot Rod Amps a few years later. That's how they stay in business. I'm always looking for the two bit company.

[katillac]

Like Jon Hiller, I like the new companies thing too. You never know which company is going to be the next big thing in instruments or accessories. I do have to say that I'm really disappointed in what I've seen so far with the new guitars. Seems like all of them are on the worn/relic bandwagon and there are so many guitars with screen printed shit on them and cost way too much. Seems like they're trying to cater only to select performing/famous musicians and spoiled rich kids.

[bass_econo]

I love competition.

[percyexpat]

Well it really depends what you're into. There maybe wasn't any really exciting new guitar tech but seriously, whats been new there in a major way since the 70s?

In the computer world, Live 8/MaxForLive and Celemony Direct Note Access are astonishing leaps forward in music technology. Celemony in particular defies what was even thought to be physically possible and you can't get much more innovative than that.

So, two decent booths does not a great NAMM make, but really, what were you hoping for?

As for HC being slow on the upload, I guess they have limited resources to edit the video and update the site. I also guess that they'll probably sleep soundly even if you think they're pathetic. They don't owe you anything, mon ami.

[Jimi1976]

Hey K77 - how about you DO SOMETHING about it?

[alfonso]

John Bowen's Solaris showed complete, with joystick and rubberpad, for what i've heard it sounds like nothing else in that category. I was not there but a couple friends still are.

[MikeRivers]

I heard a rumor that they're selling $25 passes to the general public to keep the numbers up.
I'm sure that's not true. Many times over the years, it's been suggested that NAMM have an "open" day but the exhibitors and dealers who attend the show are all against it.

What might have prompted that rumor, though, is that last year there were some people selling NAMM badges through eBay, and NAMM got wind of it. That's what prompted them to check photo IDs at the show hall entrances. It used to be pretty common for exhibitors and members to get extra badges with names like Justin Case or Ben Dare so that they could offer them to selected friends and good customers but I guess they can't do that any longer.

Now if someone's looking for a small business opportunity, I suppose you could join NAMM, which allows you a certain number of show badges. It used to be 20 but now I think it's 10, and membership is $195. So if you got ten badges, kept one for yourself, and pre-sold applications for the others at $50 each, you could make a little money for your trouble. But what you'd have to do is get the names of your buyers early enough to register them with NAMM and get badges in their name, then send out the badgers, and perhaps you'd have to forward literature they requested that was sent to them at your "company" address.

But of course this would be immoral so I don't recommend that any of our good folks here try it. But I wouldn't be surprised if someone has already thought of it and is doing it.

[Agreed]

I liked this NAMM. I didn't have super high expectations but some of my favorite companies are doing really cool stuff. I'm not all that concerned about whether Digidesign is breaking something big and new, you know?

[Mecanikill]

Only stuff that interested me came from Metasonix! Korg really dropped the ball hard at this show. Oh well at least I won't be broke this year.:thu:

[MikeRivers]

I liked this NAMM. I didn't have super high expectations but some of my favorite companies are doing really cool stuff. I'm not all that concerned about whether Digidesign is breaking something big and new, you know?
The "insider" thing (and now we'll have to kill you) is that they almost might could have possibly, it's rumored, maybe announced something big, but they didn't. The "why not" suggests that there might be be that even though they're the biggest in the business, they may still have some business issues in the wind. Not to worry - ProTools will be around for a long time, but the Avid name is becoming more prominent within their literature.

You have to read between the aisles at these shows when you don't see any great new gear to lust over. ;)

[gtrbass]

Mike Rivers has it dead on. A LOT of MI companies have designs/prototypes ready to roll from R&D to production; however, due to the economic conditions they are holding.

Why?
1) They can't get financing. The P&L is insufficient in a climate where credit is tough to secure. Many companies do not have the cash on hand to internally manage the risk of a new product launch.

2) Their mfg sources are unstable. Whether it's just sub-components or finished product the sustainability and quality of the supply chain is in question (Go ask anyone at Mackie)

3) Product launches, whether its a new or improved product line is expensive. You have one shot at making a solid impression.

No one is willing to pull the trigger when consumer confidence is shaken and the risk of success is this elevated.

The good news?
Most of the mfg's have an extended period to double check their R&D pipeline and refine if necessary. When this all shakes out, some killer stuff that is less likely to miss the mark is going to hit the streets.

I know of several mfg's that are rethinking their supply chain (read: planning to insource production to a domestic location or business patner.) The business case has reached a tipping point where the carbon footprint for overseas shipping vs the higher regional labor costs is potentially making localized production a better option, both financially, and for improved risk management of production continuity & quality.

This is not speculation. These are the current facts in many industries. The early '80's recession caused a boom in outsurcing. This recession will quite probably cause a boom in insourcing in North America and the EU.

Winter NAMM 2010 is going to simply kick ass.

[MoreGuitars]

I too have been disappointed. I have been going to NAMM since 1980, and this was the worst I could recall.

[Greg Bogoshian]

I have to laugh at the "nothing new" drone... What do you expect? If you come up with a guitar body shape that is different from a Fender or a Gibson, you whine how you can't improve on perfection. Then when you get done beating up the independent thinkers, you whine that there's nothing new... If that is all anyone is willing to support with your wallets or comments, that's all you're gonna get... Live like sheep, die like sheep...

[MikeRivers]

Their mfg sources are unstable. Whether it's just sub-components or finished product the sustainability and quality of the supply chain is in question (Go ask anyone at Mackie)
Mackie isn't as dumb as they appear, they're just a little slower than optimum. The news was that one of their major Chinese factories went under. The story behind the story was that Mackie had a clue that it was going to happen and was in the process of setting up some alternate sources. But they aren't ready to start cranking out mixers yet.

The NAMM TV program (plays in many of the hotels around the convention and in the convention center all day) ran a story that I didn't see, but someone told me about it. They pictured Mackie as being on the edge of going bankrupt and (as it was related to me) almost sounded like a plea for someone to buy the company. On the last day of the show, the show daily newrag published an interview with the CEO saying that the rumor was unfounded. Mackie wishes that the people who produced the video program had talked with them before they ran it. But they're still running on a pretty slim staff up there in Woodenvegas from what I gather.

Winter NAMM 2010 is going to simply kick ass.
Possibly Musicmesse this spring will be where some of the projects that were too far away from production to be launched at NAMM will show up there. But unless y'all take up a collection to finance a trip for me to Germany, you'll have to settle for Craig's video interviews about guitars and software instead of inside industry rumors from the likes of me.

[katillac]

I have to laugh at the "nothing new" drone... What do you expect? If you come up with a guitar body shape that is different from a Fender or a Gibson, you whine how you can't improve on perfection. Then when you get done beating up the independent thinkers, you whine that there's nothing new... If that is all anyone is willing to support with your wallets or comments, that's all you're gonna get... Live like sheep, die like sheep...
I love guitars, period. I love the traditional designs of what I consider the big three - Les Paul, Stratocaster and Telecaster, but I also really enjoy seeing new designs. The latter isn't an easy task, as certainly someone, somewhere, will say it reminds them of something else or a cross between others. While I did laugh at the Africa-shaped guitar, I know that somewhere out there, someone will see the picture and want one.

For what it's worth, Greg, I love seeing the stuff you do. Way out of my league, but that doesn't stop me from appreciating the beauty and art.

[Stringman]

A small company in Colororado called "BULLETPROOF GUITARS" is making some truly wonderful guitars. They play as sooth as silk, sound like the best Gibby you've ever heard, and weigh only 6 pounds.

I was very tempted to buy one.

[coyote-1]

No, what's absolutely pathetic is to see a bunch of people who apparently cannot make music unless they have the very latest AMAZING EXCITING DO-IT-ALL GIZMO that has been designed to magically fulfill all those niches in which they themselves are lacking.

C'mon folks, let's face it: If you cannot make music with what's already out there, it ain't the fault of the missing stuff. Because there's really only a couple of 'barriers' left: a) human interface and b) physical modeling. And neither of them represent a revolutionary step anymore.

So what's left for manufacturers? Gradual evolution of what's already out there. Sorry for the folk who rely on external excitement to fulfill their meaningless lives, but you're in for a great many disappointing NAMMs in the next dacade or three.
This has got to be the most depressing NAMM event in history. Not only is there nothing worth talking about; but the plethora of two bit unheard-of companies popping up with meaningless 'product' devalues this event and reveals that music technology is in real crisis.

Harmony Central's snails pace at placing press releases is not helping. On the synthesizer front, Roland have arguably released the most exciting news with the excellent looking VP770 and a new operating system for the V Synth Gt, yet Harmony Central do not have a Roland section by Saturday.

Absolutely pathetic.

[BrainChild]

I'm sure that's not true. Many times over the years, it's been suggested that NAMM have an "open" day but the exhibitors and dealers who attend the show are all against it.

What might have prompted that rumor, though, is that last year there were some people selling NAMM badges through eBay, and NAMM got wind of it. That's what prompted them to check photo IDs at the show hall entrances. It used to be pretty common for exhibitors and members to get extra badges with names like Justin Case or Ben Dare so that they could offer them to selected friends and good customers but I guess they can't do that any longer.

Now if someone's looking for a small business opportunity, I suppose you could join NAMM, which allows you a certain number of show badges. It used to be 20 but now I think it's 10, and membership is $195. So if you got ten badges, kept one for yourself, and pre-sold applications for the others at $50 each, you could make a little money for your trouble. But what you'd have to do is get the names of your buyers early enough to register them with NAMM and get badges in their name, then send out the badgers, and perhaps you'd have to forward literature they requested that was sent to them at your "company" address.

But of course this would be immoral so I don't recommend that any of our good folks here try it. But I wouldn't be surprised if someone has already thought of it and is doing it.

They were being very diligent about checking ID's and I saw people trying to get in on last years badges, etc. But it's pretty obvious someones hawking badges somehow. I mean when you see these packs of 4 chicks in heels complete with tats, piercings, and spandex, with V badges, I am pretty sure they aren't working at the local GC. I would bet 40 to 50 percent of the people at NAMM are neither buyers or sellers of music equipment. Not that this is a bad thing mind you. I enjoyed the show and other than the multitude of Chinese companies that couldn't answer my questions in English there were lots of products and people worth going to see. Where else can you see that many PRS guitars, hear Doyle Dykes play, shake hands with Hartley Peavey, and get an autograph from Eric Johnson all in the same weekend. Not to mention it was -15 back east and record 80's and sunny in CA.

[John Backlund]

I have to laugh at the "nothing new" drone... What do you expect? If you come up with a guitar body shape that is different from a Fender or a Gibson, you whine how you can't improve on perfection. Then when you get done beating up the independent thinkers, you whine that there's nothing new... If that is all anyone is willing to support with your wallets or comments, that's all you're gonna get... Live like sheep, die like sheep...

Well said.

[pjmuck]

In the computer world, Live 8/MaxForLive and Celemony Direct Note Access are astonishing leaps forward in music technology. Celemony in particular defies what was even thought to be physically possible and you can't get much more innovative than that.

+1 on Celemony Direct Note Access. Truly staggering innovation. But it's been around for years now, so what makes this year's updates unique?

[girevik]

One man's trash is another man's treasure. There is a lot of cool guitar news that I see elswhere does not seem to be reported in NAMM news or threads (sorry, not willing to dig through 30 pages of posts about overdrive/distortion pedals, more Fender/Gibson clones, and more pointy guitars). Examples would include Teuffel, Scott French, Forshage, Henman Bevilacqua, Destroy All Guitars Telstar...

Most exciting NAMM news items for me:

- Akai's Ableton Live controller

- Max For Live

- Keith McMillen Stringport

- MOTU Volta

[Phil O'Keefe]

+1 on Celemony Direct Note Access. Truly staggering innovation. But it's been around for years now, so what makes this year's updates unique?

Celemony has been around for years, but DNA was announced last year at NAMM IIRC. It's still not shipping yet, but should be in a few months - or so I was told.

[DiscoFreq]

I don't know, I think the list of new guitar pedals is pretty impressive:

http://filters.muziq.be/news/namm/2009/winter

I hope Frankfurt will be just as interesting :D

[ateah]

http://files.muziq.be/pics/ibanez_af2_001.jpg
gimme gimme.

[Anderton]

This has got to be the most depressing NAMM event in history. Not only is there nothing worth talking about; but the plethora of two bit unheard-of companies popping up with meaningless 'product' devalues this event and reveals that music technology is in real crisis.

Harmony Central's snails pace at placing press releases is not helping. On the synthesizer front, Roland have arguably released the most exciting news with the excellent looking VP770 and a new operating system for the V Synth Gt, yet Harmony Central do not have a Roland section by Saturday.

Absolutely pathetic.

Sorry, but having over 270 press releases posted in less than four days after the show closed doesn't exactly inspire me to hang my head in shame at the hard work a handful of dedicated people put into that effort. And in that same period of time, we had over 60 videos shot, transferred to computer, edited, rendered, converted to flash, uploaded onto the server, and made live on the site. In case you don't realize how long it takes to code/post 270+ press releases into HTML and edit/render/etc. 60+ videos, believe me, it's not something where you just snap your fingers and it magically happens - especially when you consider that we don't just run footage from the camera and call it a "video," we produce them, add cutaways, sweeten the audio, etc.

And some of the products that people think we "missed" were covered previously in the AES 2008 and Frankfurt 2008 videos, including Melodyne DNA, Solaris, etc. And sure, the VP-770 is cool, but even Roland will tell you it's an update of the VP-550, which we already covered. We instead decided to talk about the V-Piano - which is truly groundbreaking technology - in the very first show highlights video, which went live Friday morning.

It takes time to code releases and edit videos. Many products are embargoed until the show starts, so do the math: A product gets released on Thursday, we cover the show, we send off the info Thursday night along with an avalanche of other stuff, the earliest it can go on the site is Friday and given the quantity, sometimes it's simply not possible to get everything done in one day and it has to go up the next day.

It takes about an hour to edit a short product video (rendering, conversion, uploading, and going live take longer) and I never got more than five hours' sleep at the show because after the show closed, I went back to my room and edited videos. We had thirteen videos live before we left the show. I don't really think that level of performance qualifies as "pathetic" but you're entitled to your opinion.

[Anderton]

Celemony has been around for years, but DNA was announced last year at NAMM IIRC. It's still not shipping yet, but should be in a few months - or so I was told.

FWIW Celemony DNA was introduced to the public at the 2008 Frankfurt show. The video is still in the Theater.

[Zooey]

The NAMM TV program (plays in many of the hotels around the convention and in the convention center all day) ran a story that I didn't see, but someone told me about it.

The actress they hired to narrate "industry news" on the monitors was cracking me up. Just being really goofy, going on about the new Vic Firth drumsticks with a "longer textured shaft and oversized head."

Anyway, I saw one thing at NAMM I had to have and since purchased: The DSI Mopho synth. It's an analog monosynth in an Adrenalinn sized enclosure for $400.

[GURREN LAGANN]

No, what's absolutely pathetic is to see a bunch of people who apparently cannot make music unless they have the very latest AMAZING EXCITING DO-IT-ALL GIZMO that has been designed to magically fulfill all those niches in which they themselves are lacking.

C'mon folks, let's face it: If you cannot make music with what's already out there, it ain't the fault of the missing stuff. Because there's really only a couple of 'barriers' left: a) human interface and b) physical modeling. And neither of them represent a revolutionary step anymore.

So what's left for manufacturers? Gradual evolution of what's already out there. Sorry for the folk who rely on external excitement to fulfill their meaningless lives, but you're in for a great many disappointing NAMMs in the next dacade or three.

:facepalm: This post is bad and you should feel bad. I'm tired of "Musicians hiding behind their gear" type people, more often than not they make boring ass "Classic" Rock or otherwise either dry sounding or simplistic rock music.

One of the biggest things that inspires me to write a new song is when I pick up a new pedal or amp. Of course we respond to external stimulus. Sorry for not being Hurrr EVA Deep. This NAMM I was hoping for a new Microcube type amp, I liked the mobile cube's size and shape but not it's lack of features. Having an amp that convenient to carry around with the features of the larger microcube is something that doesn't exist, but something I could really do with.

[GURREN LAGANN]

I have to laugh at the "nothing new" drone... What do you expect? If you come up with a guitar body shape that is different from a Fender or a Gibson, you whine how you can't improve on perfection. Then when you get done beating up the independent thinkers, you whine that there's nothing new... If that is all anyone is willing to support with your wallets or comments, that's all you're gonna get... Live like sheep, die like sheep...

That doesn't make any sense. Last NAMM was pretty decent - why did it hit a wall of a sudden? If it was down to what you say, it would be phased out.

[John Backlund]

That doesn't make any sense. Last NAMM was pretty decent - why did it hit a wall of a sudden? If it was down to what you say, it would be phased out.

I can only comment on guitars, not other electronic gear, but It would make sense if you were the creator of a guitar that was not mainstream (or perhaps 'traditional' would be a better term) in it's appearance, mainstream as in yet another strat, LP, tele, visual derivative.

[GURREN LAGANN]

The problem is that a lot of the reason this tradionalist sentiment exists is that there aren't enough companies offering new ideas at a lower price range. For example I'm not going to fork out thousands for a Moog guitar, but if someone came out with a cheap $400 clone? I just might.

Conceptually somthing like a Variax will never sit well with me though. I prefer a guitar to have it's own tone.

[John Backlund]

The problem is that a lot of the reason this tradionalist sentiment exists is that there aren't enough companies offering new ideas at a lower price range. For example I'm not going to fork out thousands for a Moog guitar, but if someone came out with a cheap $400 clone? I just might.

If by 'new ideas' your talking about a different 'look' for an electric guitar rather than just technolgy, there's a bunch of interesting and unique instruments being made by many small builders, but a small maker cannot make them as cheaply as a large one can, and the large companies won't stray far from their traditional guitar templates as long as everyone and their mother wants another strat, etc, etc. I don't blame them, they sell.

I don't think that players are being led around by the big guitar companies, the companies make guitars to satisfy a demand, I think they're long past creating that demand as you imply.

The large guitar companies tend to sell relatively 'safe' designs that are familiar and already accepted by the majority of potential buyers in the mass market for guitars, and they have the resources to make them in large enough quantities to be able to perhaps offer some of them for a sub $500 price point, but the builders of truly unique guitars almost never have that advantage, and their manufacturing costs are much, much, higher as a result.

I would love to be able to offer some of my guitar designs for $400, absolutely love it, but if it's costing $1500-$2000 just to build one....well, you see my problem.

[Anderton]

It's also important to remember that NAMM isn't only about new products. It's an industry trade show where companies get a chance to talk to distributors, sign up new ones and can others, those recently unemployed can look for work, etc. For me, it's a chance to see a lot of people I don't get to see often enough - even if it's only for a few seconds between shoots.

Some companies didn't have anything new, and didn't come (e.g., Propellerheads). Some companies had BIG introductions at AES (e.g. Cakewalk, Digidesign) and their presence at NAMM was more about introducing those products to a wider audience.

Also, NAMM is where a lot of ideas ferment that will show up in future conventions. One of the most striking elements about this year's NAMM is the continuing evolution of partnerships and collaborations among a variety of companies...PRS with Waves, Gibson with Ableton and NI, Ableton with Akai, MOTU with Ultimate Sound Bank, etc. All of these are (of course) designed to corner more of the market, but ultimately, they're also about making a more cohesive experience for consumers. Protocols like MIDI, VST, ASIO, and the like in many ways children of NAMM.

[geargeek]

The problem is that a lot of the reason this tradionalist sentiment exists is that there aren't enough companies offering new ideas at a lower price range. For example I'm not going to fork out thousands for a Moog guitar, but if someone came out with a cheap $400 clone? I just might.



Innovative products at low cost are great, but knock-offs only stifle innovation and in this case, will simply disuade Moog from going to that much trouble again. I for one hope they've got that thing well patented and any cheaper versions are all by or licensed by Moog.

[Anderton]

There were quite a few things that rocked:

Ableton Live 8 - they totally reclaimed their "musical instrument, not DAW" heritage. Integrating Cycling 74's Max into the program was a really clever move.

MOTU Volta - voltage and trigger control from within a sequencer that requires no special interface - brilliant.

Phonic Analyzer - yeah it's a grand, but it sure is useful.

Keith McMillen's StringPort. Much cooler than MIDI guitar but the same sort of concept.

NI Maschine - They got the hardware/software thing down for beatmeisters.

Primacoustic FlexiBooth - instant vocal booth for cheap. Gotta have it.

Sonuus G2M monophonic guitar to MIDI converter - for under $100, you can't complain that it's not polyphonic. Tracks well, too.

TC Electronic RebelHead 450. Actually, it was the clever speaker arrangement that I thought was cool.

Wallander Brass - incredible sounding brass, no samples, all additive. Couldn't believe how great it sounds.

Roland V-Piano - I thought it would be a yawner, but they nailed how to model a piano AND more importantly, modify the sound while remaining true to what a piano is about.

[NewTruth]

Innovative products at low cost are great, but knock-offs only stifle innovation and in this case, will simply disuade Moog from going to that much trouble again. I for one hope they've got that thing well patented and any cheaper versions are all by or licensed by Moog.

:confused:

The Moog guitar is nothing more than a glorified Sustainer pick-up equipped guitar.

I don't find anything "innovative" about it whatsoever.

If they're issued a patent on it then it will show, once again, how broken the Patent Office is.