PHOTOS FROM THE MESSE! Craig Anderton Beams Over the Latest Images.

[Jon Chappell]

Craig Anderton is feeding us a constant supply of photos, videos, and the latest news from the show floor at the Frankfurt Musikmesse. Check here often!


We're here! Welcome to Frankfurt. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Here's a shot of most of just one hall - Hall 8. The brown building you can barely see in the background, past the glass archway, is Hall 9. Don't even bother to come unless you have VERY comfortable shoes. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

At Messe, you can get a haircut, find a hotel, make travel arrangements, hit mini-market, go to the post office, and more... (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

The press area has been totally revamped, with computer workstations, interview rooms, and - yes! - a bar that also serves food. Hey NAMM, this is an idea worth copying! (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Coffee and beer lubricate the gears of the Frankfurt show. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

The V-Studio made its European debut at Messe, as did a new controller that had never been shown before. (Photo courtesy Harmony Central.

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[Jon Chappell]

It's a big secret, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to tell you more... (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

For the first time anywhere - a screen shot of the new PreSonus DAW, Studio One. We'll get the full story later... (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Here's the demo room for VSL's MIR - multi impulse response and reverberation. I've scheduled to check out a demo during the show. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

The Pleasurize Music Foundation wants to help cause a cease-fire in the "loudness wars" by coming up with a way to rate dynamic range. WIll they succeed? We'll find out... (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Messe is big on DJ gear, and perhaps not surprisingly, on hot female DJs to demo it. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

PRS is here in force, so we'll get an update on their amps. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Hughes & Kettner is celebrating 25 years of business, and rumor has it they'll be showing some hot new amps. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Sennheiser's always good for great demos, but they're also showing off a new wireless mic system. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

It's IO, and a mixer...and control surface for more than just Sonar (yes, Mac and-or PC). And it's an SD recorder. And it's compact, all you laptop jockeys! But if I tell you anything more, they'll have to shoot me... (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

The Vicoustic Cinema Premium panels look really cool if you want "designer" acoustic treatment. Peeking out from the upper right is their Wave Wood panel. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

ESI is proposing a multi-channel interface based on HDMI. It's claimed to deliver up to 8 channels with 192kHz sampling rates. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

SM Pro's V-Machine has a lot of promise, but has been somewhat buggy. Rumor has it there's an update at Messe, as well as a rack version. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

So is this an incredible modular synthesizer, or what? I'll definitely be stopping back here after the show starts officially to find out the full story. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

So...as I leave the Messe, here's a shot of the Hotel Maritim. It's significant because it is THE bar where people do the meet-and-greet (and make deals) thing. Anyway, considering I wasn't even supposed to be here today (press isn't allowed during setup, but I can be persuasive heh heh), HC got a lot of scoops! And check out the Preview video...for now, it's Craig Anderton, signing off. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

It's not just a Theremin, but also a controller that's used by musicians, DJs, and dancers. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Dbeat is basically an Open Labs system without the keyboard (but includes pads). It actually fits in an airplane's overhead compartment, and lists for under $4,000. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

If you want "object-oriented" - this system makes music by moving objects around on a surface. There are objects for oscillators, drums, filters, and more. Talk about a modular system! (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

It's kind of like magic - the software analyzes a piece of music, and extracts MIDIdata - even for polyphonic music. Pretty cool... (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

This takes the EQ section from a Tonelux console and puts it in a rack unit, with some extra functionality, too. Other console-derived modules are coming, so you can do a "mixer a la carte."

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[Jon Chappell]

It's 24-track, 24-bit, 96kHz - perfect for live recording. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Elastique is a time- and pitch-stretching RTAS plug-in (although other formats are not out of the question) that works well and sounds good. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

EnergyXT, from xtsoftware, is an "alternative DAW that's designed to be easy to use without being "dumbed-down." For example it would make a great audio recording companion for Reason because it does ReWire. It's also laptop-friendly, with low CPU consumption and a single-window interface. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Sennheiser brought back the a capella group Harmony Central to show off their new G3 wireless mics. Catch their performance in the Theater when the editing is done! (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

The classic Marshall tube sound, with two channels, is now available in short but sweet stack (as well as head and combo versions). The Haze line includes integrated effects and drives a 12" Marshall/Celestion speaker. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Mats Johnson did some hot playing at the Elmwood booth - and yes, we captured it on tape. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Okay, so adapters aren't all that exciting. But these gold-plated adapters, with innards bathed in resin along with ribbed side grips, look like they deserve their lifetime warranty. They're made in Italy by Bespeco.

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[Jon Chappell]

Now you can turn your iPhone or iPod Touch into an instrument tuner - $9.99 at the App store. Cool! (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Ms. Schnell was shredding away at the booth of European distributor Sound Service...hot stuff, and yes, we have video. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

It does 5 watts, 1 watt, and 0.1 watt - and it sounds pretty darn good. And points for having its own look and design. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

The Series One line consists of a 100 watt stack, 200 watt stack, and 45 watt combo - all very tube-o-licious. The sound is downright silky, even when cranked...very, very sweet. This shows the 100-watt stack.

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[Jon Chappell]

Tomo Audiolabs Lisa

Lisa is an analog EQ designed specifically for mastering...and it looks great, too.

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[Jon Chappell]

This is a stereo tube ribbon that cost a bit over five grand - but with a sound to match. What the picture doesn't show are the top-flight accessories that come with it.

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[Jon Chappell]

Michael's on his way to France to do a video, but he stopped by at Royer booth at Messe.

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[Jon Chappell]

There's a new amp sim in town for guitar and bass, the Vandal series, from Magix. Expect to see this in Samplitude 11.

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[Jon Chappell]

Samplitude 11 is on the way, as is Sequoia 11 - and Magix was previewing them at Messe.

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[Jon Chappell]

What a cool idea - a tap tempo device for generating MIDI clocks. You can even speed up or slow down the tempo by giving it some more taps.

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[Jon Chappell]

Tonight is the 10th anniversary MIPA Awards - the most prestigious awards show in the musical instrument industry. And of course, Harmony Central will be there to report on the results.

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[Jon Chappell]

CopperLan is a system and command protocol that is about to go into commercial development...keep your eye on it.

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[Jon Chappell]

Messe is all about business. Warwick has its own business lounge with dozens of tables, a bar, and a café - it alone is bigger than most booths at NAMM.

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[Jon Chappell]

Snap Jack has a bunch of new models, including ones for XLR cables, pedalboards, and even wireless systems to go between the guitar and transmitter.


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[Jon Chappell]

Tables and chairs shaped like guitars...fun stuff. You can even get a toilet covered with music notes.

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[Jon Chappell]

The X Series is the next generation of active pickups from EMG: hotter, cleaner, and quieter.

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[Jon Chappell]

Dark Fire made its first appearance at Messe, with the same "workstation" setups that were so well-received at NAMM.

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[Jon Chappell]

Here's a group shot of the various MIPA Award winners. For full details, check out the videos in Harmony Central's Frankfurt Musikmesse coverage. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Steinberg - the man behind Cubase, Virtual Studio Technology (VST), and the ASIO spec - received the Lifetime Achievement Award from MIPA. And frankly, that's an excellent choice. Congratulations, Charly, and we're glad things are working out well with Yamaha. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Mats Nermark]

Mats Johnson did some hot playing at the Elmwood booth - and yes, we captured it on tape.
http://Jonchappell.com/hc/mm09/3403796127_67e3d21f3e_o.jpg

Glad to see Mats is getting some recognition. He really is a wonderful player.

Cheers,

Mats N

[Mats Nermark]

Steinberg - the man behind Cubase, Virtual Studio Technology (VST), and the ASIO spec - received the Lifetime Achievement Award from MIPA. And frankly, that's an excellent choice. Congratulations, Charly, and we're glad things are working out well with Yamaha. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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In 1985 I was working for a distributor of studio equipment in Sweden and we started selling this Commodore 64 program called Pro-16. This was from a company called Steinberg. I met Charly a year later and he has since been one of my industry heroes. My life would not have been as good is it has without his efforts. Congrats Charly and thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers,

Mats N

[Jon Chappell]

In 1985 I was working for a distributor of studio equipment in Sweden and we started selling this Commodore 64 program called Pro-16.

Funny, Mats, you don't look old enough to be working since 1985. It seems you would still be in elementary school. It must be all that clean living in Sweden that keeps you young! :thu:

I'd like to hear your impressions of this year's Messe.

[Jon Chappell]

The Fender booth has one entire side loaded with Fender guitars, and there's never a shortage of people looking at them. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

At the MIPA Awards, Paul's new acoustic guitars were judged the best in the biz by over 100 magazines around the world.

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[Jon Chappell]

This is a simple, inexpensive analog 16-channel mixer with effects. A higher-end version adds USB I/O, while a lower version, the M-164, omits the effects. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

The Elektron guys are at it again, this time with a cool synthesizer. It has six tracks of monophonic synthesis options. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

This works stand-alone, or in conjunction with the other Artist Series controllers - and costs under $400. Check out the full video on Harmony Central. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Use it with a computer, and it's a keyboard and control surface. Away from the computer, it's a synthesizer with built-in effects and a sequencer. It's also really cute, and has a super-bright display. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

[Sent from SYP's iPhone]

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[Mats Nermark]

I'd like to hear your impressions of this year's Messe.

Hi Jon,

Considering the fact that I'm not there this year I don't think I have much to offer. :cry:

Cheers,

Mats N

[Jon Chappell]

The Lace guitar made a brief debut at NAMM, but now it's in full swing at Messe. I had a chance to play it, and the pickups were very dynamic and sensitive. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

This shows the newest of the St. Blues made in USA guitars. You can't really see the grain in this shot, but it's gorgeous. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Hall 8 is the land of pro audio - line array speakers, power amps, and large format consoles - like this one from Lawo. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Hi Jon,
Considering the fact that I'm not there this year I don't think I have much to offer. :cry:
Cheers,
Mats N

Well, you can make it up to me by meeting me in Nashville, Tennessee, for the Summer NAMM show. ;)

Just be careful that you don't develop a reputation for only attending trade shows in warm conditions (Southern California in January, Nashville in July...). People in Northern Europe might think you don't like the cold weather!

(Mats is a very knowledgeable Swedish journalist and musician who often contributes to Harmony Central's reporting. Plus, he has a good sense of humor, so I'm hopeful that he can take a little "ribbing.") :)

[Mats Nermark]

Well, you can make it up to me by meeting me in Nashville, Tennessee, for the Summer NAMM show. ;)

Just be careful that you don't develop a reputation for only attending trade shows in warm conditions (Southern California in January, Nashville in July...). People in Northern Europe might think you don't like the cold weather!

(Mats is a very knowledgeable Swedish journalist and musician who often contributes to Harmony Central's reporting. Plus, he has a good sense of humor, so I'm hopeful that he can take a little "ribbing.") :)

Hi Jon,

I'd love to go to Nashville as I've never been there before. So if you can find me a sponsor I'll donate my time.

As to cold weather, I'm already on record for saying I hate the cold weather of my native Sweden. I think I'm genetically wrong for this climate. Either that or I have a serious allergy against cold.

Regarding the ribbing, just rib away!

Cheers,

Mats N

[Jon Chappell]

Even a high-end company like Gefell is getting into USB with their MV 230 mic to USB converter. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Here's another volunteer against the loudness wars: Pinguin's audio metering software for personal computers provides an accurate metering environment for various meter algorithms. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

It had to happen: Stand-alone player/recorders based around USB and SD memory. These are OEM units for hotels, restaurants, etc. - but it probably won't be long before consumer-oriented ones show up at Best Buy! YPhoto coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

While their main thing is contractor applications, I couldn't resist this picture of the Airbourne modular synthesizer, which uses Ghielmetti's products. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

This system lets you "steer" a line array's beam via simple mouse wheel control. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

I need one of these! There are plenty of pockets for cameras, portable audio recorders, USB sticks, and the like. But the best part: It's low noise when you move your arms. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Who could resist taking a picture of a kuh hoisted in the air? Not me. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

You can't the full impact of the lighting hall without video...so check out the videos when they're posted. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

If the music business is dead, Germany didn't get the memo - public day exceeded all expectations. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

This is the main live performance venue, and it was always packed. There were some performances I wanted to video, but I couldn't make it through the crowds...no way, even with a press pass. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Yamaha's booth has a zillion guitars, synths, pianos, and other instruments set up for the public to play - and there's hardly ever an empty seat. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

This has the same basic specs as the birch, but uses selected maple woods. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

The Absolute series drums are 100% handmade in Japan. The bass drum is 7-ply birch, and the toms are 6-ply. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Yamaha has introduced a "radio" service for the Modus F11 and H11 that streams songs from the internet - while the keys move in sync with the music. There are currently over 10 music channels. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

This is a honey of a semi-hollowbody guitar...and check out the Bigsby tailpiece. (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

If you're looking for a big sound, it doesn't get much bigger than this. But is it for real?!? (Photo coverage powered by Harmony Central. All rights reserved.)

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[Jon Chappell]

Well, it's been quite a show...but now it's over, so this is your correspondent from Harmony Central signing off on the 2009 Musikmesse. Now it's time to pack, get ready for a gig with Dr. Walker at Tanzhaus West, and then fly back home. I hope you enjoyed the photo coverage, and I'll see you next year!

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[Mats Nermark]

Well, it's been quite a show...but now it's over, so this is your correspondent from Harmony Central signing off on the 2009 Musikmesse. Now it's time to pack, get ready for a gig with Dr. Walker at Tanzhaus West, and then fly back home. I hope you enjoyed the photo coverage, and I'll see you next year!

http://jonchappell.com/hc/mm09/3412167988_2f69212c40.jpg

Thanks for the report Craig. Now I'm eagerly looking forward to the videos!

Cheers,

Mats N

[Fons]

Boring!
This is very little news, and most of it is (again) high tech toys / electronics and things we already know from NAMM.

To me it is clear HC is only interested into the big companies, while there were so many European Boutique Luthiers who are not mentioned - or shown.

I hope some visitors will post these electric guitars and instruments.

[Mats Nermark]

Hi Fons,

I don't know if you have ever been to either NAMM or the Frankfurt Musik Messe but I have been to both many , many times and there is a big difference between the two.

NAMM is much more accessible for the new and/or small company. It's expensive to exhibit but not prohibitively so and the hotel accommodation nearby is relatively cheap.

In Frankfurt it is terribly expensive to exhibit and the hotel costs are astronomical. The air fares in Europe are also quite expensive compared to the USA. I calculated that it was cheaper this year to go from Sweden to NAMM than to go to Frankfurt which is considerably closer.

I'd say that it is probably the Frankfurt Messe corporation that is interested in the big companies and not Harmony Central.

Also, if you have ever spent any time with Craig and Jon you would know that these guys are real champions of the smaller and newer companies as they often provide a fresh and new perspective.

Having said this I also think that the trade shows used to be more "fun" with more new products than they are today. That, however, is not the fault of Harmony Central.

Cheers,

Mats N

[Fons]

Champions you say?

So what is this then? It was on display in Hall 4.0
These two (twin) brothers from Germany designed a similar carved top in Les paul shape - be it more modern looking...which Dean copied the same year after.

Forge Guitars ring a bell (for about 3 years ago)?
HC din't show their first model then, too.

This year the brothers changed the name, so Forge is now called Frank Hartung guitars.

http://i455.photobucket.com/albums/qq271/marceldam/FrankHartungDiavolo.jpg

No, I don't have a horse in Forge!
And yes, I just returned from the Frankfurt show, and been to NAMM some times...

[Mats Nermark]

Champions you say?

So what is this then? It was on display in Hall 4.0
These two (twin) brothers from Germany designed a similar carved top in Les paul shape - be it more modern looking...which Dean copied the same year after.

Forge Guitars ring a bell (for about 3 years ago)?
HC din't show their first model then, too.

This year the brothers changed the name, so Forge is now called Frank Hartung guitars.

No, I don't have a horse in Forge!
And yes, I just returned from the Frankfurt show, and been to NAMM some times...

Hi Fons,

All is cool!
I meant no offense. As I don't know your background I didn't know what knowledge you have of the shows.

So as you are well acquainted with the show you know how big it is. The halls are big with loads of suppliers/manufacturers and there is physical distance to take into consideration. Please also consider that the Harmony Central representation is a one person effort in the form of the well known Craig Anderton. He has to handle everything in Frankfurt. Walking the halls, setting up meeting, attend the actual meetings, taking the pictures, filming the presentations and the artist interviews and personal stuff like eating. I've walked the halls with Craig and he's being stopped all the time by people who want to meet him and talk about anything you could possibly think of. And he still takes the time to send these pictures in almost realtime.

Then he can't focus on just guitars and amps. He's got to cover the whole show. He can possibly forget the classical instruments and the acoustic piano hall but the rest is his responsibility and thinking of this and what it must entail in stress hormone production I think Craig is doing a wonderful job and I don't know anyone who could do it better than him.

I would also like to see a more in depth look at just guitars/amps/effects as this is my personal interest focus but that will have to wait until HC fund a larger expedition to the city of Frankfurt.

Peace!

Mats N

[Fons]

I do understand that it's a huge task to undertake!

But in this Messe Report it is clear that "friends" of Craig are mentioned as soon as they offer a new or improved product to him, while the "unknown" - who are so clearly visible on the shows floor because they are new - should get at least equal attention from (any) "news" Reporter..right?

To me it clear that the companies with the best connection or who support HC with their contributions are getting the most attention every time.
The two man guitar company that I mention here is just an example of how Dean has received all the glory, instead of these gifted luthiers...and that's what bothers me bigtime!

[Mats Nermark]

new - should get at least equal attention from (any) "news" Reporter..right?

I agree.

To me it clear that the companies with the best connection or who support HC with their contributions are getting the most attention every time.
The two man guitar company that I mention here is just an example of how Dean has received all the glory, instead of these gifted luthiers...and that's what bothers me bigtime!

I don't know who support HC the most, but if what you say is true it would also bother me.

It could be that Craig just missed out on seeing this one luthier booth.

I have been to 26 Frankfurt Musik Messe and I absolutely know that I have missed a few booths every time. We're only human.

Cheers,

Mats N

[Jon Chappell]

... It was on display in Hall 4.0. These two (twin) brothers from Germany designed a similar carved top in Les paul shape - be it more modern looking...which Dean copied the same year after. ... This year the brothers changed the name, so Forge is now called Frank Hartung guitars. ... And yes, I just returned from the Frankfurt show, and been to NAMM some times...

I should point out that this isn't a forum just for Craig. Anyone with photos from the show can post and is encouraged to do so (Bieke, where are you? :)). So thank you, Fons, for posting that Frank Hartung guitar. I like the sleek lines on the body and that neck inlay (four aces -- hard to beat!) is very cool. I learned something from this.

As Mats points out, Craig is only one guy and is human (though some people might disagree with Mats on that, as Craig has some decidedly superhuman qualities with regard to his work ethic and output). At some NAMM shows, HC has sent 6 or more people just to report. We didn't have that luxury this time.

[Anderton]

Boring!
This is very little news, and most of it is (again) high tech toys / electronics and things we already know from NAMM.

To me it is clear HC is only interested into the big companies, while there were so many European Boutique Luthiers who are not mentioned - or shown.

I hope some visitors will post these electric guitars and instruments.

Wow, tough crowd. But let me explain the reality of the situation.

Most of this was NOT shown at NAMM. And things you might have thought were shown at NAMM were variations - for example, the Taylor T3 shown here is different from what was introduced at NAMM. Companies like Visonic, Teenage Engineering, Reactive Systems, Widisoft, etc. etc. have not been covered previously at all.

Second, about big vs. little companies. With over 1,500 exhibitors, one person covering the show, and 36 hours total to cover the show (with the last nine on public day so crowded that coverage becomes extremely difficult, so really, it's more like 27 hours), we need to prepare as much in advance in terms of finding out what's new. One simply cannot land at Frankfurt with no coverage plan, or all my time would be spent running from hall to hall in search of new products instead of covering them.

The fact is that big companies are much more efficient than smaller ones in terms of sending press releases and advising us of what will be shown at a trade show. Our press release department is open to ALL manufacturers, and that information is passed over to me. It is not our responsibility to hold a gun to the head of a company and say "You must contact us and tell us what you're showing"...especially when we don't even know if a company exists.

Furthermore, smaller companies often have only one or two people at the booth, and they are there to sell their products and talk to dealers, not provide videos to Harmony Central. It is simply not possible to wait for 15 or 20 minutes while the guy at the booth does some deal with, say, a French distributor. Frankly, they sometimes make it difficult to cover them.

We also don't like to do the same thing over and over. Last year at Frankfurt, we had a one-hour video with Mats Nermark covering the guitar halls and providing the type of insights you want. For two or three years in a row, I did slide shows of a variety of guitars from smaller companies (taking still photos was something I could do while the people at the booth were busy). This year, there were not that many new products; many of the guitars were the same as last year, and there was no point in including photos of the same products. All the material from past trade shows remains in the Theater section.

Also remember that I had three distinct assignments for the show:

1. Send back instant videos for this thread.
2. Shoot footage for the daily highlight videos.
3. Shoot additional footage for the post-show edited videos.

Each one of these photos took an average of three minutes: At least 30 seconds to set up the photo (e.g., avoid reflections from the lighting, redo a photo that didn't come out quite right,) around two minutes to get the attention of the person at the company, find out what was new, and get a description; and another 30 seconds to write, send, and confirm the text message. So, doing just these 80 or so photos took four hours. Consider transit time from one booth to another, and that's at least half a day JUST for these photos.

Then at night, I would edit the highlight videos in my hotel room, which usually took until 4 or 5AM. I'd get five hours' sleep if I was lucky, eat no breakfast, and take the tram to the fair (about thirty minutes). So, the editing cut into the time I could actually spend at the show. But people like the highlights videos, they're very popular and are an important part of my assignment. I assure you that editing an 80-minute event like the MIPA awards down to 33 minutes is NOT a trivial task. Just bouncing the footage to hard disk took an hour and a half, doing the edits took hours, rendering the video took 70 minutes, and conversion to Flash, another 20. And then uploading a 100MB file with the hotel's internet took quite a while.

Finally, many people will tell you there wasn't that much new at the show. I can't manufacture news if there isn't any. And, it doesn't make much sense to say I should have covered a particular manufanufacturer after the show is over and I'm home. If you were interested in my covering a particular company, it would have been better to mention it WHILE I was at the Fair. Many of the products I covered came from asking people "What have you seen that's new and worth covering?" Frankly, there weren't that many products that got people excited, but I covered the ones that were mentioned to me, and sought out many more.

[Anderton]

But in this Messe Report it is clear that "friends" of Craig are mentioned as soon as they offer a new or improved product to him, while the "unknown" - who are so clearly visible on the shows floor because they are new - should get at least equal attention from (any) "news" Reporter..right?

I covered MANY companies where I knew no one, had not covered them before, and which do not support Harmony Central in any way. Conversely, many companies that support us heavily are not mentioned in this Messe coverage (e.g., Line 6, QSC, Korg, DigiTech, TC Electronic, etc. etc.).

To me it clear that the companies with the best connection or who support HC with their contributions are getting the most attention every time.

It may be clear to you, but simply stated, you're wrong. In fact, I went out of my way to seek out smaller companies with interesting products. And the other thing is that a lot of people know me. I've been going to the Frankfurt show since the mid-80s, and many of the people I covered I didn't know, but they knew me...hence the "Hi Craig" type of greetings.

The two man guitar company that I mention here is just an example of how Dean has received all the glory, instead of these gifted luthiers...and that's what bothers me bigtime!

I didn't cover Dean, at least not that I know of! Besides, Jon Chappell is the guitar editor and he wasn't at Messe, which is a minor show for us compared to NAMM. I'm more the recording/tech guy, and that's what I know best. I depend on others to tell me what needs to be covered with guitars, and your saying something after the fact doesn't help.

It's too late for this year, but for next year, I urge you to use the 2010 discussion forum, which opens a week before the show, to suggest a list of companies to cover. If companies deserve our support, then they deserve YOUR support...take a pro-active stance instead of just complaining afterward.

Harmony Central is a community, not just one person. I do the best I can, but I do better if I have a little assistance. Mats did a huge amount of coverage at last year's Messe and this year's NAMM. Ask HIM if I instructed him to cover only friends of mine or supporters of Harmony Central. In fact, ask him if I put any constraints on him at all...or on anyone from HC who was at NAMM.

[Mats Nermark]

Mats did a huge amount of coverage at last year's Messe and this year's NAMM. Ask HIM if I instructed him to cover only friends of mine or supporters of Harmony Central. In fact, ask him if I put any constraints on him at all...or on anyone from HC who was at NAMM.

I have to step in here and say that Craig is right. There was no constraints at all. None, what so ever. As a matter of fact I asked Craig before the Frankfurt shoot what guidelines he and/or HC had for and all he said was:
This is your show. You do it your way. And I did, I had fun and people have expressed that they enjoyed the content and the tone of presentation.

We all do our best, we all work overtime to do it but we are not more than human.

I seriously hope to hear your suggestions next time around Fons.

Cheers,

Mats N

[DiscoFreq]

I completely understand that it's too hard to cover all the small companies for a site as HC.

I did that ONLY for guitar effects and I had to run around for 2 days and didn't have a lot of time to try them or to see the scheduled demo's. If you have to cover everything you would need a month to be complete :D

Also I had the impression that there were less sites than usual covering Frankfurt this year, so I'm glad HC was still there :thu:

So if you can find me a sponsor I'll donate my time.
I need one too :D

I hope to go to Winter NAMM one of the next years and maybe Music China too one day, to see all the pedal series that never leave China :)

[Fons]

I covered MANY companies where I knew no one, had not covered them before, and which do not support Harmony Central in any way. Conversely, many companies that support us heavily are not mentioned in this Messe coverage (e.g., Line 6, QSC, Korg, DigiTech, TC Electronic, etc. etc.).

It may be clear to you, but simply stated, you're wrong. In fact, I went out of my way to seek out smaller companies with interesting products. And the other thing is that a lot of people know me. I've been going to the Frankfurt show since the mid-80s, and many of the people I covered I didn't know, but they knew me...hence the "Hi Craig" type of greetings.


I didn't cover Dean, at least not that I know of! Besides, Jon Chappell is the guitar editor and he wasn't at Messe, which is a minor show for us compared to NAMM. I'm more the recording/tech guy, and that's what I know best. I depend on others to tell me what needs to be covered with guitars, and your saying something after the fact doesn't help.

It's too late for this year, but for next year, I urge you to use the 2010 discussion forum, which opens a week before the show, to suggest a list of companies to cover. If companies deserve our support, then they deserve YOUR support...take a pro-active stance instead of just complaining afterward.

Harmony Central is a community, not just one person. I do the best I can, but I do better if I have a little assistance. Mats did a huge amount of coverage at last year's Messe and this year's NAMM. Ask HIM if I instructed him to cover only friends of mine or supporters of Harmony Central. In fact, ask him if I put any constraints on him at all...or on anyone from HC who was at NAMM.

Line 6 wans't there...and I didn't know that Frankfurt for HC is "a minor show for us"... while it is only the biggest show on this planet. That explains something (Dean getting all the credit for an "original design"). But the 2010 discussion forum is a great idea (!), and I will use it. I hope Mr. Jon Chappell will be there when the time comes.
Thanks!

[Anderton]

Line 6 wans't there

Good to know...then I don't have to worry about missing anything they introduced!

...and I didn't know that Frankfurt for HC is "a minor show for us"... while it is only the biggest show on this planet.

By minor I don't mean size, but priorities and return on investment. It's not just the biggest show on the planet but also the most expensive to coverby far, and many of the products were introduced at NAMM so we would have already covered them. As a result, our "big" shows are Winter and Summer NAMM; I'm the only one covering Messe and AES.

But the 2010 discussion forum is a great idea (!), and I will use it. I hope Mr. Jon Chappell will be there when the time comes.

Me too, but it all depends on the budget. If there's a choice between adding features to HC or sending Jon, I'm afraid the features will win :)

Meanwhile, check out the four highlights videos posted in the theater.

[Jon Chappell]

... If there's a choice between adding features to HC or sending Jon, I'm afraid the features will win :)

The story of my life. :rolleyes:

Actually, it may work out, because one of the "earmarks" I snuck into the HC 2.0 spec is the "MTD" (working title) or "moderator teleportation device." I am hopeful. ;)

[puretube]

Some more pix, guitar-effects-oriented here... (http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2289360),

but the biggest for me was this one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v437/latronax/2009_4/hagen1835.jpg