Simply as we thought the recognition for the NAMM Present – one of many world’s largest music tech commerce reveals that’s been going since 1901 – was beginning to dwindle, 2024’s winter version swiftly turned some of the thrilling but. Going down final week in Anaheim, California, manufacturers akin to Korg, Yamaha and Suzuki shocked us with a heft of modern new gear releases, reigniting pleasure for what will probably be one other thrilling 12 months for brand new music gear.
The staff right here at MusicTech have been there in particular person on the present flooring to study extra about and to have a play on all of those new items of drugs. Right here’s our checklist of the highest 10 music tech releases that happened at NAMM over the weekend:
The MicroKORG makes a macro return
There’s not a lot argument available about it: Korg stole the present this 12 months at NAMM. We noticed an up to date Opsix MKII, new Nu:Tekt additions, a enjoyable new transportable document participant within the type of the Helpful Traxx Play. The brand new Grandstage X electrical piano was a giant deal and, in fact, there was additionally the re-issue of the traditional PS-3300 synth.
The headline act, nevertheless, needed to be the genuinely sudden return of the microKORG, a vastly standard synth/vocoder that was initially launched in 2002. The brand new microKORG 2 “isn’t just a brand new instrument; it’s a brand new chapter in synth historical past,” says the model in a daring assertion.
Learn extra in regards to the microKORG 2.
The primary new Omnichord in 26 years arrives
Ever since Gorillaz’s frontman Damon Albarn revealed that the principle physique of Clint Eastwood was an unedited preset from the Omnichord, Suzuki’s retro strummable synth has been on the lips of drugs nerds worldwide. At NAMM, it made a long-awaited comeback with the discharge of the brand new Omnichord OM-108, set to commemorate 70 years of Suzuki Musical Devices. It has all of the character of an old-fashioned Omnichord however with new presets for contemporary genres akin to entice and an expanded chord pallet from 84 chords to 108.
Learn extra in regards to the Omnichord OM-108.
Yamaha goes transportable with its SEQTRACK creation station
When Yamaha unveiled its new SEQTRACK, a conveyable all-in-one creation station, simply earlier than NAMM, it the headliner of the commerce present. In some ways, asides from the rehashing of traditional standard synths, it did.
Taking inspiration – we expect it’s honest to say – from Teenage Engineering’s OP-1, the SEQTRACK is a small unit that packs in a drum machine, a sampler/synth and a modulation station so you’ll be able to create a complete monitor within the palm of your hand. No, it’s not a giant heavy analogue synth, neither is it a blast from the previous. What it may very well be, nevertheless, is a nod in the direction of a way forward for extra transportable, accessible music creation.
Learn extra in regards to the Yamaha SEQTRACK.
AlphaTheta makes a splash with two merchandise for on-the-move DJing
One other juicy takeaway from final week’s NAMM Present is that AlphaTheta, the guardian firm that owns Pioneer DJ, launched two merchandise. It additionally introduced it will be retiring the Pioneer DJ identify for future merchandise, merely going with AlphaTheta from right here on out. How big is that?!
With massive sneakers to fill, it did so in fashion with its ultra-portable DJ setup, consisting of the Omnis-Duo, a denim blue all-in-one DJ system, and Wave-Eight, a Bluetooth speaker that caters for DJs and works seamlessly with the Omnis-Duo.
Learn extra in regards to the Omnis-Duo and Wave-Eight.
PWM provides us Mantis, a brand new synth constructed with synth legend Chris Huggett
British synth maker PWM launched the Mantis, a duophonic hybrid-analogue keyboard synthesizer, in collaboration with the late synth pioneer Chris Huggett. Impressed by Huggett’s Wasp and OSCar synths, the Mantis options digital oscillators and an analogue sign path.
It was initially teased at Superbooth, and provides two oscillators and a sub-oscillator per voice, analogue filters, LFOs, envelopes, and modulation routes. Extra options embody an arpeggiator, digital results, USB MIDI management, and a 37-note semi-weighted keyboard with aftertouch and velocity.
Learn extra in regards to the PWM Mantis.
Audient reveals ORIA, an audio interface tailor-made to immersive mixing
Extra listeners as of late predict to be supplied the chance to hearken to their music in spatial audio. Heck, Apple Music even just lately mentioned it will pay artists who blended in spatial audio 10 per cent extra in royalties.
That’s why when Audient launched ORIA, an all-in-one interface and monitor controller designed particularly for multi-speaker arrays, it actually bought us excited. That’s as a result of it provides but extra producers and engineers the instruments to combine music on this manner and sustain with a rising pattern. They’ll additionally achieve this for lots cheaper now, due to ORIA, because it is available in at round $3k.
Learn extra in regards to the Audient ORIA.
Heritage Audio’s i73 PRO I/O vary makes “the golden period of recording accessible to everybody”
Heritage Audio’s new household of audio interfaces, the i73 PRO ONE, i73 PRO 2, and i73 PRO EDGE, actually sparked main curiosity at NAMM, because the model promised to make “the golden period of recording accessible to everybody”. How? Every interface options built-in Class A 73-style preamps, which is a primary for USB-C interfaces. They offer you various enter choices and analogue heat paying homage to the early Nineteen Seventies, which is actually an thrilling innovation.
Learn extra in regards to the Heritage i73 PRO vary.
Dubreq’s CPM DS-2 is modulation mayhem
Dubreq launched its up to date Theremin just lately, which was superior. We have been most , although, within the Stylophone CPM DS-2 (CPM that means ‘compact, transportable, modular’).
Key options of this small synth embody two analogue oscillators, sub-oscillators, and filters, with pitch linking and arduous sync choices. The sturdy LFO part provides 14 waveforms, classic modulated delay, and eight reverb algorithms. Extra options embody built-in speaker, stereo outputs, modular patch factors, and Eurorack compatibility.
Learn extra in regards to the Dubreq CPM DS-2.
Korg takes the Opsix up a stage with its MKII mannequin
Korg delivered yet one more new synth within the type of the Opsix MKII at NAMM. It builds on its predecessor with expanded sound elements and 30 high-definition results. With polyphony elevated to 64 voices and a 16-step sample sequencer, customers can create intricate soundscapes.
Learn extra in regards to the Korg Opsix MKII.
New Finnish model Supercritical unveils a shocking desktop synth, Redshift 6
Supercritical, a brand new synth identify from Finland, seemed to make a scene at NAMM with its lovely Redshift 6. The synth provides a flexible sound palette, from heat analogue tones to digital cleans and chaotic distortion. That includes an analogue four-pole state variable filter and trendy synth options like modulators, versatile routing, MPE, and DSP results, Redshift 6 is described as a “Variable Character Synthesizer.”
Learn extra in regards to the Supercritical Redshift 6.