(EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE) — Anaheim, CA — Thursday, January 25th, 2024 — The Experience Magazine recently stopped by The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) as it held its renowned annual trade show in Anaheim, California. This event brings together musicians, industry professionals, and music enthusiasts from all over the world to showcase the latest innovations and trends in the music industry.
We went to check out what was new in the world of electronic music production. The big unveil at NAMM 2024 this year was the Korg Opsix MK II Altered FM Synthesizer. It has 64 voice polyphony and a 16 step pattern sequencer. This thing is incredible. They’ve done a good job arranging knobs and faders. Its priced at $987. It promises unparalleled sound with six operating modes and analog style filters. This is an amazing synthesizer. Korg continues to unveil amazing products at NAMM.
Korg unveiled the MicroKorg 2. A lot like the legendary MicroKorg but with upgrades. The Korg MicroKorg 2 is a main stay in studios for more than 20 years. The new updates included a new screen. There’s a redesign of the interface and more vocal processing capabilities. There’s an improved vocoder on this one, it’s set to launch in June 2024.
One more from Korg at NAMM 2024 was the Nu: Tek NTS-1. This is a small build your own synthesizer that has effects and whose engine lets you custom load oscillators. It’s compatible with quick prologue and mini log. It’s really unique and has a different sort of look.
Also from Korg was the King Korg Neo. This is a compact 37 key unit with a powerful XMT sound engine. There’s oscillators, algorithms and filters. It has a 16 band filter with 200 preset programs and three master effect slots. Its updated and modern. The presets are really cool. It retails at $990.00.
An item that looked like a lot of fun from Korg is the Nu:Tekt NTS-3 KAOSS Pad DIY Kit. It lets you build your own version of the exciting and popular XYY pad style chaos pad. This is a touch pad effect unit. It features XY touchpads, effects filters, compressors, delays, and modulators. You can stack effects simultaneously (cool) and control the parameters via touch. It’s really cool. It retailed for $169.99. There were several products at NAMM 2024 that were electronic devices that could be customised by the performer without having to resolder. It’s really cool. These are cutting edge pieces of equipment.
We got a chance to catch some of the performances on the outdoor stages. We saw bluegrass and soul music as well as latin jazz on the main stage out front. The weather was perfect. Everyone I know agreed that this was a really good NAMM. It was really special this year. Stevie Wonder was at NAMM on Saturday. Of course, any keyboard or synthesizer that he plays is going to sound good. Everybody loves to hear him play.
NAMM is renowned for creating networking opportunities for musicians, industry professionals, and enthusiasts. This year was no exception. There were world famous musicians and people looking to connect with instrument manufacturers. NAMM is a great place to connect with people.
The K.O. II 64MB Sampler Composer was a lot of fun. This is from Teenage Engineering. You either get it or you don’t. I personally love Teenage Engineering. The question is always: is it a calculator or an instrument? I’m not sure but it’s a lot of fun. It’s called the EP-133 K.O. II. It’s a powerful sampler, sequencer and composer. It has pressure sensitive pads which is super nice and the sampler is easy to use. You can easily create a lot of different sounds. This is a fun grooovebox. It retails for $299.00.
At NAMM 2024, we saw keyboards, synthesizers, compact MIDI controllers to high-end digital pianos. All were on display, and available for playing. Each new product provided a glimpse into the new equipment and advancements in electronic music.
For synthesizer enthusiasts, the Super Critical Red Shift 6 launched its first-ever desktop synth. DJs and producers were interested in this one. This is a Variable Character Desktop Synthesizer. It retails for $1,349.99 and boy is it fun. This synth can morph from vintage sounds to modern. They have taken their Demon Core Oscillator and mixed it with a shapeshifting Neutron Flux Filter. It’s a lot of fun. Top tweakabilty.
The Mini Moog Model D, Moog’s legendary analogue keyboard, continued to impress with its old-school basics. Originally released in 1970, this all anologue synthesizer served as a blueprint for all synths that would follow. There is currently a return of this legendary synth. People want an original and the vintage ones just won’t do. These synths are legendary. It is unique and iconic.
The Boss VE-22 Vocal Performer Effects Processor was unveiled at NAMM 2024. This is a great vocal processor with features like auto tune. Fun for karaoke or singing in a lounge. The Boss VE-22 Vocal Performer caught the eye of many vocalists. It offers a range of effects like pitch correction, harmonizers, and loopers.
The Mackie MobileMix is a small audio mixer that was debuted at NAMM 2024. The Mackie MobileMix has brought the legendary Mackie sound to smartphones, PAs, and full-frame cameras, providing convenience and quality audio. Mackie makes the best sound audio equipment and have a super clean sound with tons of bass.
Martin Guitars had a huge presence at NAMM 2024 and the Martin lounge area was packed with some serious guitar pickers. Martin was showcasing their guitars, guitar accessories, strings, cases, and straps. Experts from the company were on hand to provide insights into the craftsmanship and care that goes into creating each Martin guitar. The people at Martin are so cool and you never know who is picking up an acoustic guitar there. All kinds of folks. Martin guitars offered a series of workshops, demonstrations, and performances. Visitors had the opportunity to experience the distinct tonal characteristics and playability that Martin guitars are known for.
For over 185 years, Martin Guitars has been synonymous with exceptional craftsmanship, tone, and playability. At NAMM 2024, Martin Guitars took center stage, showcasing their latest innovations and classic models loved by guitarists worldwide. Visitors had the opportunity to experience the distinct tonal characteristics and playability that Martin Guitars are known for. I really liked the OM Biosphere, the 000-16 Streetmaster, and the T1 Streetmaster Uke. The Martin area showcased performances, workshops, and demonstrations by world-renowned musicians. The Martin Guitars lounge area was particularly popular, attracting guitar players from all over the world.
Turkish Cymbals also made waves with their modern and ever-changing line of cymbals called Lava.
NAMM 2024 was a lot of fun. It was thrill seeing the latest advancements in music technology. We look forward to next year’s NAMM!
