THE LITTLE SHOW THAT COULD
Sep 1, 2005 12:00 PM
It just wouldn't be summer without a trip to the middle of the country for the annual Summer NAMM convention. But for the first time, this year's show was held in Indianapolis. Although not as big as the winter version, the summer session included a number of innovative releases. Here's what shined:
Numark managed to beat everyone to the punch with the debut of the new iDJ, a unit that essentially turns two Apple iPods (standard or Mini) into a portable DJ rig complete with channel faders, 3-band EQ on each channel, a crossfader, a play/pause button and more. For guitar players, Waves (and development partner Paul Reed Smith Guitars) showed off its new GTR package. This new product includes a software suite (in both native and TDM versions) of amp, speaker and stompbox effect models as well as the Waves/PRS Guitar Interface. Roland lifted the curtain on the new SP-404 sampler, which includes 12 pads, a built-in microphone, expanded sampling time, 29 effects and more. Moog has answered the prayers of many by finally making another analog delay; the new Moogerfooger MF-104Z Analog Delay is set for release later in the year. M-Audio is managing to keep portable interfaces, well, portable, with its new Fast Track Pro audio/MIDI USB interface; the unit features 24-bit, 96kHz resolution and near-zero-latency hardware monitoring. DigiTech delivered the JamMan Looper/Phrase Sampler effects unit. Housed in a stompbox-style chassis, the JamMan delivers more than six hours of CD-quality loops and samples. And for your field-recording needs, Sony debuted its new line of portable Hi-MD recorders. These new recorders use the new Hi-MD MiniDisc format, which offers as much as 34 hours (1 GB) of recording time on inexpensive, rewritable discs. For more information about the NAMM show, visit www.namm.com.
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