BEERS, STEERS AND PRODUCTION GEAR
Sep 1, 2004 12:00 PM
The audio industry loves to foster that whole fish-out-of-water feeling as often as possible. And only at the annual Summer NAMM convention in Nashville can you find pasty-skinned German synth manufacturers, a mom-and-pop banjo-string company and some kid with a glow stick spinning decade-old house anthems under the same roof. And the after-hours gatherings include such a bizarre collection of characters that it defies description — think about that cantina scene in Star Wars, and you're getting warm. But aside from the obvious coastal/heartland culture clash, the convention featured enough cool gear to the make the trip worth it. Here are some of the highlights:
The obvious big-banner item was the release of Ableton Live 4, which, among a host of other new features, now includes MIDI sequencing, new virtual instruments and enhanced routing capabilities. Alesis showed off some new controller keyboards, the Photon 25 and the Photon 25X. Both are two-octave USB keyboards, and the 25X adds audio I/O and an AirFX-style controller. Roland debuted the new Juno-D synth and the SP-606 Sampling Workstation. PreSonus brought out the new Firepod, a 10-I/O FireWire recording system that ships with Steinberg Cubase LE. Alienware made an impact with its custom-built, PC-based Ozma digital audio workstations, and Edirol rolled out the ultraslim PCR-M1 MIDI keyboard controller. Samson showed off the affordably priced Rubicon 5A and 6A ribbon-based powered monitors, and M-Audio unveiled its new DX4 minimonitors. Waves released V5 — the newest version of its entire product line — which brings the company up-to-date with the latest generation of processors and OS revisions. Discrete Drums brought out the new Earthbeat Series Three, an eight-CD set of multitrack drum performances. And Tascam is now shipping Gigastudio 3.
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