NAMM 2016: Cutting Edge Technology influencing the future of the music industry

Michael Hepworth

 

 

31^st Annual NAMM Show 2016

 

 

By Peter Peterson

 

NAMM Show Highlights

Merging Technology  The Cutting Edge NAMM 2016 

Anaheim Convention Center, CA (Perfect Music Today) 01/25/16 —With over 5000 exhibitors it was a media challenge to visit all of them. The companies and products below are what will be a part of influencing the future of the music industry.

Willcox Guitars were started by the passion of Christopher Willcox. In the 1970’s Christopher was an apprentice luthier in New Jersey and eventually became a custom builder. After moving to California he opened his first guitar shop in 1980. By 1998 after 18 long years Christopher and his staff created the first prototype of his optical pick up system.

This unique system uses infrared light to pick up string vibration as opposed to the traditional coil or piezo pickups. There is no noise or hum that traditional pickups produce. But what you do get is a clean studio quality sound. Each string has its own optical pick up so there is no crossover interference. The optical pickups allow for powerful sound and a longer sustain.

In 1998 Willcox reincorporated under Light Wave Systems. Using his luthier skills he started to build his own brand of guitars and bass’s which allowed him to create the purist of body design to support and incorporate into his own industry -changing system. Aside from the incredible response and sound these guitars produce they are a work of art. Meticulous construction and exotic woods make for a truly pure sounding guitar. Check them out willcoxguitars.com.

Memories of NAMM 2016

I always enjoy going to the NAMM show every year so here are some highlights and companies from the 2016 show.

Monster Cable – Remember the classic 1980’s boom box? You know the one, cassette player, stereo speakers, bass boost button. I remember mine. Well, Monster Cable is going to release an updated version of the classic 80’s Boom Box. I was able to see a pre-release of their new “Superstar Blaster.” It features V-shaped directional speakers and a full powered sub that has modes for indoor and outdoor use. The Superstar Blaster inputs include a USB input and is blue tooth compatible. The unit sounds excellent and has a very dynamic 360° surround sound feature. The rechargeable battery is good for about eight hours at 50% volume. Monster says the approximate price will be around $350 due to be released in April of this year.

Monster Cable also released their new collection of over the ear headphones. These new headphones are very durable and available in assorted colors. The headphones have memory foam that surrounds your ears to comfortably block out noise. This is great when you’re wearing your headphones for extended periods of time. The ear phones can also fold out in case you want to hear them without putting them on your ears. They are Bluetooth compatible and feature USB audio. An interesting note, Monster actually developed and produced the Beats product line for Dr. Dre. Monster and Dre had a five-year contract and when the contract ended they went their own separate ways. Now Beats has their own product line and Monster continues to raise the bar with headphone technology. The approximate prices on these headphones are $350 again available in March 2016.

Another new item would be the cool looking USB phone charger cords. They are available in an assortment of colors and utilize the cabling technology that Monster’s been so famous for. These cords range from $40-$70 available locally at Target or Walmart. Check them out at monsterproducts.com.

As you walk around the NAMM show you get to see some moments that are unrehearsed and spontaneous. I completely stumbled upon a 13 year old drummer at the Liberty Drum booth (which won best snare drum at the show) named Paul Smith. I just got a sample of his talent, but WOW. Paul and his father were very pleasant and I hope to see this kid down the road.

 

Fishman Amps are continuing to promote their “Fluence” line of pickups. Which they should because they are awesome! Fishman has “unwound” the traditional pickup and completely redesigned it using their proprietary coil design. Fluence pickups are free from hum, noise, and frustrating issues that plague even the best wire-wound pickups. I was able to play a Fender Telecaster with the new Fluence pickups and there is an immediate sound difference. Powerful and dynamic the pickups start at $110.00. I will put this on my toy list. Check them out at fishman.com.

The Kadabra is a wireless wooden instrument with hi-end electronics, smart algorithms, and a unique ergonomic design. To sum it up, this is a synthesizer instrument that is completely unique to the industry. It is created with the ancient walking stick in mind and fashioned out of wood and has several heavy duty control buttons. The Kadabra has a series of coils on the lower end of the instrument that control the tone effects. The buttons on top set the key and effects. As you touch the lower coils they alter the sound produced. You can also change the pitch by simply changing what direction you hold the Kadabra. . It is motion censored so horizontal and vertical movements will produce unique tones on top of what you are currently playing. The Kadabra has a sequencer, a looper, and an aggregator. The shape wraps around your body which was initially inspired by the developer’s wife whom is an international dancer. It is a beautiful instrument that has tremendous sound capabilities. The Kadabra will be released to the public mid-summer. Average prices will be around $2000.00. Look for this instrument on the stage soon.

In fact, when my co-worker stopped by the booth a gentleman picked up the Kadabra and played the hell out of it! Turned out it was Jordan Rudess, the keyboardist from Dream Theater. His friend said that Jordan could play anything! It was an honor to meet him and the very informative guys from Tribal Tools. Check them out at Tribal-tools.com.

In my NAMM travels one of the best experiences is to meet people from all over the world. I got to meet Mark who’s the owner of Pee Wee the three-legged Chihuahua. Pee Wee is a therapy dog that has only three legs. Mark and Pee Wee attend various shows and events to cheer up the crowds. Pee Wee had several people getting cheered up! I included a picture just because the dog was so cute and I hope you enjoy! Mark says to check out Pee Wee on Youtube.

RJ Guitars have been built in the Philippines since 1988. Their new guitar is called the “Super Vintage.” This electric guitar can actually emulate five other guitars. The designer Raymond Jacinto II was tired of having to change guitars during his shows. As a result, RJ Guitars has created a very versatile guitar that utilizes the RJ Mystique pickups that can be switched using the exclusive RJ Intelliswitch group to change the style of guitar. The RJ Intelliswitch’s can program the guitar to emulate a Fender Telecaster, Stratocaster and Jazzmaster or Gibson Les Paul and ES-335 without having to change guitars during a show. The RJ Intelliswitch’s and custom wound RJ Mystique pickups package maintain pure tone while offering incredibly powerful output.

RJ Guitars created these unique pickups from the ground up allowing for versatility to switch between the different and the various guitar modes. The other beautiful thing about these guitars is they use exclusive Mango Woods out of the Philippines. Check them out at rjguitars.ph.

I ran across a gentleman named Billy Cannon Eckelberry who lost his legs during the Vietnam War. He is in a wheelchair but he created a drum set in front of his wheelchair. Very cool! He is part of a Ronnie James Dio tribute band group. His outfit is called the OC Metal Shop. They are from Orange County, CA. Check them out on Youtube.

Another band that I crossed path with was called Danyavaad. They perform a kind of Middle Eastern rock style. They have a very impressive and unique sound. They dress in Moroccan style outfits and play hand drums, lutes, and bells. They play with the Shimmy Sisters whom are an established group of belly dancers and fire entertainers. This group would do well with the Kadabra. Look for Danyavaad on Youtube also.

Then I met a gentleman named Frank from a band called “Handsome Karnivore.” They started in New Jersey and eventually moved to California. They are working on their second album and I asked him to describe their band style. Franks says it’s “The Doors meets Black Sabbath at Neil Young concert!” I haven’t heard of them but they sound interesting. Frank said the second album has a variety of instruments, unique guitars, and glockenspiel’s. They will be appearing at the Whiskey in LA in February. Look them up on Youtube.

I have to give a shout out to Cory Reed. She is one of the hosts at the TEC awards. An award show dedicated to the pro-audio section of the industry. I was waiting to meet a friend after the show ended and it ran a little late. I was walking around the exit and Cory approached me and asked if she could help me. I explained that I’m meeting a gentleman here, he’s a writer, and immediately I didn’t say one other word and she asks does he have a hat on and a Hawaiian shirt. I said “yes that’s the guy.” Amazing, of all the people she interacts with, she was able to identify my friend. We had a good laugh together, and I thanked her for that. Thanks Cory you made my night!

AERODRUMS

For me one of the best exhibitors at the NAMM show was the Aerodrums booth. These drums will be a part of music’s future. This is basically a kitless drum set that you play through virtual reality. The Aerodrums kit will sell for around $199.00. You have to purchase a game station 3 camera if the kit does not come with one. They run about $10 on Amazon. Aside from a computer this will be the only item you will need. The product comes with drumsticks, foot reflectors, safety glasses, and the optical light that controls your motions. Once you download the software and get set up the Aerodrums allows you to play a regular drum kit. What’s great about this is you can build your own virtual drum kit. If you want a drum kit like Charlie Watts of the Stones go ahead and knock yourself out and build it!

Aerodrums is dedicated to continually providing software updates to improve the experience. I am playing with the stock drum kit now but I’m going to explore adding some more percussion items. I’m going to continue to write about Aerodrums as this product will be a part of the future of drumming. Aerodrums is compatible with the Oculus VR goggles and I was able to play the Aerodrums with the goggles. The Oculus goggles provide a complete sensory immersion which was great! I felt like I had my kit right in front of me. It would be a cool feature to have different backgrounds. I prefer the classic garage background. The Oculus VR total immersion goggles will cost and additional $699.00. Well worth it. The release date of this will probably in late February. The developers Yann Morvan and Richard Lee got their PH.D’s at Trinity College’s Dublin Vision and Visualization lab.

Jan Morgan and Richard Lee are the developers of Aerodrums , an air drumming musical instrument which utilizes motion capture technology to create a fully functional customizable drum set. The Oculus VR upgrade will allow the user to see the drum set as they the play drums. The virtual drum set works via smaller elective balls placed at the end of drumsticks and reflective strips on the user’s feet and a PS3 high-speed camera. The light sensor tracks the drummers hand and foot movements converting it into a quality drum sound. The user then can customize the drum set to allow for their preference of drum set up. In addition, they can use Aerodrums media capability interface with other MIDI hardware. The Oculus VR is a virtual-reality head mounted display developed by Oculus Rift. Aerodrums is compatible with the VR headset and displays a fully immersive 3-D experience. It makes you feel like you’re actually behind a traditional drum kit. The Oculus VR tracking capability takes into account the drummer’s head position when rendering both visuals and the audio. Aerodrums allows the player to perform dynamic techniques seemingly impossible in air drumming. Such as double stroke rules, open and close hi hat symbol, and fills are easily played with Aerodrums. With virtually no latency, drummers can also navigate this software’s user interface using the drumsticks. Aerodrums system is as intuitive as air drumming and uses the same coordination skills the player would need on a real kit. Aerodrums are incredibly dynamic sensing the velocity of the drummer’s motion allowing the player to hit the drum softly or loudly. Aerodrums are intended for as an alternative for drummers who lack space for acoustic or electric drum sets as well as for drummers that don’t want to annoy their neighbors or even a perfect starter kit for young aspiring drummers who may have difficulty convincing their parents to commit to buying a drum set. Aerodrums continually provides upgrades to their software at no cost. Follow this product!. Check them out at aerodrums.com.

The Duallist – Kevin Mackey from Scotland, a very funny guy, came over to the NAMM show with some of his products and ended up winning “Best in Show” for two of those products. Kevin had no idea he had won and found out while working his booth. He was completely blindsided for winning these awards.

The first product is a multi-pedal foot control called “The Duallist D Series.” I was able to test drive this pedal while at the show and I was so impressed by the smooth action. This pedal enables you to play fast bass drum rolls as well as using the left foot to punctuate the right foot rhythm. The right foot can also play single pedal patterns with just one beater and then slide the switch on the footboard and kick into double mode for great double beater patterns – all with one foot.

The other award winning product is a snare drum trainer. Basically this is a cage that fits over a standard snare drum and forces the drummer to create a proper snare drumming stance guiding the sticks where they should be and training the hands to be in the right place to get a proper snare tap. You can also play this with practice pads so you can mute it or you can take the practice pad off in that same training cage you can hit the actual snare drum. There are different slots to put your sticks in for your particular style but it does condition the hands and the arms to play at that exact angle to keep your snare drumming accurate and crisp.

If Kevin goes to the 2017 NAMM show be sure to stop by and speak with him. He is really funny. Congrats Kevin, I look forward to your next line of products. Check him out at theduallist.com.

With the comeback of vinyl, Vinyl Recorder has actually come out with a machine that will cut your own vinyl records. Based on your input you can create your own song list and put it into the computer and create your own vinyl record. This machine looks intimidating, but I spoke with the company’s spokesperson Yorick and he says once the machine is set up it’s pretty easy to use. This unit is not something you buy the kids for Christmas, but it would be great for special events, business meetings and music get-togethers. Just imagine, here’s my playlist, now cut me my vinyl record.

Vinyl Recorder is working out all the rough edges to make this machine much more streamlined and effective. But as you can see by the picture it does look pretty complex. It is absolutely amazing that we now have the ability to cut our own vinyl records. Vinyl Recorder also offers customizable printed labels and album jackets. Price is around $4000.00. Check these guys out at livevinylrecords.com.

The 31^st annual NAMM show is now over. All the products that were displayed and introduced at this show will now be showing up at your favorite music stores nationwide. Support your local music programs. All these products will continue to shape the future of music. Until NAMM Show 2017, peace out!