New Hardware from NAMM

[Voltus]

Hey there.
I don't live in the US but I like convention coverage so I stumbled across the future music presentations of some hardware from NAMM. My personal favorite from what I have seen so far is this piece of kit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUe7Sbt53vQ . A frickin audio inteface with a whole bunch of inputs, outputs and even compression and mixing capabilities and it's not too expensive too.

So my question is: What was your favorite piece of hardware presented at NAMM this year and why?

[SineRider]

There was lots of awesome eurorack stuff this year, probably too much to mention

The one thing I know I want for sure is Korg's SQ-1 sequencer

[SineRider]

At 1/27/15 01:45 PM, Lich wrote: The presentation video's were pretty bad though in general. Had to look up independent video's for most of them to get a better feel as to what stuff truly sounds like & functions.

and the funniest presentation video goes to Akai

[Voltus]

At 1/27/15 01:03 PM, SineRider wrote: There was lots of awesome eurorack stuff this year, probably too much to mention

The one thing I know I want for sure is Korg's SQ-1 sequencer

cool! I saw this waldorf nW1 module if we're talking modular here: http://www.waldorf-music.info/nw1-overview

www.waldorf-music.info/images/stories/nw1/nw_1_front.jpg

At 1/27/15 01:45 PM, Lich wrote: NW1 Rack and Prophet-6 (I want them now!).

the prophet looks really nice too I agree!

[Voltus]

At 1/27/15 01:50 PM, SineRider wrote:

At 1/27/15 01:45 PM, Lich wrote: The presentation video's were pretty bad though in general. Had to look up independent video's for most of them to get a better feel as to what stuff truly sounds like & functions.

and the funniest presentation video goes to Akai

what is akai thinking xD those boxes dont even sound anywhere near as good as other synths in that category!

[Voltus]

At 1/27/15 02:08 PM, Lich wrote:

At 1/27/15 01:50 PM, SineRider wrote:
and the funniest presentation video goes to Akai

Nah, that award should go to the JD-Xi Presentation by Sonicstate

This fellow chap seems to be high, incapable of actually understanding how the damn synth works or even both! Just wow.

the jd-xi at least sounds like something and not totally shitty :D

[BrentHeMan]

I REALLY want one of the new Variax Standard guitars made by Line 6 / Yamaha. I've had several Variax guitars and they are garbage at the $1K+ price point imo. They feel like $200 guitars if that. I'm hoping this new batch of Yamaha made guitars are better built, plus they are only $799.

[Voltus]

At 1/30/15 08:48 PM, BrenTheMan wrote: I REALLY want one of the new Variax Standard guitars made by Line 6 / Yamaha. I've had several Variax guitars and they are garbage at the $1K+ price point imo. They feel like $200 guitars if that. I'm hoping this new batch of Yamaha made guitars are better built, plus they are only $799.

what's special about these guitars?

[Voltus]

At 1/30/15 11:30 PM, dem0lecule wrote: The ProMars CompuPhonic Plug-Out is amazing. Roland is getting back in the game.

I don't really get behind the plug-out series. If I want to "plug-out" I'd just get an analouge synth probably ;) but that's personal preference I guess.

[BrentHeMan]

At 1/31/15 06:34 AM, Voltus wrote: what's special about these guitars?

Oh man, they are awesome. They are modeling guitars. The new line of Variaxes have real pickups, so they are real guitars and work like any other (the pups are shit imo mostly there for looks). BUT they also have Piezo pickups in the bridge which feed into modeling electronics. You can flip a switch and go from a Fender sound, to a Gibson Les Paul, to a Dobro, to a 12-string acoustic and the sounds are VERY realistic.

Pair that with a POD floor pedal, and you can set up your patches to model a certain amp, a certain guitar, and you can even adjust tuning up or down one full octave per patch. For example, I could have a patch with a clean acoustic for a song intro and then another patch with an overdriven Fender. Some bands have multiple tunings and guitar models PER song even.

Here is a good demo of the newest models coming out. The electronics are the same, but the guitars are now made by Yamaha which bought Line 6 a while back.

[Voltus]

At 2/1/15 09:14 AM, Lich wrote:
The JD-Xi certainly has the ability to make some absolutely beautiful sounds if the patches are designed correctly, I'm just more worried about the people Roland get to demonstrate their Hardwear with haha.

yeah he is definitely a looker :D don't give him such a hard time, he's just so excited about his product haha

[Voltus]

At 2/1/15 09:24 AM, Lich wrote:
Maybe a little bit tooooooooooooo excited. I'm getting eye problems keeping up with him in the video!

time is money you know? :D