The 2010 NAMM Show

Mic check one two, one two. Yo turn my headphones up! Each year, the National Association of Music Merchants throws an industry-wide trade show located at the massive Anaheim Convention Center. If you’ve never had the chance to visit the NAMM Show, it’s a musician’s (and engineers) paradise, with thousands of exhibitors, live product demos, super fresh jam sessions, and celebrity appearances galore!

Themed “Get Ready,” the trade show offered attendees the opportunity to reunite with industry peers, learn the latest business and marketing tactics and trends at daily NAMM University sessions, and ultimately make their biggest business deals for the year ahead. The trade show is only open to industry members and their invited guests, and draws the convention center’s highest annual attendance.  Last year, NAMM reported a total of 85,799 of registrants, including 1,505 exhibitors. This year, NAMM reported 87,569 registrants, a 2 percent increase from last year.

This year I was part of that 2% increase thanks to my good friends at Odyssey and this is my tasty NAMM experience all wrapped up like a spicy scallop hand roll.

“The 2010 NAMM Show is the go-to event of the year for serious music and sound product professionals from around the globe,” said NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. “They will benefit from their NAMM Show experience by networking with their peers, getting the first look at the best new products for the year ahead, and by experiencing the music, concerts and parties that set NAMM apart from every other show in the world.”

The trade-only event features more than 1,500 manufacturers’ exhibits with many product launches that gather crowds to see the newest, most innovative products from all musical categories.

“This year’s NAMM Show marks a critical turning point for the international music products industry,” said NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond. “A strong NAMM Show signals the beginning of a comeback with buyers returning to their hometowns with renewed energy, passion and hope for a strong 2010, and exhibitors enjoying strong floor traffic and sales as they introduced hundreds of new and innovative products to the market.”

There were high-energy events featuring Quincy Jones and Yoko Ono, who spoke on behalf of the importance of music education for children.

The 2010 NAMM Show will draw nearly 1,500 exhibiting companies, and is expected to generate more than $70 million for the Orange County business community.  Speaking of 1,500 exhibiting companies, let’s get to the good stuff.  So this was my first year attending the NAMM Show in person and for an audio gear fanatic like myself it was (at first)  a little overwhelming. It was like the feeling I had when I was a little kid at Toy’s ‘R’ Us. There is so much good stuff that your brain is being pulled in 20 different directions. Here are a few pieces of kit that really caught my attention.

Access Virus OS 4 Announced
Access announced the next operating system for the entire Virus TI series of synthesizers.

Six meticulously modeled overdrive stomp boxes greatly complement with the existing arsenal of distortion algorithms in the effect section.

The new speaker cabinet emulation is a fantastic and easy-to-use toolkit to add further character; especially to roaring acid lead and sync sounds. You like retro style? Our new Vowel filter will be your best friend, offering a sonic pallet from Talk Box to WahWah sounds.
The Comb filter puts the metallic shine on your patches known from many glitch and progressive tracks. And The new arpeggiator allows you to modulate any of the parameters available to the modulation matrix.

OS4 will become available shorty and is a free update for all Virus TI users.

Overdrive Stomp Boxes

OS4 for the entire Virus TI line of synthesizers brings 6 more distortion flavors to the table, modeled on vintage guitar distortion pedals. Every one of these classic pedals is famous for its distinctive character and has been exploited by some of the greatest guitar heroes of all time. The virtual stomp boxes feature carefully modeled distortion curves and tonal characteristics and include tone controls where appropriate.

Mint Overdrive – The sound of this one just screams tubes – a very special kind of overdrive which results in a wonderful smokey tone. Good for achieving a subtle distortion effect whilst still retaining headroom for dynamics.
Curry Overdrive – A more extreme distortion, like in the original, this does not feature a Tone control.
Saffron Overdrive - The ʻorangeʼ one. A very harsh distortion, popular with the grunge movement.
Onion Overdrive – A big distortion effect famous for its fuzzy character.
Pepper Overdrive - A clear, powerful distortion thatʼs perfect for making leads cut right through the mix. Tone control to soften sound with a lowpass filter.
Chili Overdrive - A classic “fuzzbox” overdrive. No tone control, just in-your-face fuzz.

In this video Ben Crosland explains some of the new features!

The SSL X-Patch
Next on the list is this nice little invention from Solid State Logic. The SSL X-Patch

ACHIEVE PLUG-IN STYLE FLEXIBILITY USING ANALOGUE PROCESSORS WITH NEW SSL X-PATCH

LOS ANGELES — Solid State Logic, the world’s leading manufacturer of professional digital and analogue consoles, is proud to announce the release of X-Patch at the 2010 Winter NAMM Convention, Booth 6907 at the Anaheim Convention Center from January 14th to 17th.

Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5017
This little beauty is the new Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5017. Teh mini hotness!
Features :
• DI box / Mic Pre / Compressor
• Variphase, Silk, Blend and two channel operation
• desktop unit

It’s looks so cute and tidy I just might have to add this to my studio!

ok moving on, we have the super dope Korg Kaossilator Pro ! Slide ya fizzle for the shizzle!




I think we can all agree that KaossPads in any shape or form are hella tight!

Now for those of you who have an audio interface with an open ADAT port this next unit is a surefire way to expand your I/O capabilities. The Focusrite OctoPre MkII DYNAMIC features eight channels of Focusrite’s legendary mic preamplification, with new, single-dial, VCA-based compressors derived from the classic Focusrite Red 3 on every channel.

On-board digital converters, with state-of-the-art clocking and jitter-elimination technology, enable you to stream eight channels of 24-bit/96kHz digital audio to and from an ADAT-equipped computer workstation or hard disk recorder. This makes it the perfect addition to your project studio setup or live recording rig, including those running Pro Tools M-Powered, LE and HD, as well as the likes of Logic, Cubase, Sonar and Digital Performer.

Those are a few of the goodies that really caught my attention. My first NAMM experience was amazing to say the least. I’m always amazed at the new technology that comes out every year. Music production and recording technology has come a long way and I can wait to see what the future holds.

Keep it Icy!

Odyssey :: Leading Through Innovation

Odyssey Innovative Designs is an industry-leading design and manufacturer of professional mobile accessory solutions for the DJ, musical instruments, and pro audio markets. Founded in 1995, Odyssey has brought to market hundreds of unique solutions and continues to lead the industry with innovative patents. With numerous technology and design awards, Odyssey has established a worldwide reputation for innovation, quality and design. The Odyssey group of companies includes Show Solutions and BC Cases.

Visit the Odyssey website >      http://www.odysseygear.com/

download the online PDF catalog http://www.odysseygear.com/catalog.php

Chopping It Up With Legendary Engineer Bruce Swedien at Westviking

Sit back and imagine a young aspiring baseball player getting the chance to play a game with Babe Ruth or Joe DiMaggio. You know what I’m talking about? I’m talking about a once in a lifetime experience. In my story Bruce Swedien was my Joe DiMaggio. A while back when I began to get serious about studio engineering I started looking for influential people to follow. After reading about the recording industry and studying older recordings I found one engineer who really caught my attention. Here is the story on how I was able to meet my recording studio hero.

There was a moment in my life when I realized it was time to get serious about both my education and love for studio engineering. Soon after I perused a degree in Recording Arts from Full Sail University. Due to my professionalism and outstanding academic performance I quickly became known by the staff. Before I knew it I was being invited to some very special private meetings called “Green Rooms” where I had the opportunity to speak one on one with some of the best in the audio world. Lo and behold my second Green room event was with Bruce Swedien! During the meeting Bruce talked about his start in the recording business, working with Bill Putnam, Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson.  He instilled a sort of pride and understanding for our roll as recording engineers.

I ended up graduating top of my class with various awards for my outstanding performance in both the classroom and professional studio environments. After receiving my degree I decided this would be a good time to hang around Orlando and do a little site seeing.  This would turn out to be a very wise decision indeed.  A month later I get a call from an associate at Full Sail asking me if I would like to take a trip and visit Bruce in his newly built custom recording studio in Ocalla Florida.  I didn’t even let the nice lady finish her sentence before blurting out YES!

We arrive at his Westviking Estate early around 9am and are greeted warmly at the door by Bruce and Bea Swedien. We make our way to the studio behind their house and proceed into the live room. Bruce walked us around and showed us the custom details of the live room and machine room. He went into great detail about the importance of proper studio acoustics and design. Yes, I was soaking it all in like a sponge… no wait… a Shamwow. We then proceded into the control room where we are greeted by a beautiful vintage Harrison 32c console nestled into his custom designed ASC Attack Wall.

Bruce sits down at the console and we all sit around him and he starts telling us stories about his recording adventures. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Bruce breaks out a bunch of  DAT tapes and we critically listen to various historical recordings. I can’t even begin to explain the kind of wonderful feeling these recordings have.

After listening to a few DAT’s we than focused on his console and outboard goodies. If I had to use one word to describe Bruce in the studio it would be…  precise.  He has only what he needs and he knows how to use it.  A few quotes I remember are…

“Pro Tools is a glorified tape machine”.

“The eq on the 32c will make you cry”.

Open Labs DBeat | Open Minds And Move Crowds, Anytime, Anywhere.

Open minds and move crowds, anytime, anywhere.

DBeat is the first professional studio you can play live onstage, yet it’s small enough to stow away in your carry-on luggage. You can also stream a live-quality set online to fully conquer studio, stage and screen.

Run away with your creativity – literally – with DBeat.

DBeat is…

A revolution. DBeat is the first professional studio that you can play as a musical instrument. Compose, record, mix and master, all “in-the-box,” then use it to perform any way you like. Weighing less than 20 lbs, DBeat can be carried onto most airplanes.

A studio powerhouse. DBeat is where power and portability meet. Capable of running virtually any Windows XP-based music application or Digital Audio Workstation software (DAW), DBeat is your computer, mixer, MPC, virtual instrument (VST) host and mastering station. It will even burn your CDs or DVDs and distribute your music online.

A VST hardware brain. DBeat is the perfect companion for traditional electronic keyboard players, and a simple solution for playing your favorite VSTs on stage with rock solid stability. Run more than 200 standard VSTs at once using Open Labs’ critically acclaimed RiFF virtual instrument host, which is integrated into each DBeat.

Revolutionary features – such as a 12.1″ touch screen that allows you to create on-the-fly set lists comprised of songs and virtual controls – bring your virtual instrument to life. Physical controls, such as nine assignable faders, are perfectly matched for those that require drawbar controls for organ instruments.

And let’s not forget that DBeat comes standard with a plethora of sounds, making it the world’s most well-stocked hardware sound module. If that’s not enough, every DBeat is capable of cloning your favorite virtual instruments. By using Open Labs’ MimiK keyboard cloning software (included in DBeat Pro), you can even clone any hardware keyboard workstation, synthesizer or sound module.

A producer’s dream. DBeat is the ultimate tool for any producer, regardless of genre. Massive processing power, instant multi-track recording, integrated MPC functionality, a multi-card reader/writer and DVD burner, Internet connectivity, plug-and-play ability with third party keyboard controllers and the opportunity to produce more than 4 billion sounds are just a few features we’ve perfected with producers in mind. DBeat allows you to compose more music, produce better songs, be more creative, and make more money.

The first real DJ instrument. DBeat lets you elevate yourself to the next level as a DJ. Produce, remix and perform in ways you’ve only dreamed about. Consolidate your laptop computer, controllers, audio I/O, and cabling into a single portable instrument that you can literally set up in 30 seconds.

DBeat lets you plug in your turntables via Serato Scratch or other time-code vinyl solutions to beat, mix and scratch. But that’s only the start. The audio chain can then be routed into Ableton LIVE, allowing you to use the built-in effects or any other VSTs in real-time, on the fly. Cue points, single hits or drops can be assigned to the Bump MP drum pad controller, allowing you to play along with the track you’re spinning. You can even plug in microphones, run Auto-Tune and vocoder vocal effects, and mix them right into the tracks.

CPU
3.0 GHz Intel® Core2 Duo ®

Control Surfaces
Trackball with 2 buttons
Mix/Edit Controls
BumpMP
DJ Panel with Penny & Giles^TM Crossfader

Memory
4 GB

Audio I/O
Comprehensive I/O capable of up to 24bit / 96KHz audio with 4 in / 6 out including 2 phantom-powered mic-pres with instrument inputs, S/PDIF I/O and MIDI I/O;

Storage
320 Gigabyte

Drive
High Speed Dual-Layer 8.5GB/disc CD/DVD Burner

Display
12″ resistive touch screen

Connection
Midi In/Out
1) 4 USB 2.0 ports
2) (1) FireWire 400 port
3) (1) Gigabit (10/100/1000) Ethernet port
4) (1) DVI-I Video Port

Included Software
Open Labs Riff^TM
Ableton^TM Live 7 (available only on DBeat PRO)
REAPER^TM
GURU^TM
Deckadance^TM

PREMIUM Factory Sound Library
Thousands of high-quality sounds. DBeat PRO includes an additional 14 GB from the full-feature version of Ableton^TM Live 7. (Check our Software Bundle webpage for more information)

Dimensions:
26”(W) X 14”(D) X 5”(H), Weight (base configuration) 20 lbs. (Actual)
33”(W) X 19”(D) X 9”(H), Weight (base configuration) 33 lbs. (Shipping)

DBeat is serious enough for the pros – be they scratch or electronic – but simple enough for the aspriring DJ.

Avalon VT-747SP | TWIN SIGNAL PATH OPTO-COMPRESSOR-EQUALIZER

The Avalon VT-747SP combines a creative STEREO tube-discrete Class A spectral-opto-compressor with a musical six band program equalizer, L-R output level and gain reduction metering and internal regulated power supplies in a 2U space. Ideal for high performance DAW input signal conditioning, stereo buss compression-EQ, stereo keyboards and analog mastering applications.

SPECTRAL-OPTO-COMPRESSION
The opto-compressor features a minimum signal path design utilizing sealed silver relays for all signal routing and by pass functions. The optical attenuator acts as a passive level controller with a Class A, variable gain make-up amplifier. Full dynamic control from soft compression to hard-knee limiting can be achieved with master threshold, ratio-compression, attack and release controls. Gain reduction indication is a large analog VU meter. Low frequency and high frequency contour parametric spectral controls can be routed into the side-chain path for enhanced frequency dependent compression with variable frequency and threshold levels. SC listen provides side-chain listen mode for monitoring.

SIX BAND PROGRAM EQUALIZER
The VT-747SP equalizer utilizes 100% discrete, Class A high-voltage transistors for optimum sonic performance. The six band STEREO program EQ incorporates the smooth characteristics of an all passive design. The frequency turnover, Q and amplitude ranges have been carefully chosen for each band to provide the most natural harmonic balance and lowest phase change while offering simple and effective tone control. The EQ can be placed pre or post the opto-compressor for enhanced effects.

TSP – TWIN SIGNAL PATH
The VT-747SP features TSP which gives you the choice of either tube tone or the classic, Class A discrete transistor sound by exchanging, three (3) high-voltage dual triode tubes with discrete amplifiers in the opto-compressor and primary output stages.

INPUT-OUTPUT and METERING
Fully balanced DC coupled, Class A discrete amplifiers are utilized for the input and output drive interface with+36dB input headroom. A high quality analog VU meter indicates accurate gain reduction. Twin 60dB range LED meters provide fast L-R output status of all levels.

CLICK TO SEE ENLARGED VERSION

VT-747 SP CLASS A, VACUUM TUBE-DISCRETE TWIN SIGNAL PATH OPTO-COMPRESSOR-EQUALIZER
VT-747SP FEATURES
Stereo Class A opto-compressor with spectral control Stereo Class A six band discrete passive program EQ TSP twin signal path, vacuum tube bypass Low noise -92dB Fully balanced Class A input and DC coupled outputs Stereo dynamic 60dB high resolution output meters High quality analog VU meter for gain reduction High headroom+36dB input before overload Spectral side-chain monitor for pre listen EQ pre-post selection for opto-compressor Sealed silver relays for all signal routing Internal discrete regulated power supplies Military spec vacuum tubes for long life and low noise

The world’s favorite mic pre/EQ | Neve 1073

Born in May 1970, the 1073 preamp is the world’s most desirable and famous preamp. Originally
fitted to the custom console for Wessex A88, the module was used extensively during the 1970’s
on the Neve Consoles that defined recording techniques on a generation of classic records.
This hand built Class A module offers 3 bands of EQ with one fixed high frequency band and
two switchable bands with cut and boost and a high pass filter.

Low noise and distortion and generous overload performance are important features of the 1073
design. The reissue modules are exactly the same as the original designs and contain all of
the original components, the transformers are manufactured exclusively for Neve to very
precise specifications.

The mic pre and EQ combination add warmth and depth to recordings, bringing out ambience,
maintaining spatial positioning and capturing a precise image. These very popular sounding mic
pre’s are considered by many to capture the very essence of the legendary Neve sound.

Key features:
• World famous 1073 mic pre
• Legendary Neve Sound
• Classic three band EQ section
• High Pass Filter
• Add warmth and depth to any recording
• Hand made to original specification
• 2 channel or 8 channel racks
• Unique Neve Transformers

You’re Not Alone (Diemel Productions Remix)

What do you get when you mash up Atom’s hit Trance anthem “You’re not Alone”  and the processing prowess of Diemel Productions?  I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with club smashing beats and cutting edge production tactics.  When Atom asked if I would be interested in remixing his hit single “You’re not alone” I immediately jumped on the opportunity.  Atom is most famous for the classic progressive pioneering trance hit, “You’re Not Alone”. Atom brought a new look and imitated sound to the trance/dance scene being one of the first male singers in a female dominated market, and against the record companies wishes, he even added rock guitars, now heard all over modern dance music.

Atom gave me total creative freedom to flip the track however my little heart desired and I naturally chose to do a drum&bass remix.  Atom sent me the stems via FTP and I went ahead and resampled everything into Kontakt 2 and mapped all the different elements to the keys.  I chopped the original drums into a kit and layered my own drums over the originals to create a syncopated drum break.  Once the beat was knocking I focused on the vocal processing and started to try and get some ideas going.

If you’ve listened to the remix you will notice the vocals are completely mashed.  These extreme effects were all programmed within NI Reaktor using the Electronic Instruments XT, a ton of automation, and resampling.  After those two main elements were done I just whipped up a quick Reece bass with the Access Virus TI, sequenced, and bounced it to audio.  Lastly, throw in some leads and what I like to call “stingers” and called it a day.  Mixed it the next day with fresh ears and sent it back to Atom for mastering.

The remix is out now on Atomic K Records and available on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, eMusic, and other top online music retailers.