NAMM 2015 predictions

On a day that is supposed to be the most depressing day in the calendar (so-called Blue Monday - when the brain figures out that going to work for a third week after Christmas isn't a temporary thing - you're stuck with it until spring), I have taken to listening to long stints of Robert Wyatt and plenty of Dark Side Of The Moon to keep the demons away.

However there is plenty of good news this week with NAMM coming up in Anaheim and the promise of lots of news stories with new videos and technology. I had the good fortune to speak with John Price of Kenton Electronics over the weekend, who will be exhibiting alongside Andreas Scheider and the Schneidersladen - it seems that like most exhibitors they have new products to show off, which strangely enough is the topic of this post. So after sifting through all the pre-NAMM articles in the press what am I most looking forward to?

NAMM 2013 - best stuff

So NAMM 2013 has been and gone and there were some nice surprises this time around, alongside some of the expected releases from the big manufacturers. It was also nice to see Bitwig and Android audio codecs covered as well! Full coverage is best left for other sites, but three things in particular really got me going this year and unsurprisingly they were all synthesiser related.

Photos from Music Production Show 2012

Moogs at Source Direct

I took a day off on Friday to go visit the Emirates Stadium (home to Arsenal Football Club), which was playing host to the Music Production Show 2012. Strangely enough, this is the only event in the UK devoted to music production and I think it was definitely a step in the right direction, focusing on dance and electronic music as well as guitars and traditional gear.

Amongst the exhibitors were Source Direct (pretty much the UK's number one supplier of all American and import synthesiser equipment), Yamaha, Steinberg, Music Tech, Sound On Sound, Novation, KVR and lots of microphone and studio equipment suppliers, so there was plenty to catch and have a play around with.

Steinberg's Cubase 7 Stand

As the Friday (it was also on on the Saturday) had much more of a student focus, there were a couple of decent tutorial seminars from Yamaha / Erb n Dubs on drum and bass production and Steinberg who were presenting the new Cubase 7 DAW. Lots of exciting new stuff coming up and interesting to get a new perspective on things; in particular, Erb N Dubs had a nice sample CD of drums and kits for all attendees, which I was able to grab a copy of as there were loads of students vying for copies as well. I haven't had a good look around it yet but there's plenty there plus Rex files and Massive presets as well, if you are so inclined. Either way, free stuff is free stuff and I am sure I will find a use for it at some point. 

I also got to meet Nick from Sonic Lab as well, which was a pleasant surprise, who says that he's already gearing up for NAMM 2013 coverage early next year. It just reminds me of quite how ridiculously busy we've all been this year and how 2012 is going to be 2013 in a matter of weeks. Anyway, a thoroughly nice bloke and I'm sure that his website will contain some nice video coverage of the show as well.
 
Hopefully the successes of the MPS 2012 will translate into the organisers returning to London next year for a repeat show and with any luck, making it bigger and better.

More photos after the jump!

Free Moog is here!

A quick reminder to everyone to go and download your free copy of Arturia's Minimoog V Original VST as part of the World Music Day celebrations. To download, head to the following site right now:

http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/products/minimoogv/minimoogv-original.html

Free Moog!

Just found something too good to believe and wanted to share the news that Arturia will be giving away a cut down version of their Minimoog V VST. Amazing stuff, I cannot wait to have a listen to this. The only catch is that it will only be on June 21st 2012, so set your watches and alarms, people!

For more details you can head to:

http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/products/minimoogv/minimoogv-original.html

Google Doodle - Bob Moog's Birthday

In celebration of Dr. Robert Moog's birthday (he would have been 78 this year), Google chose to honour the inventor of the modern synthesiser with a Google Doodle this week in the form of the Minimoog, albeit with some Google-stylings on the main board and a vintage recording device.

Technically, this synthesiser is quite brilliant to be able to run in flash, if a little confusing at first as it has barely any labels for all the knobs. It can also be played with your keyboard (tab is the last key, bottom F) if you fancy jamming properly with it. Moog also posted clearer instructions on how to operate this synthesiser, although the page for this doodle at Google's site also has some directions as well.

RIP Bob Moog. You might be gone, but your inventions live on!

To play around and full instructions

http://www.google.com/doodles/robert-moogs-78th-birthday