Winter NAMM 2010 Reports

[GovernorSilver]

Couldn't find a Korg Wavedrum on the floor to try out, but some dude was doing a demo of two of them set up for left-hand/right-hand conga-style playing. The sound quality seemed deep and expressive, but it was a frustrating demo as the guy needed a lot of time to figure out what he was going to do next (not sure if it was a musical inspiration issue or technical complications).

 

That's a shame. A lot of would-be buzz for Korg's resurrection of the Wavedrum was killed by the lack of MIDI, but I'm still quite interested in it on its own merits.

[keyoctave]

Anybody tried those new Kurzweils? The PC3K, PC3LE and SP76? Anything significantly different?

 

Here is a quote from David Weiser on the Sonik forum answering a similar question:

 

 

 

"We did have some other products at the show, but the PC3K is the highest end one.... for now.

 

The reason for the PC3K being so similar to the PC3 is this: We have other projects in the works, things that we didn't want to be delayed any more than they already are, and yet we do really need to provide a viable replacement for the K26 in the short term (not just for Weber but for a huge number of touring acts from The Who to Roger Waters).

The PC3K is the perfect solution - modifying the existing PC3 architecture and hardware was the quickest path for us to provide a K26 replacement, while diverting the minimum amount of R&D resources from other projects.

 

The other products shown at our booth: the PC3LE7 and LE8 and the SP76II.

The SP is compact and lightweight (20 lbs) and provides 128 programs from the PC3 (with their fx chains) with a street price of under $1K in the US.

 

The entire product line was really well received by players and retailers alike.

Best NAMM show we've had since I've been with the company."

 

[burningbusch]

Tascam LM-8ST

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/images/publications/reports/tascam_lm8st.jpg

8 stereo channel / 4-buss line mixer

(8) stereo 1/4" TRS balanced inputs with -10/+4dB switch

1U rack mountable

Mic input with trim control on front panel

2-segment LED meter per channel

ST1 and ST2/AUX level control per channel

ST1 and ST2/AUX master level controls

Each channel switchable to ST2 (pre fader) or AUX (post) output

1/4" and 1/8" stereo headphone outputs

XLR balanced ouptuts for ST1 and ST2/AUX

Stereo balanced buss output/input for cascade

Ground lift switch and terminal

 

Tascam LM-8ST

 

Busch.

Any word on the MSRP for this?

 

$362 at Full Compass

 

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/381379.html

 

Busch.

[Mark Schmieder]

ART also announced a line mixer (8 mono channels), a headphone amp (6 channel), and a new firewire audio interface with tubes.

 

Tascam also announced the first(?) 8-channel solid state drive based rack recorder, but it's way expensive.

[lowerhodes]

I think Full Compass might be trying to pre-emptively hook some customers. Tascam informed me that MSRP wsas $550 and would not be available until the end of March. I guess it's OK to get people to "pre order" but that seems like a hefty discount for a new piece of gear.

[Les Mizzell]

A lot of would-be buzz for Korg's resurrection of the Wavedrum was killed by the lack of MIDI, but I'm still quite interested in it on its own merits.

 

MIDI wouldn't work on the Wavedrum, no more than it would work on a real snare drum or roto-tom. As I understand it, part of the Wavdrum sound generation process actually uses the impulses/vibrations from the drum head in the modeling process. No impulses, nothing for the rest of the system to work with.

 

Now, if you wanted to use it as a trigger for something else, yea, that *might* work - but what's it actually going to generate? A single midi note on message with velocity and pressure info? I don't see that as being too useful either.

 

The Wavedrum is an amazing performance instrument, but it you're looking for a percussion trigger, perhaps a Synesthesia Mandala would be a better option? Or a Roland Handsonic?

 

 

[Mark Schmieder]

Just bear in mind the original HandSonic (which I owned for six years or more before selling) has a pre-effected sound set that cannot be made dry (the reason I sold it, along with the lack of fine-grained sensitivity to the pads, which might be improved on the newer/cheaper model but at the expense of fewer pads).

 

What Korg has done is make an instrument vs. an advanced toy. I don't have direct familiarity with the original model (other than a few articles, which is indirect at best), so don't know whether the original was also impulse based and ultra-sensitive.

[GovernorSilver]

A lot of would-be buzz for Korg's resurrection of the Wavedrum was killed by the lack of MIDI, but I'm still quite interested in it on its own merits.

 

MIDI wouldn't work on the Wavedrum, no more than it would work on a real snare drum or roto-tom. As I understand it, part of the Wavdrum sound generation process actually uses the impulses/vibrations from the drum head in the modeling process. No impulses, nothing for the rest of the system to work with.

 

Now, if you wanted to use it as a trigger for something else, yea, that *might* work - but what's it actually going to generate? A single midi note on message with velocity and pressure info? I don't see that as being too useful either.

 

The Wavedrum is an amazing performance instrument, but it you're looking for a percussion trigger, perhaps a Synesthesia Mandala would be a better option? Or a Roland Handsonic?

 

You and I are on the same page regarding the Wavedrum.

 

There's a cool solo performance vid somewhere on Youtube featuring the Wavedrum, a Handsonic (forgot which one), and a Mandala 1.0, all being played.

[Geoff Grace]

In case anyone here didn't get enough of this year's Winter NAMM, I'm bumping this thread to post some info I received today in a Harmony Central e-mail newsletter:

 

Our coverage of the 2010 NAMM show is bigger and better than ever. The Official WNAMM 2010 Photo Thread currently has over 16,500 page views thanks in large part to all of you who contributed some great photos. Meanwhile, there are over 150 videos from NAMM in the Theater, including a ton of product videos and 51 artist interviews we shot at NAMM, covering their music and the gear they use (you can also catch the NAMM videos on our YouTube channel) The artist lineup is quite impressive, to say the least: Slash, Steve Lukather, Dave Mustaine, Andy Timmons, Jason Bonham, Neal Schon, Kenny Aronoff, Ray Luzier, Mike Portnoy, Tony Levin, Tommy Thayer, Joe Satriani, Peter Frampton, Jordan Rudess, John5, Orianthi, Al Di Meola, Michael Wagener, Hartley Peavey - and a whole lot more. Whew.

Best,

 

Geoff