Summer NAMM 2016 Reports

[Geoff Grace]

This year's Summer NAMM Show begins today, June 23, and runs through Saturday, June 25, at the Nashville Music City Center. As most people here know, Summer NAMM shows never have as many releases as Winter NAMM shows do; but there should at least be a keyboard product or two worthy of mention.

 

Please post your Summer NAMM 2016 reports here, for forum members who are not fortunate enough to go to the show.

 

Feel free to discuss NAMM announced gear, events, and performances in this thread.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

Here are a few recent product headlines, in case you missed the news during the last week or so...

 

Dave Smith OB6 Desktop - Its Official

 

Propellerhead Reason 9 Released

 

Nektar Controller Keyboards Support Reason 9

 

IK Multimedia Releases Orchestral Percussion

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

[video:youtube]

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

[video:youtube]

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

[video:youtube]

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Mark Schmieder]

UVI Thorus fills a void in the plug-in world that hasn't been filled since the TC Powercore series went away. I bought it instantly today when I received the email notice of its release. For some reason, advanced chorusing plug-ins don't exist. There are some multi-purpose ones like EchoBoy that :sort of" do the job, but most chorusing plug-ins are limited to emulations of BOSS pedals, for example.

 

Giving the OB6 module some serious thought... it's also earlier than I expected.

[joegerardi]

Geoff:

Just a thank you for continuing to do this over the years. It must become humdrum to keep it up year after year, and we do appreciate it.

 

..Joe

[Markay]

Geoff:

Just a thank you for continuing to do this over the years. It must become humdrum to keep it up year after year, and we do appreciate it.

 

..Joe

+1

[ElmerJFudd]

Hammond Leslie Studio 12RW Rotary Speaker Amplifier - Red Walnut

 

Street Price: $1,795.00

 

http://cdn.kraftmusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/a/ham-studio12rw.jpg

 

A Welcome Addition to the Model Family

Keyboard players have asked for an ultra-portable Leslie with a true Leslie Horn and Rotor, and Hammond has delivered.

 

The Studio 12, with a tube preamp driving a 100 watt solid state power amp, is at home on the Rock and Roll stage and Jazz club alike. Its ¼" input allows any instrument to connect, and a standard footswitch handles fast and slow speeds. Leslie's exclusive "Gas Pedal", which allows custom Leslie speeds and expressive swells may be fitted to the Studio 12.

 

The smallest and lightest dual-rotor LESLIE ever made, the Studio Model 12, weighs in at just 85 pounds. Now, it is available in a multi-core ply walnut veneer traditional style cabinet. Packing 100 watts and a 12-inch woofer, features adjustable fast and slow speeds and toggles between the two with any standard footswitch. The treble horn is the same assembly used in all LESLIE speakers.

 

MANUFACTURER Hammond

PRODUCT TYPE Amplifier

APPLICATION Guitar or Keyboard

POWER - Vacuum tube preamp with a 100-Watt solid-state power amplifier

SPEAKERS - Same horn driver designed and used in all Leslie speakers for keyboards

CHANNELS 1

EFFECTS Leslie rotary speaker effect

INPUTS 1 x 1/4" TS

EFFECTS LOOP No

HEIGHT 26 3/4"

WIDTH 29 1/4"

DEPTH 20 1/2"

PRODUCT WEIGHT 85lbs

UNIQUE FEATURES Adjustable fast and slow speeds that toggles between the two with any standard footswitch

[ElmerJFudd]

Hammond XK-5 Organ

 

Street Price $3695

 

NUMBER OF KEYS 61

KEY ACTION Waterfall

PEDALS Optional

NUMBER OF SOUNDS 100 Factory Patches, 100 User Patches

VOICES OF POLYPHONY 61 for Manuals, 5 for Pedals

TRANSPOSE Yes

SPLIT Yes

LAYER No

OUTPUTS Dual 1/4" (L/Mono + R), 11-pin Leslie Connector, 1/4" Headphones

CONNECTIVITY MIDI, USB

WIDTH 46.8"

DEPTH 15.8"

HEIGHT 4.7"

PRODUCT WEIGHT 34.6 lbs. http://cdn.kraftmusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/a/ham-xk5.jpg

http://cdn.kraftmusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/a/ham-xk5_top.jpg

http://cdn.kraftmusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/a/ham-xk5_slant.jpg

http://cdn.kraftmusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/a/ham-xk5_rear.jpg

http://cdn.kraftmusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/a/ham-xk5_leftpanelzoom.jpg

http://cdn.kraftmusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/a/ham-xk5_rightpanelzoom.jpg

http://cdn.kraftmusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/a/ham-xk5_rearpanelzoom.jpg

http://cdn.kraftmusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/a/ham-xk5_h-bus_cu-1.jpg

http://cdn.kraftmusic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/a/ham-xk5_style.jpg

[Steve Nathan]

Geoff,

Are you at the show this year?

[drawback]

Hammond XK-5 Organ

 

Street Price $3695

 

NUMBER OF KEYS 61

KEY ACTION Waterfall

PEDALS Optional

NUMBER OF SOUNDS 100 Factory Patches, 100 User Patches

VOICES OF POLYPHONY 61 for Manuals, 5 for Pedals

TRANSPOSE Yes

SPLIT Yes

LAYER No

OUTPUTS Dual 1/4" (L/Mono + R), 11-pin Leslie Connector, 1/4" Headphones

CONNECTIVITY MIDI, USB

WIDTH 46.8"

DEPTH 15.8"

HEIGHT 4.7"

PRODUCT WEIGHT 34.6 lbs.

 

So EF, with all your research and posting lists and stuff, what factory patches have you found for the XK-5? Just drawbar combinations? Or other sounds (like in the SK series or hopefully improved)?

 

 

[RABid]

Hammond XK-5 Organ

 

...

 

Wonder if this will sit on the XK-3 lower manual?

[ElmerJFudd]

Hey, drawback. I have hunch presets aren't done yet because there are some other firmware tweaks that aren't done yet either - ie. the Leslie simulation.

 

It's worth it for Hammond of course to invest time and resources into presets and to have them made by their artists for at least 2 reasons... A) they want the instrument to sound great on the showroom floors and in demo situations. and B) they obviously have customers who are not as interested in spending large amounts of time on the parameters getting the organ to sound great. On the other hand, for players who build up their sounds and manipulate on the fly (which this style organ is intended for), the layout is familiar, all the parameters are there, and you have a screen for data feedback. It's quite nice.

[dougb415]

I'll be going tomorrow (Saturday) with my wife, who loves gear shows. We've got lots of stuff to check out, that much is for sure!

[Geoff Grace]

Geoff:

Just a thank you for continuing to do this over the years. It must become humdrum to keep it up year after year, and we do appreciate it.

 

..Joe

+1

Thanks guys. I always enjoy hearing about new gear and passing along the info, and I appreciate everyone else who contributes to these threads!

 

Geoff,

Are you at the show this year?

Unfortunately, no. I've been to a great many Winter NAMM Shows but never a Summer NAMM. If it were as easy for me to attend a Summer NAMM as the winter ones, I'd happily jump at the chance.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

Interesting...

 

[video:youtube]

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

Product: Forte SE | Kurzweil

 

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCX3sSWEGBM

 

Plus, new sound banks.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

Tascam IXR - iOS audio/midi interface

 

[video:youtube]

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

iPad Control Surface For Reason 9

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[DulceLabs.com]

I got to meet 2 KC legends today: Dave Bryce and Jim Alfredson! Was honored to finally meet them in person. I have some video of Jim shredding on a Hammond I will upload when I can. Bandwidth here in the hotel is shoddy so it may be couple of days.

[Steve Nathan]

Can't remember how to get picture to show here, but

check out the touchscreen on this thing

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7593/27906156785_e2347f0480_z.jpg

 

The literature says "Please be excited"

 

Their website

[ElmerJFudd]

^^^

 

I thought the reface line was going to look like this when they leaked the name. I figured the touch screen should just "reface" for whatever engine you had loaded up.

[Geoff Grace]

Cool! Looks like an innovative product.

 

Thanks for your report, Steve!

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Geoff Grace]

Speaking of innovation:

 

[video:youtube]

 

The things I like most are that you can design your own overlays and that each one is instantly recognized.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[ksoper]

I took a quick spin around the show hall yesterday. There were only a couple of things that I really wanted to see and play, and, of course, a couple of good friends to say hello to.

 

I'm late to the party with the OB 6 and Prophet 6, but finally got to spend a little time with each. Trying the action with the instruments powered off wasn't terribly inspiring, but once on any reservations I had went away. They felt fine. Great finger-to-ear connection. The OB sounded great, but I spent more time tweaking the Prophet. That would be a tough call if I could only pick one.

 

I played the Roli Rise 49 and was fairly put off by the resistance of the rubber surface. Maybe if my fingers (or the keyboard) had been less sweaty it would've been a better experience. But then the amazing Gerald Peter walked up and did a proper and astounding demo of the instrument. Extremely impressive. So it can be done... Allan Evett--how are you making out with yours?

 

It was great to see Mike Martin and lay my hands on the Celviano Grand Hybrid again, just to make sure I felt the same as I did last year. I do. It's an amazing instrument and is doing well, according to Mike. They're shipping 3 pianos around the US in flight cases doing demos--once people play it, they're sold.

 

I spent the most time at the Hammond booth with Jim Alfredson and the XK-5 system running through the 3300 wood cabinet. My, my. Fat, slinky, and like mama's home cookin'. The multiple key contact feature gives the XK-5 a realism not found in other clones I've played. It puffed and smeared just like a classic tonewheel. And the time spread between the contacts can be adjusted. (The XK-5 was a little more dramatic than my C3. I'd dial the effect back just a bit.) The Leslie sim on the standard XK-5 sounded just fine through headphones--I'd like to hear it sometime in a better listening situation. This was also my first time meeting Jim Alfredson. Damn, he's a good player. Thanks, Jim for the help with the selfie. I had been up 19 hours and wasn't exactly firm on my feet.

 

It was great to see Dave Bryce who was his ever-effervescent self. He played me a couple of tracks through the Amphion line of monitors which, he said, is beginning to attract major attention. Deservedly so. We discussed the Mojo at length and now I really must seek one out to try it. And like last year, we debated the need for just one more poly synth.

 

After two jam-packed hours I was pretty well burnt and headed home. I know I missed a bunch of stuff. Thanks, again to Mike Martin, Jim Alfredson, and Dave Bryce for their hospitality.

 

http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii617/Ken_Soper/20160625_105005_zpsjtdg2ovc.jpg

 

http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii617/Ken_Soper/20160625_105144_zpsd3cxxjjp.jpg

 

http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii617/Ken_Soper/20160625_101419_zps8oipvblx.jpg

[Steve Nathan]

Cool! Looks like an innovative product.

 

Thanks for your report, Steve! thu

 

I think we'll find it is innovative "visually" but as yet, maybe not some much aurally. I drug Mike Martin over there and it was difficult to hear, but we agreed the display was kind of mesmerizing. Rich Formidoni did get to hear it later, and was, shall we say, underwhelmed.

 

Sorry I missed ya Ken. I was around yesterday afternoon, and hung out in that same Bermuda triangle of Casio/Hammond/Cloud.

 

Highlight though for me was talking with Dr. Lonnie on Friday. What a nice guy. I'd only learned this year that we are both originally from Buffalo, and we both had fond memories of several Buffalo institutions (The Pine Grill and The Royal Arms in particular!).

[timwat]

Geoff:

Just a thank you for continuing to do this over the years. It must become humdrum to keep it up year after year, and we do appreciate it.

 

..Joe

 

+10

[Kawai James]

Totally agree, thanks Geoff!

 

The new Hammond and Leslie looks terrific!

[Tusker]

Joining the chorus here... thank you so much Geoff!

 

I am pretty stoked about the Sensel Morph. It's a pretty cool product in it's own right, but 3d printing your own overlays is a brave new world of customization.