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Spring NAMM 2023 Reports


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Once again, this year's "Winter" NAMM Show was postponed until spring. It will begin today, April 13, at the Anaheim Convention Center and end on Saturday, April 15. Attendance by keyboard manufacturers is expected to be smaller than that of a normal Winter NAMM, but larger than during a typical Summer NAMM. As a result, there should be some news worth sharing. So here we go...
 
Please post your Spring NAMM 2023 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

My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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Dexibell’s site shows a NAMM promotional slide with photos of the S8M, S8, and S4.  No details yet but it seems very likely they are updates to the S7 and S3 models with increased processor power and increased memory, like the SX8, H10, and the S10.

FB1ACD7C-B063-4016-BA7A-8B8F08CF5B5B.jpeg

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I never see anyone playing a Dexibell but I guess they must be doing okay if they are still releasing new models. Am I right in saying that Dexibell is ex Roland Europe?


I know looks aren’t the most important thing but…

I get that they need to carve their own niche (and it works for Nord) but I am really not a fan of the color/design of the Dexibell boards. I think it would be cool if they brought out an all black model and/or a black model with wooden end panels. 


In terms of substance/features, I’d like to see Dexibell add internal power supplies with C14 socket and to offer more flexibility zoning/split/layering  options. 
 

The sound quality certainly seems decent. And I presume the fatar actions are decent too. 

Kurzweil PC3x

Technics SX-P50

Korg X3

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I’ve never seen one in the wild. I was kinda intrigued when they came out first. They sounded pretty good. I’d agree with you about the colour scheme, I’ve never been a fan of white/off white boards. Even those white motifs, although they can be useful for seeing buttons when playing on a dark stage. 
 

Has anyone ever seen them even in the UK?

Yamaha MODX8, Legend Live.
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1 hour ago, Dockeys said:

I’ve never seen one in the wild. I was kinda intrigued when they came out first. They sounded pretty good. I’d agree with you about the colour scheme, I’ve never been a fan of white/off white boards. Even those white motifs, although they can be useful for seeing buttons when playing on a dark stage. 
 

Has anyone ever seen them even in the UK?

Bonners Music in Eastbourne stock them, so I am sure someone will have seen them. I’m up in the North East of Scotland so an 8 hour drive to Bonners for me!

 

The stores up here basically just stock low end Yamahas and Casios

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Kurzweil PC3x

Technics SX-P50

Korg X3

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11 minutes ago, Ibarch said:

 

Never seen one for sale in any retailer on North West or Yorkshire. I've also never seen anyone play one. 


Jazz pianist Brian Culbertson switched from Roland to Dexibell.  Ironic considering Dexibell came into existence when Roland shut down their Italian operations.

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Rumor has it, Dexibell only moves product in the wee hours of the night. Their team is called “Dexi’s Midnight Runners”…

 

…I’ll see myself out.

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Puck Funk! :)

 

Equipment: Laptop running lots of nerdy software, some keyboards, noise makersâ¦yada yada yadaâ¦maybe a cat?

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I've never owned one--the closest being a silver/beige Motif--but I actually really like light-colored keyboards.  That particular design isn't my favorite with the blue though IMO.  The white Montage is one of the best-looking keyboards I've seen.  Probably much easier to read labels and see what you are doing on a light keyboard.

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19 minutes ago, Stokely said:

I've never owned one--the closest being a silver/beige Motif--but I actually really like light-colored keyboards.  That particular design isn't my favorite with the blue though IMO.  The white Montage is one of the best-looking keyboards I've seen.  Probably much easier to read labels and see what you are doing on a light keyboard.

 

I can assure this!. I have one black and one white Montage 6 and, yes, the white one rules on that!

 

Jose

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4 hours ago, Radagast said:

Dexibell’s site shows a NAMM promotional slide with photos of the S8M, S8, and S4.  No details yet but it seems very likely they are updates to the S7 and S3 models with increased processor power and increased memory, like the SX8, H10, and the S10.

FB1ACD7C-B063-4016-BA7A-8B8F08CF5B5B.jpeg

They will be showing the yet to be released S10 and S10L as well.  

This video Dexibel shared is fairly useless as far as demos with information go, but at least we know they have sent some units out. 

 

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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I REALLY dislike trackers and they way you sequence with the, (having grown up with it as the only option prior to getting into MIDI), but Polyend has taken their Eurorack module and made it standalone, and the YouTube elite are semi-raving about it.

"For instance" is not proof.

 

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9 minutes ago, Docbop said:

Saw  a couple posts yesterday from people that got into Media Day at NAMM.   Both mention new Heritage Leslies.    Only other thing mentioned was stupid AI based beat maker that looked like an arcade game.     

 

wait, what, a beatmaker that looks like an arcade game?  take my money!

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hang out with me at woody piano shack
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5 hours ago, Radagast said:


Jazz pianist Brian Culbertson switched from Roland to Dexibell.  Ironic considering Dexibell came into existence when Roland shut down their Italian operations.

What? Right when Roland is making bright piano samples - perfect for him!

Korg Kronos, Roland RD-88, Korg Kross, JP8000, MS2000, Sequential Pro One, Micromoog, Yamaha VL1, author of unrealBook for iPad.

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IK Multimedia has released Total Studio 4 MAX. Version 4 adds Tonex Max, Modo Bass 2, Modo Drum 1.5, AmpliTube MESA/Boogie 2 for AmpliTube, 12 new SampleTank libraries, 12 new Syntronik 2 synths, and 2 new T-RackS modules. More info at the link below:


Total Studio 4 MAX

 

 

 


They also released AXE I/O ONE, a 1-in/3-out USB audio interface:

 

 

 


Best,


Geoff

My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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SoundFlow is a workflow automation platform that comes with thousands of macros and scripts. It’s currently subscription-only with plans at $4.99 and $9.99 for individual users. It offers the most full-featured support for Pro Tools, but other DAWs and apps are supported as well.

 

 


Best,


Geoff

My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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I occupy an odd position in the Hammond debates. I was an acoustic piano player first, followed by various synths. I began to encounter classic instruments I was unlikely to own, but with which I had a decent demo sessions. I got to play a very kleeeen B-3 in a church, including the dual-Leslie experience. No debate about Vents or software Hammonds carries the same weight as having my clothing flap in the breeze when I dug in. I'm glad I had the chance, because I can Get It when someone comments on an SK or an XK. Likewise the nerve of mere synths trying to stand in, hmph. Talk about privileged debates! Beauty, eh?

 "You seem pretty calm about all that."
 "Well, inside, I'm screaming.
    ~ "The Lazarus Project"

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Ignoring the NAMM event itself as the date and location of announcements - 2023 ain’t doing too bad as far as keyboard MI (acknowledging the times we’re in, component shortages, dealing with inflation, rising interest rates and the risk of recession).  We still saw Nord Stage 4, Yamaha CK, Hammond XK4, new Dexibell S models.  One has to be optimistic that the industry keeps trying.
 

Groove Synthesis is going to ship their Third Wave.  
 

https://www.groovesynthesis.com

 

Yamaha has also updated the Clavinovas with the  CVP 909 and 905 series. 

 

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/pianos/clavinova/cvp-series.html

 

 

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Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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Good show.

The new Rhodes are fantastic.  Their booth got a lot of attention.

 

Have to go back and try the Dexibell pianos.  Bryce pointed me to Kawai DPs - my favorite DP so far and I'm a lifelong piano player.

 

Hammond XK-4 with the Leslie 122 Legacy sound great.  XK-4 Leslie sim was disappointing compared to the real Leslie.  Tried the XK-5 - best Leslie simulator to date in a Hammond product, but they replaced the tube overdrive with solid state (too ratty).  The tube overdrive is one of my favorite features in the XK-3/3c.

 

Haven't got to Korg or Roland booth yet.  Don't know if they have a modular alley.  No sign of Sequential.  Oberheim does not have a NAMM booth this year, but I did cross paths with Marcus.

Mellotron booth has a fully functional vintage Mark 2.  Not many of those things on this side of the pond especially a working one.  Most of us including me have never seen one of those, it was crazy watching the tapes in operation and mechanically shifting the tape trays side to side to change sounds.  That was sample playback and patch change in the 1960s...!

 

Alternate MIDI controllers seems to be the big thing in keyboards at NAMM.

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This guy was walking around the floors with this basskeytar.  Bass guitar with MIDI mini keyboard (all black keys) on upper bout, assignable MIDI knobs and controllers on lower bout.  Doesn't have a booth or website.  He custom builds these.  Perfect if you're a keyboard player whose 2nd instrument is bass guitar.

namm-2023-bass-keytar-6 copy.JPG

namm-2023-bass-keytar-2 copy.jpg

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