soapbox Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 [b]Please post your Winter NAMM 2003 gear reports here, for those of us not fortunate enough to go to the show.[/b] Feel free to discuss the announced gear in this thread as well. Thanks, Geoff [b]P.S.[/b] Harmony Central posts [url=http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM03/Index/]regular NAMM gear updates here[/url] throughout all of the days of the show. [b]P.P.S.[/b] I'm recovering from a long bout with illness; and I won't be going to the show today, opening day, Thursday 1/16/03. I'm hoping to be well enough to go tomorrow, so that I can attend [url=http://www.musicgearnetwork.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=009855]our dinner[/url] . If I'm up to doing that, I will take Saturday off from the show to recover from having pushed myself on Friday; and I should post a report to this thread on Saturday as well. Enthusiasm powers the world. Craig Anderton's Archiving Article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats Olsson. Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 That strange Roland VariOS [url=http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM03/Content/Roland/PR/VariOS.html]thing[/url] looks intresting. It's sort of like a computer that you hook up to your computer, if I understand it correctly. Second thought: is Red the new Black? TC Works' Spark is dropping support for Mac OS 9, OS X is exclusively supported from now on. And if this is not a sell-out, I don't know what is: [img]http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM03/Content/Martin/PR/MTV-II.jpg[/img] Yikes! VOX's new little Brian May signature recording amp looks intresting (& affordable) Geoff, sorry to hear that you are still recovering. Bummer when things you plan don't work out because of illness. /Mats http://www.lexam.net/peter/carnut/man.gif What do we want? Procrastination! When do we want it? Later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbox Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 Thanks [b]Mats[/b]. I can see light at the end of the tunnel though. Hopefully, I'll be up to going tomorrow. :) Best, Geoff Enthusiasm powers the world. Craig Anderton's Archiving Article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Crikey! That Avatar is the scariest thing I've ever seen :evil: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audiobotica Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by Dr. Flaven: [b]Crikey! That Avatar is the scariest thing I've ever seen :evil: [/b][/quote]It's the cover art from [url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=8:11:19|PM&sql=Ae2jp7iojg74r]Gentle Giant\'s "Three Friends" album.[/url] Yours in Music, Ben Fury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbox Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 [b]Ben[/b], it's good to see that you're in the know! :thu: BTW, it's also the cover art of Gentle Giant's first album. Sorry if I scared you [b]Dr. Flaven[/b]. :eek: The NAMM show is over for the day. [b]Is anyone home and able to file a report?[/b] Enthusiasm powers the world. Craig Anderton's Archiving Article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audiobotica Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Saw Gentle Giant at the Shrine opening for Rennaisance. Great show. Also saw them on this bill: Gentle Giant Gary Wright Peter Frampton Yes at the Anaheim "A". What was THAT concert promoter thinking? Waiting for Yes to come on was the longest two hours of my life. LOL! Yours in Music, Ben Fury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbox Posted January 17, 2003 Author Share Posted January 17, 2003 [b]Ben[/b], LOL! :D I saw Gentle Giant open for Renaissance too at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix. I think that was the "Free Hand" tour. If you want to talk more about Gentle Giant, there's some good discussion in the thread below: :wave: Enthusiasm powers the world. Craig Anderton's Archiving Article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursers Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Yeah would love some info in Digital Performer for OSX..... What plugins come with it native etc? The Keyboard Chronicles Podcast Check out your fellow forumites in an Apple Music playlist Check out your fellow forumites in a Spotify playlist My Music: Stainless Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salyphus Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Yeah, I was wondering also if anyone stopped by the MOTU booth and has any info to share. Can I get a witness? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed A. Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Anyone know what's up with Native Instruments? Has Absynth, Reaktor, FM7, Pro53 been ported to OS X? I heard that NI is supposed to have some new products also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salyphus Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 I found a good NAMM report for MOTU news: http://www.unicornation.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001860 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 ([i]Please note:[/i] Most of you know me as [b]soapbox[/b], but this post is under my real name.) I'm sorry that I'm a little late in posting a NAMM report. I'll also need to post in installments because I'm burned out after having pushed myself to go to NAMM while recovering from illness. It was quite an experience to go from being bedridden for 3 1/2 weeks to being on my feet walking the show floor for three days! :eek: I'll start with the [url=http://www.opnlabs.com/]Open Labs eKo OpenSynth[/url] . The eKo OpenSynth is a keyboard workstation centered around VSTi software. It incorporates a user-specified choice of PC hardware and operating system with a choice of built in display and control surfaces. Open Labs has a "Build-Your-Own-Keyboard" ordering system that allows the user to choose (and later upgrade) just about every component of the workstation. Click on the link above to get more details. Even though the eKo OpenSynth is PC-based, I was told that the keyboard starts up in seconds. It also stays on despite power interruptions. In addition, it includes an Ethernet port for Internet access and downloading VSTi upgrades, sounds, etc. When I played the eKo OpenSynth, its latency was inaudible and the keyboard action was fine. In other words, the playing experience was just like playing an ordinary synth. I felt like Open Labs "got it" in a way that few keyboard manufacturers seem to nowadays. I like their use of a flat panel display (and controller surfaces) as part of the keyboard. It's the only way I can think of to have a screen in front of me in a multi-tiered keyboard setup without blocking access to some of the keyboards. I also appreciated its "wow" factor, when comparing it to any normal keyboard display. As a Mac guy, I like the fact that Windows is hidden under the hood. Via Open Labs' interface, I can just click on a VSTi from the menu and go. Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate Windows; but I'll already have to learn a new operating system when I switch to OS X. That's enough for now! ;) The eKo OpenSynth won't be right for everyone, but I liked it and I don't think I'm alone. For many of us, it was the hit of the show! Best, Geoff My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nursers Posted January 21, 2003 Share Posted January 21, 2003 Thanks for the first update Geoff!! :thu: The Keyboard Chronicles Podcast Check out your fellow forumites in an Apple Music playlist Check out your fellow forumites in a Spotify playlist My Music: Stainless Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 ([i]Please note:[/i] Most of you know me as [b]soapbox[/b], but this post is under my real name.) quote:[i]Originally posted by nursers:[/i] Thanks for the first update Geoff!! :wave: Best, Geoff My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted January 23, 2003 Share Posted January 23, 2003 ([i]Please note:[/i] Most of you know me as [b]soapbox[/b], but this post is under my real name.) I'll start today's installment by concluding my Mark of the Unicorn comments. Mach Five was demo'd with an OS X version of Digital Performer. Little seems to have changed in DP at this point. Cosmetically, it looks the same. However some menus now appear in the menu bar that had previously only appeared in the upper left-hand corner of windows. Other than the fact that this new version of DP worked with Mach Five, no new operational features were shown. This didn't surprise me much, considering how recently DP 3.1 was released. In contrast, Emagic showed a number of new features that will become available with the release of Logic 6.0. My favorite new feature is the Project Manager. It's a file management tool that's sort of like the Finder and "Save As" on steroids! The very configurable interface will be able to find and consolidate media files such as audio files, sampler instruments, settings, and movies on all local volumes. In addition, all Logic files will be able to be organized in a new "project" file format. A "Save As Project" command will then save [i]all[/i] associated files, such as those named above, into one folder for archival and transport of projects. A close second favorite feature for me is a feature new to Logic dubbed the Marquee Tool. For years, I have disliked the fact that Logic users were unable to copy part of an object without cutting it. Finally, users will have that ability, not just with one object but with all objects on all tracks that may simultaneously be highlighted. As Emagic puts it, "The Marquee Tool allows region and sequence-independent selection and editing i.e. move, copy, delete, cut, mute, etc." With version 6, Logic will also be able to do grouping. It will be possible to assign each channel in Logic to one of 32 groups. This alone is no big deal, Pro Tools and Digital Performer users have long been able to do this. What's impressive about this feature is once again, in true Emagic fashion, the unrivaled flexibility allowed the user. A Group Settings menu allows the tracks in each group to only be globally affected by pan settings, and/or by edit selection, and/or by record mode, etc. Click [url=http://www.emagic.de/english/news/2003/logic6/grouping.html]here[/url] to see a picture and description of the Group Settings menu. The Group Settings function can also be set to work with another new feature: Show/Hide Tracks. The ability to toggle between showing and hiding tracks is a feature that I use a lot in Pro Tools, but I don't believe it can be linked to Group Settings in that program. Well done, Emagic! I also liked the "Freeze" button for its ability to diminish CPU strain. It essentially bounces to disk any selected CPU-demanding tracks, such as tracks using software instruments and effects plug-ins. This bounce to disk function is automatically undone by deselecting the "Freeze" button. There are many more features than I can go into depth about here - This is turning into a long post! Click on the link below to discover more: [url=http://www.emagic.de/english/news/2003/logic6/index.html]Emagic Logic 6[/url] On a personal note, I want to add that Emagic has more employees who I like than just about any other company I can think of. I've had a lot of fun hanging out with Emagic employee and [b]Keyboard Corner[/b] forum member [b]steadyb[/b] on many occasions, and he's a real Logic expert! I've also known [b]Bob Hunt[/b] for the better part of a decade. He has gone out of his way to help me more than once, and he's an all-around nice guy. I can say much the same for [b]Dave Smith[/b], who I don't know quite as well but who has also been very friendly and helpful to me for many years. It's a pity that these guys have had to bear the understandable anger of alienated PC users for a decision in which Emagic employees had no say, but I guess that's life. Anyway, I thought that they could use a sincere pat on the back; and I just wanted to express my thanks for who they are. [i]Still more NAMM reporting to come![/i] Best, Geoff My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogfur Posted January 23, 2003 Share Posted January 23, 2003 Thanks for the info, Geoff - very helpful indeed! Woof! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 ([i]Please note:[/i] Most of you know me as [b]soapbox[/b], but this post is under my real name.) [quote][i]Originally posted by Dogfur:[/i] Thanks for the info, Geoff - very helpful indeed![/quote]Thanks [b]Dogfur[/b]. :) [i]And now here's today's installment![/i] Considering that the show has now been finished for over for a week, I'm going to wrap up my report with today's post. Even so, I reserve the right to add a post or two if I forgot something. ;) [b]Winter NAMM 2003 Trends:[/b] We've reached a point in the last few years at which it has become possible to create "release quality" recordings at home. Granted, a lot of the best gear we use in order to accomplish this task is still quite expensive. However, many of us are quite happy with what we already have. This has posed a dilemma for an industry whose very life depends on convincing consumers to spend their hard earned money. How do you convince customers who are happy with the sound of their music products to continue to buy? The answer many companies seemed to have reached at this show is to make products that are designed to make the user's life easier. MOTU is designing the Mach Five to be a universal sampler that can easily be used with any program on any platform. If it works the way they say it will, the user can buy and setup just one software sampler (Mach Five) instead of two or three (GigaStudio, EXS24, HALion, etc.). Open Labs' eKo OpenSynth should make its users lives easier by providing access to VSTis without having to setup a computer and control surfaces and possibly without having to deal with a computer OS as well. Emagic's Logic 6.0 should make it much easier for users to keep track of files, organize tracks, save CPU resources, and even cut, copy, and paste. However, this was not the only trend I noticed. There were an increase in software/hardware hybrids on the show floor. Open Labs' eKo OpenSynth is a good example, as is Creamware's Noah. I saw the Noah, and I asked a number of questions about it to a Creamware rep. I like the Noah in concept: dedicated VSTi hardware that takes a load off of the computer's CPU without using up PCI slots. The copy protection implementation also seems safe for developers and less painful for consumers. On the other hand, there still aren't enough available instruments on this platform for my money, and my understanding is that Creamware is weak in customer support. I'll file this one under "wait and see " Another software/hardware hybrid is the Waldorf AFB16 Analog Filter Bank. It features a rare combination of analog hardware filters & software control. My hunch is that we'll see a growing trend toward software control over analog devices. Not only does this allow users to control at their computer workstation an increasing percentage of their work, but it also allows analog devices to be manufactured without the cost of knobs and displays. Even so, there's always a downside. Remember the old saying, "Don't put all of your eggs in one basket." (In this case, the basket is the computer.) Of course, the NAMM show also featured plenty of good, old fashioned hardware; and as a keyboard player, I mostly focussed on keys. The Alesis ION looked and sounded promising, but it's still a work in progress. The Kurzweil K266I looked promising as well; but at this point in time, it's getting by on looks alone. I'll be eager to have a listen once it's finished. I briefly listened to a demo of E-mu's Vintage Keys Pro, and I happily discovered that it will also be available as a ROM slot soundset for owners of other Proteus 2000 based E-mu products. It was reviewed in the current (February 2003) issue of Keyboard magazine. I don't have much to add to what was written there, but I was told that E-mu is working on fixing the problem mentioned in the review regarding the Vintage Keys Pro's discrepancy between preset volume levels. There was too much reverb and show floor noise present during the demo for me to comment on the sound of the module, but I am definitely interested in hearing more. My favorite new hardware synth of the show was Roland's [url=http://www.v-synth.com/en/index.asp]V-Synth[/url] . It features realtime control over a waveform's pitch, time and formant. Sounds may be routed though its COSM filters. I liked its realtime controllers, the "TimeTrip Pad" (basically an X/Y pad) and the twin D Beam controller. This is not your grandmother's JV-880. Tonal control is a lot more fluid and flexible, and the sound is less clinical to my ears. (I realize that the last sentence could read a bit like, "It sounded less purple to me." :D This is one of those things you've got to hear for yourself.) There's one more feature of which I want to take note, before I leave the subject of the V-Synth. It's called V-LINK and it allows playback and performance of video clips with music created on the V-Synth, when connected to the Edirol DV-7PR Digital Video Workstation (sold separately). Clearly, Roland designed this synth with live performance in mind, with a large percentage of its patches geared toward dance music. It should be a big hit with musicians of that genre. I realize that I've neglected many of the audio manufacturers in my posts. I admit that I didn't look into this area as much as I usually do. However, having been at the recent AES show, I didn't figure that much would have changed in two-and-a-half months. Digidesign continued to demo Pro Tools 6 and Steinberg continued to demo Nuendo 2.0. However, I did read in a [url=http://namm.harmony-central.com/WNAMM03/Content/Propellerhead/PR/ReWire-2-Pro-Tools.html]Harmony Central report[/url] that Digidesign is working on Rewire2 support. If I've missed anything in this or any other area, or if I was wrong about anything, I welcome other forum members to step up to the plate and fill us in. As for me, with the [i]possible[/i] exception of an addendum or two, this concludes my reports. Thanks for letting me share. Best, Geoff My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jotown Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 Hey Geoff, thanks for your reports and observations. I agree with your point about alot of people being content with their home setup, and thus being less willing to part with their hard earned cash in the midst of a recession. I think alot of Mackie and Sonic Foundry's problems are a direct result of the economy. Just like in life, when things are going good, you can get away with being a little sloppy. But when things get tight, all of your warts start to show. Jotown:) "It's all good: Except when it's Great" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted January 29, 2003 Share Posted January 29, 2003 ([i]Please note:[/i] Most of you know me as [b]soapbox[/b], but this post is under my real name.) Thanks [b]Jotown[/b]. I agree that the economy has made matters worse. I believe that industry trends are also a factor for some, although perhaps not in Mackie's and Sonic Foundry's cases. Best, Geoff My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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