NAMM 2018 Product Roundup

Written By: Madeline Rosene

“What do you play?” asks almost every vendor at the 2018 NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show. This annual event is a playground for musicians. Meandering through the booths, testing the latest technology in audio and music is a thrill for any musician. Whether you’re in a popup recording studio testing a microphone, jamming on a newly released acoustic guitar, or unexpectedly stumbling upon a rap group’s performance (Pharcyde killed it), there is a little something for everyone at NAMM.

YAMAHA showcased Genos, the most advanced Digital Workstation keyboard ever imagined. Packed with incredible sounds, enhanced DSP effects, stunningly real accompaniment Styles, and studio integration, Genos represents the new benchmark in sound, playing experience and visual appeal. Genos is a whole new type of flagship instrument, rethought from the ground up to inspire and empower songwriters to create finished compositions entirely within its intuitive and powerful environment while at the same time vastly improving the accompaniment features that live keyboard entertainers know and love. Featuring a sleek and modern design that commands attention onstage, this game changing instrument is set to elevate performance and enjoyment for professional musicians, hobbyists, and listeners alike.

Despite the Genos’ deep feature set and technical prowess, songwriters are finding it intuitive and immediate to use. Among these are Nashville A listers Beth Nielsen Chapman and Ashley Gorley.

Designed for musicians and audio professionals on the go, AKG K275, K245 and K175 are the first headphones in their class to offer a foldable design for unmatched sound quality and portability. Featuring an innovative three-axis, all-metal hinge, AKG headphones are designed to fit into tight spaces like a travel bag where other studio headphones won’t fit. All three headphone models offer best-in-class frequency response for unrivaled clarity and detail, making it easier to create mixes that translate well across different playback systems. All models feature best-in-class sensitivity and low impedance, delivering maximum output before distortion, even when playing music from lower-powered mobile devices.

Soundcraft Notepad mixers are designed for exceptional convenience and ease of use. A traditional channel strip layout provides fast and efficient access to desired channels and sends. Soundcraft Notepad mixers include professional microphone preamps with excellent audio quality for a variety of uses, XLR combination jack mic/line inputs for easy connection with professional audio gear, and 1/4″ balanced inputs for connecting keyboards, playback devices and more. Soundcraft Notepad mixers are now available from authorized HARMAN resellers worldwide. The 1.09 update is available here.

Vanguard Audio Labs is used by the likes of Courtney Fortune and Dylan Chambers. This small company was created with one goal – to give great affordable tools to make great music. In the past, members of the Vanguard Audio Labs design team have created studio microphones and monitors that are used by world-renowned artists, engineers, and producers (including Taylor Swift, Herbie Hancock, Robert Plant, Randy Bachman, Buddy Miller, Nathan Chapman, Ray Kennedy, Lady Antebellum and many others…) Vanguard Audio Labs designs and builds great, affordable recording tools. Although Vanguard Audio Labs is a new creative venture, the core team has over a century of combined experience in the music industry. Each team member is an engineer, musician, producer, and lover of all things audio. Early in their careers, they were all frustrated by the desire to own better recording tools. However, the really great microphones were overwhelmingly expensive. Vanguard Audio Labs was created to help you make music, and to bring your music to life by building superb products that won’t break your bank account.