Got a quick look at how the pad flatten feature works in on the MPC plus a look at the new browser coming in 2.1

Focal press event to discuss their new headphone and monitor products including the Clear and Listen pro headphones

Stopped by the KORG press event to checkout some of the new products.

CARLSBAD, Calif. – December 15, 2017 – At the 33^rd Annual NAMM Technical Excellence and Creativity Awards (TEC Awards), eight products and technologies inspired by a series of global sound pioneers will find their place in audio history when they are inducted into NAMM’s prestigious TECnology Hall of Fame. The ceremony, and later the awards show, will take place Saturday, January 27, as part of The 2018 NAMM Show.

A history lesson in breakthrough products in sound and production are included on the list, which spans a world of innovation from the late 1800s to 2000s. The honorees include:

The earliest known device for recording sound through transcribing soundwaves, the Phonautograph (1857). Initially used in the study of acoustics, the Phonautograph could be used as a visual study of soundwaves, including the measurement of amplitude and wave forms of speech or other sounds. While the Phonautograph had no playback mechanism, the product, created by French scientist Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, was considered the precursor to the phonograph.

The Tape Echo Slap (1954): Developed by the legendary Sam Phillips of Sun Studios, the tape echo slap offered previously-unheard echo and delay effects on many of the studio’s recordings from the 1950s which gave a new texture to popular music of the day.  (more…)

Carlsbad, Calif. – December 4, 2017 – The NAMM Foundation has announced stand-up comedian and entertainer extraordinaire Demetri Martin as the host of the prestigious 33^rdAnnual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards (NAMM TEC Awards), Saturday, January 27, 2018 in Anaheim, CA during The NAMM Show, the global crossroads of the music products, pro audio and sound, and event technology industries. 

The in-demand and unconventional humorist, who is traversing major cities in America on hisLet’s Get Awkward tour, will host the show for the first time. Martin is known for his deadpan delivery style and also as an audiophile and multi-instrumentalist who regularly incorporates music into his comedic repertoire, having played everything from the piano to guitar, harmonica, the ever-popular ukulele, and even the electronic keytar at his shows.

Of the awards, Martin offered a humorous quip: “I am looking forward to hosting the NAMM TEC Awards! As a mediocre, amateur musician who knows very little about professional sound and audio production, I feel uniquely unqualified for the gig – it should be fun.”

As a writer, actor, and director, Martin’s career has included many high-profile appearances and collaborations, including his notable early work as a contributor to “The Daily Show” and his own TV series for Comedy Central. He can now be heard as the voice of Ice Bear in Cartoon Network’s “We Bare Bears” and will release his third book this fall called “If It’s Not Funny It’s Art.” (more…)