Wednesday, January 25, 2012

NAMM show 2012

Now the dust has settled on this year's NAMM show, I thought it was about time to write about my experience.

As usual, the background noise level was incredible.  One friend of mine was playing guitar through an amp and the "Noise Police" arrived with a decibel meter.  They told him he would have to turn down because his volume was 80db.  So he asked them to take a second reading, during which time he didn't play a note!  Guess what?  Still 80db! DOH!

I was on the NATAL drum stand for most of the show, which was incorporated with Marshall this year.  2012 being Jim Marshall's 50th anniversary of being in the Biz, this was quite a big deal.  In fact Natal had made a 50th Anniversary (limited edition of 50) drum kit, comprising the Marshall black Tolex covering and gold hardware.  It was a focal point on the booth.  I must say, from a personal point of view, I am loving these drums! I have a maple kit and I am continually amazed at its versatility and great sound, not to mention the hardware. The snare stand is the most versatile I have ever encountered. The hi-hat stands are responsive and adjustable, and the cymbal stands are solid & well finished.

I was put to work conducting interviews with various publications (both on line and printed). Music Radar just uploaded their NAMM report. All in all, Natal created quite a stir at the show.

One of the busiest stands in the drums & percussion section was that of my old friends Big Bang Distribution. Apart from the Ahead sticks (which I have been playing for some time, and love), the new Ahead Armor cymbal bag range (very exciting), their low-cost (and yet great sounding) Kasza cymbal line, they have a huge variety of great accessories for drummers.  But the most exciting new product was a collapsable cajon!  This full-size cajon, made in Barcelona, Spain, fits into a flat bag that is easily carryable, and yet sounds as good as any of the best cajons on the market!  Watch their web site for updates.

Brady drums were present with their usual selection of high-end, no compromise drums.  I managed to spend a few minutes chatting with Kelly Brady.

I was also able to visit with Axis Percussion's founder and innovator: Darell Johnson. He and I go back a way, and he was in his usual high spirits when I arrived at the stand.  I love his endless enthusiasm and keen mind.  He is truly one of the great engineering innovators of new drum ideas. Check out what they have to offer:  again, drum engineering without compromise or equal. I am still using a set of Axis pedals (double kick and hihat) from the early 1990's!

On Saturday afternoon I managed to meet with my old friend John Steven, who is with Behringer. He was very interested in what I thought of their latest foray into the drumming world: their electronic drum kit: the XD70 (and their entry level XD60LE).  I played the kit for a while, and found the response to be extremely "realistic."  They have separate drum & cymbal pads, each with their own unique feel. The controller is very logically laid out and sounds are easy to access.  The best part is it all packs away into an extremely compact space, making it easy to store, or (for my needs) transport to a gig.

Behringer are also about to announce a new range of high-end consoles, which include the ability to interface & record live shows direct from the console itself.  I'm very excited to see these when they become available.

I'll post more reviews as my brain gets to digest the enormous amount of data from the show.