Summer Namm 2014

Jan1 · Post by **Jan1** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 10:03 am

Well, considering the few new releases which made the spotlight this year's Summer NAMM seems to have been more about networking indeed.

And by the way, for those who are interested, to celebrate their 40th anniversary Yamaha now offers a few apps for free for a limited time.
Aside from Yamaha's new white Motif I thought the metallic red Ravenscroft Kawai VPC1 edition looked great.
The VPC1 looks like a real classy, sturdy good piano controller with a surprisingly quiet keyboard action, although I wished that Kawai had included controller wheels. It spoils the piano illusion, but it's very practical nevertheless.

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 10:31 am

Cool find!
I already have Mobile Music Sequencer but it's been fun to toy with, recommend!

Bertotti · Post by **Bertotti** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 8:22 pm

Must have had the wrong link because now from the apple store it works! Looking forward to trying these apps.

Kevin Nolan · Post by **Kevin Nolan** » Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:50 pm

I have followed NAMM every year, winter and summer since the mid 90's.

I can't believe Summer NAMM was last week - I decided to check in on the forums to see what was coming up - expecting NAMM to be later this week and to discover it's already over; with barely a mention on the likes of sonicstate.com

NAMM is not what it used to be!

jimknopf · Post by **jimknopf** » Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:36 am

The time of the big trade shows is definitely over.
Internet allows you to make your products known much faster and to many more people, compared to times where only at trade shows you got enough attention and press coverage to introduce something new. All that lasted months from rumors before a trade show over meeting and discussing there up to paper magazines reporting weeks later.

Today everybody can read gear news on his/her mobile/pad/computer daily, all year long, and carry more and more magazines around as electronic newspapaper content on his/her iPad.

Even the business contacts can be stretched over the whole year in internet times, and it is not necessary (although still welcome and useful) to meet everybody personally at a trade show, as rare opportunity where all or most are present. Compared to former times the significance seems heavily reduced.

Add the costs for companies in low budget times, and the result is clear: Even Winter Namm or Musikmesse at Frankfurt aren't of too big importance to the business any longer.

I have stopped regarding NAMMs or Musicmesse as decisive points for gear news since about two years. Nowadays I expect close to nothing from these events, apart from casual occasions for companies to get additional attention.

Synthesizerplayer · Post by **Synthesizerplayer** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:22 pm

conundrum wrote:
Synthesizerplayer wrote:...The Roland connect website did not have any countdown this time. So perhaps nothing significant coming from there
...
ie., Just like when they have a countdown.

+1

NuSkoolTone · Post by **NuSkoolTone** » Thu Jul 24, 2014 6:40 pm

jimknopf wrote:The time of the big trade shows is definitely over.
Internet allows you to make your products known much faster and to many more people, compared to times where only at trade shows you got enough attention and press coverage to introduce something new. All that lasted months from rumors before a trade show over meeting and discussing there up to paper magazines reporting weeks later.

Today everybody can read gear news on his/her mobile/pad/computer daily, all year long, and carry more and more magazines around as electronic newspapaper content on his/her iPad.

Even the business contacts can be stretched over the whole year in internet times, and it is not necessary (although still welcome and useful) to meet everybody personally at a trade show, as rare opportunity where all or most are present. Compared to former times the significance seems heavily reduced.

Add the costs for companies in low budget times, and the result is clear: Even Winter Namm or Musikmesse at Frankfurt aren't of too big importance to the business any longer.

I have stopped regarding NAMMs or Musicmesse as decisive points for gear news since about two years. Nowadays I expect close to nothing from these events, apart from casual occasions for companies to get additional attention.

+1. Speaking of costs, another reason why many forego. Have you ever seen the prices for a "booth" at NAMM? Absolutely INSANE!

Kevin Nolan · Post by **Kevin Nolan** » Sat Jul 26, 2014 8:13 pm

So is NAMM basically finished as entity ??

Despite al the "online everything" I really so miss printed magazines, books, CD's and live events!

Seems like it's all becoming this vanilla "iPad / Google / Amazon" world.

I'm a huge fan of technology and it's transformative capabilities, but it's a bit like throwing out the baby with the bath water to me.

I miss that eager anticipation of a hundred new releases in the music technology sector every July

Timo · Post by **Timo** » Sat Jul 26, 2014 8:33 pm

From what I've seen, Summer NAMM has never traditionally been a large springboard for new products. Not sure why people were expecting much if anything. It would be ridiculous to think that a company could release multiple major new products every 6 months. The biggie has always been Winter NAMM.

Plus remember it is a trade show, and was never originally meant for the general public, although over time the winter NAMM has become an internet public event too, due to internet interest from consumers.