NAMM leaks, announcements, and rumors

[lordgalvar]

Teenage Engineering op-z...16 part synth, drum machine and awesome video synth!

Looks like you can program on a screen. Have some pictures of it, but it is about the size of two pocket operators or like 1/2 size of the op-1. Really freaking amazing...one of the highlights of the show!

I think I heard the guy said that everything is kinda on it's own sequence (like 16 steps for kick...16 steps for this or something, with 16 sequences or something...sounded good through their little speakers too).

https://www.teenageengineering.com/products/op-z

some videos:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA21RQlmYEf ... contriviad
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA21G1OmYEO ... contriviad
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA2pM83GYLq ... contriviad

Sorry about the angles...kept getting bumped and stuff...was trying to get the unit in there too. Still pretty hush on it...only one dude in the booth knew anything about it...Really really want it!

The new pocket operators sounded good too!

[ThurberMingus]

Well if they keep the Volca FM under $200 I'll be buying it as soon as I see it available. Thanks Korg, for talking me out of the Reface DX.

[Ev_O)))]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ751igUo9A[/youtube]

Avalanche run vid
you can use the expression to go between normal and reverse modes.
Im fuckin done.

[echorec]

The Mellotron Micro is expected to run $800-1000 (laughs). For two octaves, this thing ought to have amazing action, stereo outs, real MIDI (no MIDI-to-USB) and run around $450 tops.

It kills me that this thing even exists. You might as well get rid of the keyboard and just release it as a tabletop processor. Two octaves isn't a player's instrument, and if you want a nice bass drone underneath for textural stuff or scoring a film, it'd be much more usable with at least 3 octaves. If you're just going to slave it to a controller, then the keyboard becomes moot. This thing just seems like a lose-lose. If you've got $800-1000 to drop on this thing, why not just buy a Nord and load it with some Tron presets? I just don't see the user for this thing.

[popvulture]

Part 1: This one will be kind of a Day One and Day Two Hybrid!

First off: Really huge thanks to Electro-Faustus for getting me into the show! They are freaking awesome and make great stuff. Support them...seriously good people!

Also thanks to Lightning Wave for putting up with me and letting me kick it over at their booth! 'Twas a blast watching people get excited about something as awesome as the Ghost Wave Pedals and the Lightning Bolt.

Thanks to Brian from SS/BS, Andrew from Industrialectric, Aen from Dwarfcraft, Frank from Experimental Noize, and Linus from Teenage Engineering for chatting with an awkward dork like me! Awesome to meet you all. I know the show isn't really for people like me, but thanks for taking the time to talk anyway!


Boss Waza Amp

• http://www.bossus.com/promos/waza_amplifier .. It looked nice and boss like. Swappable preamps kinda like those old Randalls (but boss style...might be wrong but that was the impression I got) 150watts...no one was allowed to touch it as far as I could tell...like they brought in dudes to demo (probably for loud reasons).

Roland

• I finally got to play around with the System 1 and the boutique...the boutique knobs are so tiny...everything kinda had this digital sheen to it and like a reverb overtone...They kinda weren't my thing and I think the Korg Stuff outshines them in sound (but maybe not build quality...Roland has that down).

Fender/Jackson/Gretsch/Charvel/Etc

• Fender kept refused everyone entry until a specific time...only invited guests. Don't know?

Gibson/Epiphone

• Everything they had was available for demo by anyone! Got to play a Gibson for the first time and the first time I touched an Epiphone in the last 15 years. The Gibson was a Firebird with that autotuner thing (which really made it balance weird). The Epiphone was somekind of Casino or something. Really prefered the finish and play on the Epiphone...but I liked the way the firebird sounded through headphones!

Cooler stuff is coming in the next one!

That Waza amp looks nuts! I imagine totally not my thing, but intrigued as balls...

Also re: the Firebird, they all have that wacky sense of balance—it's pretty much the one big flaw/weird thing about those. As for the auto-tuners, I feel like that's single-handedly the worst thing Gibson's ever done... and it's a pretty great symbol for the general state of the company these days. Boo.

I still want a Firebird though. Just not a new one.

[popvulture]

The Mellotron Micro is expected to run $800-1000 (laughs). For two octaves, this thing ought to have amazing action, stereo outs, real MIDI (no MIDI-to-USB) and run around $450 tops.

It kills me that this thing even exists. You might as well get rid of the keyboard and just release it as a tabletop processor. Two octaves isn't a player's instrument, and if you want a nice bass drone underneath for textural stuff or scoring a film, it'd be much more usable with at least 3 octaves. If you're just going to slave it to a controller, then the keyboard becomes moot. This thing just seems like a lose-lose. If you've got $800-1000 to drop on this thing, why not just buy a Nord and load it with some Tron presets? I just don't see the user for this thing.

Yeah the originals had a plenty limited range already. I have a bud who had a real one for a while and ultimately sold it... they're amazing, but kinda like a super expensive toy when you really think about it (not to mention the upkeep, which is a bit terrifying).

I have the M-Tron Pro plugin. It sounds great, and it's $150.

[popvulture]

Also, watching the schpiel on those Pittsburgh Modular Lifeforms... fucking rad! That demystifies a lot for me. Really, really enticing.

[Inconuucl]

Also, watching the schpiel on those Pittsburgh Modular Lifeforms... fucking rad! That demystifies a lot for me. Really, really enticing.

I'd be jumping on the whole set if I didn't already have a super specific modular plan already in place.

Love the new avatar.

[echorec]

Yeah the originals had a plenty limited range already. I have a bud who had a real one for a while and ultimately sold it... they're amazing, but kinda like a super expensive toy when you really think about it (not to mention the upkeep, which is a bit terrifying).

I have the M-Tron Pro plugin. It sounds great, and it's $150.

I've always wanted one, but not the maintenance. I could live with a digital emulation, because after all I'd be running it with effects for added warmth and coloration. I have also heard good recommendations for plugins, but that doesn't work me. Unfortunately I'm on the computer all day writing and researching, so my eyes get fatigued and dry. I couldn't possibly budget any more of my time for staring at screens and editing presets. Just thinking about soft synths makes my eyes hurt.

[lordgalvar]

The mellotrons were at the big city audio booth. They also had some of those weird neat ribbon synths that are like 3k...have a picture (will find it). The mellotrons look nice, but yea, kinda too much. People seemed to have fun on them

Lifeforms really did sound great... was really easy and seemed more performance oriented than the mother32 (don't know the price difference). Maybe down the road I would look into one to get back into synths. It was much more fun than the Arturia micro brute.

Speaking of Arturia (and I might have pictures), the Matrix Brute was awesome sounding! But everyone was confused by it (I kept getting crowded out by buyers). It seemed like a lot of stuff required a button hold and then a press on the matrix. Sounded great though.

As far as synths go, I thought the OB-6, Prophet 6, Volca FM, and Lifeforms were the most fun/sounded the best. They were really in a different class than the rolands...but the rolands seemed like they were catering to a performace/life group more than the others. The Prophet 6 was super easy and deep though...loved it. I like playing the lifeforms and Prophet 6 the most.

The teenage op-z was really in a different thing though and seemed awesome.

[coupleonapkins]

Shit is getting weird..........

"ARQ is a drum machine, sequencer, synthesizer, looper, and MIDI controller with a built-in accelerometer. Even more, ARQ is freedom. With its wireless Bluetooth Ring Controller, you can escape the booth, move the music, and get in front of the crowd."

those crazy EDM kids.....

[youtube][/youtube]

Looks like a revision of a Tenori-On (wished Yamaha hadn't given up on those way back when). Or something like the Reactable system (somehow w/ less EDM):

[youtube][/youtube]

They're going for the 1970s stoner vibe hardcore it seems.

I think you mean 2015/2016 & this is the most boring Mother 32 demo anyway:

[youtube][/youtube]

I would like to know what happened to the Music Man reissues. It was my understanding Ernie Ball was having these built in Italy, and at least a few were made available for Musikmesse '14 and then they disappeared without notice.

I noticed those amps when Annie/St. Vincent was doing her interviews, too, & am wondering what the deal is (from the Reverb video):



Also, thanks LG & echorec for the IRL updates!

[fever606]

Sooooooo... Fryette owns the Sound City name now, eh?

[lordgalvar]

I kinda ignored the new Sound City because of the Fryette connection...don't know why? It kind of, in passing, felt like Fender Sunn (even though I have never played a Sound City in person). Just didn't really have any business or way to demo one either...and they probably wouldn't talk to me.

Did think it was interesting though. The Magnatones sounded pretty good when I heard them. Traynor had a lot of stuff and a huge booth. Supro had a tiny booth with pigtronix.

[popvulture]

Also, watching the schpiel on those Pittsburgh Modular Lifeforms... fucking rad! That demystifies a lot for me. Really, really enticing.

I'd be jumping on the whole set if I didn't already have a super specific modular plan already in place.

Love the new avatar.

Haha thanks man!

[rfurtkamp]

Not surprised on your experience at the Gibson booth, lordgalvar.

That's typical, they do at least want people to handle them.

The Epis (on the high end) are dumb good at this point. My Casino is in pretty much every way equal to my real 339 Studio, radically different guitars, but....the Epi's fretwork and other stuff was flawless where it mattered, and even the cosmetics are on.

Shame about the Rolands, going to have to hear a few demos on the little boutique stuff as they were on my radar.