Audio’s Big Week! NAMM 2018 & 60th GRAMMY Awards Preview

January 23rd, 2018 by David Weiss

What a week awaits!

Be prepared to find audio in the North Hall of the newly expanded Anaheim Convention Center.

On the West Coast, the annual audio (and music) extravaganza that is NAMM approacheth. From January 25^th-28^th, the Anaheim Convention Center and a wide blast area beyond will be awash with the people who program plugins, manufacture 1RU units, the people who adore them, and the lucky journalists – like us – who write about them. Note that the convention center’s new North Hall will be the home for a vast majority of the audio exhibitors.

3,000 miles away, the 60^th Annual GRAMMY Awards will grace New York City for the first time since 2003. Jay-Z will wait on his eight nominations, James Corden will host once more, and all the East Coast will bask in the glow of the return of Music’s Biggest Night. That’s fair, especially since NYC music venues sold 5.4 million tickets in 2015, which is more than Los Angeles, Nashville and Chicago combined.

An avalanche of events and product rollouts await audio aficionados in all directions. If either one of these shebangs is on your agenda, here are some select highlights to know about.

THE NAMM SHOW

Events, From Brainy Seminars to Fun Fun Fun! Fiestas

The AES@NAMM: In a veritable peanut butter cup of audio, the AES & NAMM ramp up their togetherness with The AES@NAMM: Pro Sound Symposium: Live & Studio. This is “a unique, four-day international education and training program for live sound, studio recording and performance-audio professionals.” Session topics include:

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On Thursday, January 25 at 4:00 PM, NAMM TEC Tracks presents “Unlocking and Unleashing Creativity.” Get It In Writing CEO Daniel Keller hosts a stellar panel of acclaimed producers including Michael Beinhorn, Frank Filipetti (George Michael, Barbra Streisand, Vanessa Williams), Ross Hogarth (John Fogerty, Melissa Ethridge, Ziggy Marley), Mark Needham (Fleetwood Mac, Imagine Dragons, John Hiatt), and Niko Bolas (Neil Young, Warren Zevon, Kiss), for an in-depth discussion on the producer’s role in the creative process. The conversation takes its inspiration from Beinhorn’s groundbreaking book, “Unlocking Creativity,” published by Hal Leonard. The session will be held in California Ballroom A, Level 2, at the Anaheim Hilton.

Set your creativity free with Michael B — Beinhorn that is.

Michael Beinhorn will also present a pair of “Deconstructing the Mix” sessions, offering an intimate look into the creation of some classic tracks. On Friday, January 26 at 5:00 PM, Beinhorn will be joined by Christian James Hand, host of the popular “Sessions on Air” series, for a breakdown of Soundgarden’s 1993 smash hit, “Black Hole Sun.” And on Thursday, January 25 at 11:00 AM, Beinhorn and Daniel Keller will present a breakdown of Herbie Hancock’s smash hit, “Rockit,” Both sessions will include isolated tracks and unheard outtakes, as well as rare photos and anecdotes from the producer’s perspective.

The “Black Hole Sun” session will be held on Friday, January 26, from 5:00 – 6:00 PM in the Avila Ballroom, Level 4 at the Hilton. The “Rockit” session is Thursday, January 25 from 11:00 – 12:00 in the Laguna Ballroom, Level 4 at the Hilton. This is an AES@NAMM session, and pre-registration is required. To register, click here.

Don’t miss these opportunities for an intimate look into the evolution of iconic recordings and the creative process.

“A Musician’s Guide to Archiving” Featured at Winter NAMM TEC Tracks: On Saturday, January 27, featured at this year’s Winter NAMM TEC Tracks is “A Musician’s Guide to Archiving” at the Anaheim Hilton adjacent to the Convention Center. It will be held on Saturday, January 27, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, in the Hilton Avila Ballroom (Level 4).

Join renowned recording engineer/producer Lenise Bent as she moderates a panel where you can learn how professional archival facilities rescue audio from deteriorating tapes, keeping assets viable after tape becomes unplayable. Sending digital copies for mastering and mixing means no damage or mishaps to fragile tapes. Digital files can be electronically delivered, while assets are always safe and available.

Archiving thrives at the TEC Tracks.

Moderator: Lenise Bent; Panelists: Dan Johnson, Archive Engineer, United Recording; Kelly Pribble, Archive Engineer, Iron Mountain Entertainment Services; Dave McEowen, Archive Engineer, UMG/Capitol Studios; Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Recording Artist; Jack Douglas, Producer/Recording Engineer

TEC Tracks offers 70-plus free sessions for sound, studio and stage professionals. These big-picture sessions feature industry thought leaders presenting innovative ideas in recording, live sound, event technology and music business. See the complete schedule here.

Meet Legendary Producers at the Universal Audio NAMM Booth: Universal Audio (Booth 12302) presents an impressive artist roster at the 2018 NAMM Show. The following producers are sharing techniques and tips about their craft in the Producer’s Corner Sessions in the UA booth:

Hip hop on tap: Grieves presents at the UA booth on Thursday, Jan. 25th at 1 and 3 PM.

Grieves, Hip Hop & Rap Producer; Che Pope, Producer (Kanye West, Dr. Dre, The Weekend); Jacquire King, Producer/Engineer (James Bay, Kings of Leon, Tom Waits); Darrell Thorp, Engineer (Radiohead, Beck, Foo Fighters);

Universal Audio Producer’s Corner Schedule:

Thursday 1/25, 1PM & 3PM, Producer: Grieves, Content: Making Hip-Hop Beats with UAD and Apollo

Friday 1/26, 1PM & 3PM, Jacquire King, Producer/Engineer (James Bay, Kings of Leon, Tom Waits), Content: Producing Pop Music With Jacquire King

Saturday 1/27, 1PM, Darrell Thorp, Engineer (Radiohead, Beck, Foo Fighters), Content: Mixing Rock Music with Darrell Thorp; 3PM, Che Pope, Producer (Kanye West, Dr. Dre, The Weeknd), Content: Producing Rap Music with Che Pope

Sunday 1/28, 1PM, Darrell Thorp, Engineer (Radiohead, Beck, Foo Fighters), Content: Mixing Rock Music with Darrell Thorp; 3PM, Che Pope, Producer (Kanye West, Dr. Dre, The Weeknd), Content: Producing Rap Music with Che Pope

Eventide Presents at AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium: The aforementioned four-day international symposium, which will be held concurrently with the 2018 NAMM Show from January 25-28 in Anaheim, CA, comprises a series of Training Academies and related sessions on line-array technologies, live-sound mixing consoles, wireless systems and studio environments, in addition to tutorials on system measurement and optimization, plus a selection of peer-reviewed technical papers.

Eventide will be making its mark with a number of educational sessions on their new H9000 network effects processor and professional effects using their audio plugins.

These classes will be held in the Anaheim Hilton Hotel’s NAMM U Education Center, adjacent to the brand-new pro-audio exhibit space, in the Palos Verdes Studio Room A.

Schedule of Topics:

Eventide’s next-gen H9000 gets the spotlight Friday at 3 and Sunday at 4.

H9000 — Thursday at Noon, Friday at 3 pm, and Sunday at 4 pm — This presentation will describe Eventide’s next generation, network-aware, rack-mount flagship, the H9000. The H9000 represents a break from Eventide’s long history of DSP chip-based hardware products by instead employing 4 quad core ARM-based DSP engines. Features include 8 channels of audio I/O and USB audio as well as provision for MADI, Dante, etc. A companion app and plug-in, emote will also be demonstrated.

Physion — Thursday at 4 pm and Saturday at 2 pm — The first plugin based on Eventide’s patent-pending structural effects methods. This presentation will describe the underlying method by which a sound can be split into its transient and tonal components with greater precision than possible with traditional dynamics processors and simple transient shapers. Applications ranging from drum tuning to ambience reduction to loop mangling will be demonstrated.

Anthology XI — Saturday at 10 am and Sunday at 1 pm— Eventide’s everything bundle comprised of 23 plugins will be described and demonstrated. The painstaking tasks of modeling the analog qualities of Eventide legacy products like the H910 will be discussed as well as the collaborative efforts with Tony Visconti that resulted in the triple-reverb Tverb. Eventide’s most recent work on porting algorithms from its stompbox family with live performance features will also be discussed.

Elevate — Friday at 10 am — Newfangled Audio’s Elevate and Equivocate plugins will be described and demonstrated. This unique multi-band limiter, human-ear EQ and powerful audio maximizer is designed to increase the loudness of a mix while maintaining or improving its dynamic perception. It uses intelligent, adaptive technology that responds in real time to the music. Elevate utilizes, the mel scale, 26 critical filter bands modeled from the human ear.

For more information visit the event schedule here.

WSDG Founding Partner John Storyk (photo by Tom Lemke)

Journalist Dan Daley and WSDG founding partner John Storyk discuss new developments in Home and Project Studio Design with “Big Studio Design Concepts for Home and Project Studios.” On Friday, January 26 from 4:00PM to 4:50PM, renowned industry journalist Dan Daley will host a NAMM University interview with WSDG Walters-Storyk Design Group, founding-partner, John Storyk. The conversation will focus on new developments in Home and Project Studio Design, and explore opportunities for incorporating design practices engaged for major pro audio studios on smaller studio environments. The session will be held in the San Simeon room on Level 4 at the Hilton Hotel.

An eleven time-TEC Award-winning designer of studios for artists ranging from Jay-Z to Bruce Springsteen and Alicia Keys, John Storyk and WSDG have created over 3500 world-class recording studios around the world. Large-scale recording complex credits include Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady and Ann Mincieli’s Jungle City Studios in NYC, and Paul Epworth’s The Church Studios in London.

An adjunct professor of acoustics and studio design at the Berklee College of Music (Boston), and currently preparing a new “Master’s Level Course on the subject, Storyk will also preside over a NAMM TEC TRACK “MeetUp” in Room 7 on the 3rd floor Mezzanine of the Hilton Hotel from 5:00PM to 5:45PM, directly following the dialogue with Dan Daley.

Hybrid Studios Happy Hour: Don’t miss this bash! One of our favorite Orange County studios is opening up its doors to all NAMMgoers once again with their fourth annual NAMM afterparty, Hybrid Happy Hour 2018 on Friday, January 26th!

Hybrid breeds HAPPY on Friday!

More from Hybrid: “This year’s party will have free beer/wine, complimentary In-n-Out, and a live music showcase featuring a couple bands that we’ve worked with over the last year. We’ll also have complimentary shuttle service to and from NAMM if you’re staying at the Anaheim Convention Center.”

SonicScoop will be THERE – see you at the studio!

Get thee to VKLA on Sunday!

Vintage King Annual Winter NAMM Open House: The elite pro audio resource Vintage King was recently recognized by NAMM on reaching its 25th anniversary, the perfect impetus for its Winter NAMM Open House. Happening on the final day of this most musical trade show, Sunday, January 28th, 11 AM-4 PM, Vintage King will be hosting top pro audio innovators and their new NAMM releases at Vintage King Los Angeles, 1176 West Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.

RSVP, and be among the first to get your hands on gear that debuts at Winter NAMM 2018.
At the Open House there will be new gear from Adam Audio, Antelope Audio, ATC Loudspeakers, Augspurger, BAE, Barefoot Sound, Bettermaker, Dramastic, Focal, FLEA Microphones, SPL, Trident Audio, Universal Audio, Vicoustic and more. Representatives from each company will be on hand to give audio creators an accurate first listen, aided by the VKLA showroom and its studio-like design.

Visit here for more info and to RSVP!

GEAR!

Following is just a slice of the new product rollouts that will be happening at NAMM 2018.

Audinate debuts Dante AVIO adapter family: Audinate will introduce Dante AVIO, a family of cost-effective endpoint adapters that enable audio professionals to easily connect legacy analog and digital audio equipment to Dante networks. Starting with an MSRP of only $129 USD, the Dante AVIO series features six new adapters including line-in and line-out analog adapters, a bi-directional AES3/EBU adapter and a bi-directional stereo USB adapter.

Audinate will showcase its new line of Dante AVIO adapters at the annual National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) trade show in Anaheim, CA January 25-28th. Dante AVIO adapters will be available through retailers and system integrators in Q2 2018. NAMM show attendees are encouraged to visit Audinate at booth #18004 in the Pro Audio Hall.

Black Lion Audio’s forthcoming “Seventeen” compressor will include unique features such as a wet/dry mix knob, frequency-dependent sidechain, and stereo linking functionality.

Black Lion Audio introduces the “Seventeen” compressor: Designed in conjunction with hitmaker Tobias Lindell, and featuring a redesigned and improved IC based front end, the Seventeen shows incredible detail and nuance normally not possible with this style compressor. The new front end circuit is coupled with a custom designed, made in Chicago output transformer, designed to give this unit a huge bottom end that balances out the open top end very nicely. Also included is Black Lion Audio’s proprietary Black Lion style power decoupling for an incredibly low noise floor. The Seventeen also uses high grade nichicon signal capacitors, widely considered some of the highest quality caps available.

In addition, the Seventeen features a frequency-adjustable sidechain, separate selectable high and low pass filters, a wet/dry mix knob, and a stereo link function for linking together two units.

The Seventeen will be available end of Q1/early Q2, 2018 for $649.

The Black Lion Audio Patchbay Rack 8 will be available end of Q1/early Q2, for $899 MAP.

Also on display at NAMM 2018 from Black Lion Audio will be their Audio Patchbay Rack 8. Built to address the lack of flexible routing options for 500 series modules and power supplies without the use of expensive external patchbays and wiring harnesses, the Rack 8 is equipped with a fully balanced TT/Bantam patchbay, providing unlimited routing options for quickly dialing in sounds that don’t require modules to be loaded in any particular order. Easily try out a signal chain, re-route it, split it using one of the built-in “Mults”, send it to modules in another rack, route it back, then send it out, all from the front panel.

Providing a stable and reliable power supply has also long been one of the issues dogging the 500 format. To solve this issue, the PBR-8 features OST (On Slot Technology) developed in Europe by Heritage Audio. This technology allows Black Lion to take advantage of individual regulation per channel, insuring that noise, power issues or crosstalk of one module do not affect other modules. The hefty power supply provides 400mA per rail per slot maximum, with an overall of 1.6A (1.8A non continuous) per rail, whichever is reached first. Coupled with the patchbay, this OST not only makes the PBR-8 one of the quietest and most reliable 500 series power supplies, but among the most functional and flexible ever built.

Visit Black Lion Audio, Heritage Audio and more at RAD Distribution’s booth #15606.

Allen & Heath’s new SQ compact 96kHz digital mixer: With their 96kHz XCVI FPGA engine, Allen & Heath’s new SQ Series Digital Mixers bring the high-resolution audio performance of the company’s highly acclaimed dLive Digital Mixing System to a compact, cost-effective, multi-application platform that’s both easy-to-use and highly customizable.

The new A&H SQ has sharp features for live and the studio.

Two models offer a choice of size and control configuration. The rack-mountable SQ-5 has 16 onboard preamps, 17 faders and 8 softkeys while the SQ-6 provides 24 preamps, 25 faders, 4 assignable rotary controls and 16 softkeys. Both models support up to 56 input channels via remote expanders and both feature a networking slot for optional Dante, Waves and other cards. An ecosystem of apps, remote expanders, networking cards and personal mixers multiplies SQ expansion and integration possibilities. The new SLink intelligent port allows connection to Allen & Heath’s 96kHz and 48kHz expanders and can link to another SQ mixer, a Qu Series mixer or a dLive system.

In the studio, an SQ mixer can become a plug ‘n play, Core Audio or ASIO compliant, 32×32 96kHz audio interface, with MIDI and DAW control capabilities. To complement an SQ mixer’s built-in EQ, compression and effects, users can add Allen & Heath’s optional boutique plug-ins while the mixer’s DEEP processing architecture maintains <0.7ms latency.

The SQ Series and other Allen & Heath digital mixing systems will be on display in Booth 11110, Hall A at NAMM.

Stealth Sonics In-Ear Monitors: After a sneak preview at AES, we were sold on the comfort and sound of Stealth Sonics. Straight out of Singapore and informed by the founders’ history in aerospace and medicine, their innovative line of precision-tuned universal and custom in-ear monitor systems (IEM) are officially unveiled at this year’s NAMM Show, Booth #11248.

At The NAMM Show, Stealth Sonics will debut a series of three systems, each available in both universal-fit options and custom-molded versions that take advantage of second-bend impressions to conform precisely to the inner ear canal, for superior fidelity, minimal acoustic interference and perfect fit:

Stealth Sonics’ flagship U9 features a nine-driver design.

U2 & C2: A two-driver hybrid design for a warm, smooth, musical sound.

U4 & C4: A four-driver, pure balanced armature (BA) design for punchy bass, silky midrange and crystal-clear highs.

U9 & C9: Flagship nine-driver, hybrid high-performance design featuring a precision-calibrated, large-diameter dynamic driver together with Super-High drivers, for extreme detail, precision and clarity.

All universal-fit in-ear monitors come with the Khameleon Skinz®, the world’s first interchangeable screw-on faceplate accessory that incorporates Stealth Damping® technology. Other available accessories include an array of eartips in various sizes and styles, and detachable silver-wire, copper-wire, lightning, USB-C and Bluetooth cables tailor the sonic experience to the user’s lifestyle.

Users can choose from dozens of colors and accessories, and even feature your custom artwork to express your unique style or brand. All Custom IEMs feature either a dual or triple-bore sound aperture. Stealth Sonics finishes are highly-polished, seamless unibody designs. All Custom IEMs come with a 30-day refit policy.

New Audient iD44 audio interface: British manufacturer Audient has released its latest, and to date most powerful desktop audio interface, iD44.

Four Audient Class-A console mic pres offering 60 db of gain, all new class-leading converter technology, options for digital expansion, new intuitive, mix-focused software specifically designed for ease of use when managing large sessions, an impressive potential I/O of 20in / 24out and an all-metal build, providing the basis of the complete recording studio.

The Audient iD44 sure looks like a good iDea.

The ADAT inputs and outputs give the user flexibility to grow their studio, enabling the addition of up to 16 extra channels of mic pres – ideal for bigger sessions such as tracking a live band or mikng up a drum kit. Channels 1 & 2 also feature two fully balanced insert points.

Audient’s upcoming Windows drivers update will also provide significant performance enhancements, allowing for reduced buffer sizes and operation at lower latency, giving customers reliable software as well as hardware.

See iD44 at NAMM at booth #10602. iD44 is expected to ship in the first quarter of 2018 and will retail at £499.99 inc VAT, €569 inc Local VAT and $699 MAP.

Augspurger launches Solo 8 monitor: Augspurger precision, clarity and impact are now available in the compact Augspurger Solo 8, which brings a new nearfield monitoring experience to smaller environments and offers a portable solution to those who insist on having genuine Augspurger monitoring for their remote projects.

Smaller and quite mighty: The Augspurger Solo 8 near field monitor.

Each compact Solo 8 cabinet (16”W x 20.675”H x 17.5”D) utilizes an 8” carbon fiber-loaded paper cone low/mid woofer ensuring tight bass and clean focused midrange performance. A 4” 99.97% pure beryillium diaphragm is matched to Augspurger’s proven MidFocus “MF” solid rock maple horn, found on their other MF series monitors.

The Solo 8 is powered by an Augspurger D-Class DSP plate amp delivering 500W LF/250W HF horn, ensuring plenty of headroom with very low distortion. On-board DSP allows for personalized and optimized acoustic room integration. Visitors can see and hear the new Solo 8 at Booth 15106.

With over 18 standard models available, plus custom design solutions, Augspurger provides cutting edge monitoring systems along with comprehensive studio and acoustic design and integration services via its partner companies within The PAD Group.

Fostex introduces T60RP Audiophile headphones: The Fostex T60RP is the culmination of a long heritage of Fostex RP-technology headphones dating back to the mid 1970’s. The new T60RP has been modified and tuned especially for audiophile listening and features beautiful wooden cups and a balanced connection.

Fostex’s proprietary RP diaphragms feature a planar magnetic/orthodynamic design with wide frequency reproduction, superior transient characteristics, and high input tolerance for an exceptional listening experience. The beautiful wooden housings, made of gorgeous matte-finished African mahogany, add depth and character to the sound of the RP diaphragm. The T60RP also features a genuine leather head pad and newly developed circumaural (around-the-ear) ear pads offering a great fit and superior comfort for fatigue-free long-term listening.

So deluxe: The new Fostex T60RP.

The T60RP’s newly-implemented, straight-type detachable connector conveniently fits standard unbalanced connections. And, for today’s world where balanced digital audio players and headphone amplifiers are more prevalent than ever, users can upgrade the T60RP with a variety of optional cables featuring different balanced connectors.

The T60RP will be available in the United States starting in early February 2018, with a projected street price of $299.99. See and hear these new headphones at American Music and Sound’s Booth 11110, Hall A.

Rainger FX Reverb-X guitar pedal: Rainger FX are exhibiting at booth #3538, Hall D, where they’ll be launching their cutting-edge guitar effects, custom-made in the UK. Bent on incorporating new ideas and approaches in everything they do, they are releasing the Reverb-X at NAMM, a highly unusual digital reverb mini-pedal with a unique real-time controller.

Main points of the Reverb-X:

It has a ‘distortion’ knob to blend in overdriven reverb for smouldering atmospherics (original signal stays clean).

It also has an extreme noise gate built-in, which can create dramatic ‘edited guitar sample’ effects.

‘Igor’ – the pressure pad controller – works like a reverb ‘aux send’ on a mixing desk; add reverb to individual notes on-the-fly!

The Reverb-X has just two main reverbs. Founder David Rainger says: “We’re just not interested in endless flavors of reverb! What’s really exciting is what you do with it – how you process and control the sound….”

Double down on mixing precision: Sonnox launches the VoxDoubler.

Sonnox VoxDoubler, the first plugin from their new Toolbox range: Sonnox has just announced the release of the VoxDoubler, which also marks the debut of the revered plugin creator’s new Toolbox range. (It is available now to try free for 15 days and to buy exclusively from their store.)

Sonnox’ Toolbox range has been conceived to solve universally complex and time-consuming problems that affect beginners and audio professionals alike. The VoxDoubler is comprised of two separate Plug-Ins called Widen and Thicken which are engineered to help with the two most common vocal doubling workflows.

The VoxDoubler will be on display during NAMM 2018 at booth 14003 in the new Software Hall and at the IMSTA MainStage at the following times (PST): Jan. 25^th, 12:00 – 12:20; Jan 26^th, 2:30 – 2:50

THE GRAMMYS

Private parties are going to be all over the place, from studios to entertainment venues that are taking part in this Haley’s Comet of musical flagships. And remember, if you can’t make it out to any of these (or you’re not invited!), GRAMMY Week culminates with the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, airing live on CBS at 7:30 p.m. EST.

NYC sez: The GRAMMY Awards are BACK!!!

An Evening with RADD: One fiesta everyone can take part in, while contributing to a good cause, is “An Evening with RADD,” benefitting the Entertainment Industry’s “Voice for Road Safety.” Taking place Wednesday, January 24^th, at the DL on Delancey Street, this will get you through Hump Day and on your way to the GRAMMYs in a big way.

Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing GRAMMY Week Celebration Honoring Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz: This is an INVITE-ONLY event, but we couldn’t resist gripping you with the glamor of their night at the Rainbow Room on Thursday, Jan. 25^th being held by the GRAMMY P&E Wing. This year they’ll celebrate the careers of industry luminaries Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz at their signature event.

Previous honorees have included 2009—Ahmet & Nesuhi Ertegun; Jerry Wexler; Arif Mardin & Tom Dowd; 2010—Chris Blackwell; 2011—T Bone Burnett; 2012—Jimmy Iovine; 2013—Quincy Jones & Al Schmitt; 2014—Neil Young; 2015—Nile Rodgers; 2016—Rick Rubin; 2017—Jack White

If you want to be in on the action this time next year, get your credits rounded up and apply to join the GRAMMY P&E Wing.

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