2007 Winter NAMM Report
The Show of Shows

Feb 20, 2007 2:18 PM, By the EM Staff

M-Audio announced the GForce Virtual String Machine. This soft instrument is loaded with sounds from string synthesizers of the '70s, including sounds made popular by the likes of Pink Floyd, Jean Michel Jarre, Thomas Dolby, and Goldfrapp. With more than 500 presets, Virtual String Machine emulates over a dozen instruments, including the ARP Omni II, Elka Rhapsody, Freeman String Synthesizer, and Moog Polymoog. The plug-in and standalone instrument lets you layer any two sample sets and add vintage-style phaser and ensemble effects. It's expected soon at a retail price of $149.95.

Mackie released Tracktion 3, the latest version of its cross-platform digital-audio sequencing software. New features include time stretching and pitch shifting, a loop browser, and support of Acid, REX, and Apple Loops. Even with its new features, Tracktion 3 maintains the "all-in-one-window" approach of the previous versions. The program is available in two bundles: the Ultimate Bundle ($319.99) comes with an array of third-part instrument plug-ins and 5 GB of content; the Project Bundle ($129.99) features less-powerful third-party instruments and a smaller sound set. Both bundles include training videos.

Also from Mackie is the next generation of Control Pro studio control surfaces. Its communications protocol allows it to exceed the limitations of the previous generation's MIDI mapping, resulting in faster, deeper, more intuitive control of mixing and plug-in parameters and improved visual feedback. The Control Pro Universal ($1,549.99) is the top of the line, with 9 touch-sensitive, motor-controlled faders; 8 V-Pot rotary encoders; transport controls; and more than 50 assignable buttons. The Control Extender Pro ($899.99) provides an additional 8 channels, and the Control C4's ($1,299.99) 32 V-Pots are most suitable for controlling software instruments and plug-ins. All models will be available in April.

Marshall Electronics added two USB mics to its line: the USB.007 ($219.95) stereo microphone and the USB.008 ($199.95) large diaphragm condenser. The USB.007 uses a stacked pair of the same 0.79-inch capsules used in the 990 and USB.006, but permanently positioned in an x/y pattern. The USB.008 has a 1-inch capsule. Both mics include a selectable attenuation switch and should be available in April, 2007. The company also showed the USB Mic Mate ($59), an XLR-to-USB converter that lets you plug any microphone directly into your USB port.

Going were no company has gone before, Metasonix introduced the TM-7 Scrotum Smasher ($499), a guitar preamp and line-level processor that includes three vacuum tubes in series. You can select either the second or third tube as your output, as well as switch in a feedback circuit that makes things even noisier. Besides the mono I/O, the TM-7 has a CV input for an expression pedal. Even on a noisy NAMM show floor, this module could be heard loud and clear, and it rocked when processing a drum machine.

The latest addition to the Moog Music Moogerfooger line of effects modules is the MF-107 FreqBox, a distinctive audio-controlled oscillator. Instead of modifying the sound of an audio source, you use that source—which could be a synth, guitar, human voice, or whatever—to modulate the FreqBox's sound, which varies from fuzz-like distortion to harmonic sweeps to timbral morphing. The FreqBox will be available before summer for $359. Also on hand were several examples of the Minimoog Voyager Select Series, which allows you to pick any combination of eight wooden cabinets and five backlight options. Inspired by the Electric Blue Edition, selections include Fire, Jade, Lunar, and Solar, with cabinet finishes such as maple, walnut, black, and whitewash. All models of the Minimoog Voyager Select Series are available now for $3,395.

Percussa Audio Cubes made their NAMM debut in Hall E. Each battery-powered, USB-programmable cube has four sensors that interact with the sensors of the other cubes. For the booth demo, the color-coded cubes fired off sampled beats in Ableton Live based on their relationship to each other. However, a greater degree of interactivity is possible when the cubes are used within a programming environment such as Max/MSP. Although the Audio Cubes are not yet available in the States, they are definitely worth watching for.

Plan B showed a full complement of its analog synth modules. Up-and-comers include the Model 27 VC Digital Delay, the Model 16 Spectral Multiplexer, and a more compact version of the Milton Venti sequencer.

PSP Audioware has upgraded its Vintage Warmer multiband-compressor plug-in and has converted the Mac version to Universal Binary. Vintage Warmer 2 ($149, $49 upgrade) uses PSP's proprietary Fat Authentication Technique double-sampled processing. New features include optional brickwall limiting, fast or relaxed release-multiplier ranges, and extended band-saturation levels. The VST version supports 64-bit streaming, and preset management is now platform independent.

One big surprise was the return of Rhodes , minus its previous association with Fender Musical Instruments. Three Rhodes Mark 7 electric pianos were on display and getting plenty of attention. With traditional features such as real wooden keys, a wooden keybed, and the same electromechanical sound production as previous models, the Mark 7 has pitch bend, USB connectivity, XLR outputs, a choice of finishes, and a ventilated humidity system that's supposed to minimize tine breakage. Passive, active, and active MIDI-equipped configurations will be available in 61-, 73-, and 88-note versions. New amplified speakers and a redesigned pedal assembly for past and future Rhodes pianos are also in the works. Rhodes expects availability around the end of 2007, with prices beginning at about $2,000.

The news at the Roger Nichols Digital booth was that Uniquel-izer LE ($69, Mac/Win), the company's powerful but inexpensive EQ plug in is now shipping. Uniquel-izer LE may be the smaller sibling to the company's Uniquel-izer plug-in, but it's still quite powerful, allowing you to have up to seven filters in each instantiation, including parametric, low and high shelf, and lowpass and highpass. It runs in VST, AU, and RTAS formats.

Another big Roland announcement for guitarists was the VG-99 V-Guitar System ($1,399 list, due in May), which models dozens of guitars, amps, and effects. Because it has two signal paths, you can simultaneously play two virtual guitars added to your actual guitar sound, either blending or switching between them. The VG-99's onboard guitar-to-MIDI converter lets you play synths and samplers with your guitar and record tracks into a sequencer. You can summon user-defined tunings, and a new Freeze feature lets you sustain notes or chords indefinitely. The VG-99 features dual D Beams, a ribbon controller, USB connectivity, a S/PDIF output, and XLR and 1/4-inch outputs.

Roland also unveiled its new flagship synthesizer, the V-Synth GT. This top-of-the-line instrument has a dual-core V-Synth engine that offers multiple synthesis techniques. It blends features from the V-Synth XT module, such as Vocal Designer and VariPhrase technology, with new capabilities such as Sound Shaper II for faster programming and Articulative Phrase synthesis, which emulates the changing behavior of instruments as they're being played. Available in May and retailing for $3,299, the V-Synth GT also has a 61-note keyboard, a color touch screen, USB connectivity, and user sampling.

Rubber Chicken Software has ventured into the world of file browsers. Kontakt Assistant ($69.95) is a Mac and Windows utility that promises all the features you wanted but didn't get in the Native Instruments Kontakt 2 browser. You can use Kontakt Assistant's floating window as your browser to load instruments directly into Kontakt. You can assign keywords to instruments and Multis to organize them by category. A sample browser shows you all Kontakt instruments that reference a sample, and you can use it to fix or change sample references. With the Script and Modulator librarians, you can organize and exchange your favorite scripts and modulation schemes.

Samson showed the G-Track ($199), due for May release, which adds a 2-channel audio interface to a USB mic. You can send two channels of external audio through it or send one external channel with the mic signal. The G-Track has a stereo instrument/line input with a gain control and a stereo headphone output for low-latency monitoring. Also announced was the VR88 ($TBA), a passive ribbon mic that comes with a shockmount and aluminum case.