Thomann’s beat-making contest has returned for 2026 and is officially open now.

Prizes are...well, a whole bunch of Thomann goodies, including a Shure large condenser microphone and EastWest Hollywood orchestra bundle. The aim, as ever, is to conjure up the best beat from the raw materials Thomann supplies you with in their sample pack.

Announcing the competition on their website, Thomann describes the pack thus: “From unique instrument recordings and live performances to unexpected textures, field recordings and pure sample magic: this pack is packed with sounds designed to spark ideas and push your creativity further.”

“All you have to do is create an original beat and turn these sounds into something entirely your own. Whether you make boom bap, trap, house, lo-fi, drill or experimental music – we want to hear your unique style and vision.”

The pack features recordings made by Paul Marx, Thomas Opstal, Olha Violinist, Gustavo Strauss, David Lap and Gnarly. Any genre is allowed – the only limitations are that your beat must be between 30 and 60 seconds long and you must use at least three samples from the Thomann pack.

Crucially, though, you are allowed to manipulate the samples in any which way you fancy: chop them up, stretch, reverse, pitch, layer, warp, add effects. Your only limit is your imagination.

The use of any software or hardware is permissible – as long as you use those three samples.

And most importantly, the deadline: you’ve got three weeks to get creative. The closing date for entries is July 12. Entries can be uploaded onto Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and TikTok as long as you use the #ThomannBeatmakingContest hashtag.

To get yourself a sample pack and for all the other relevant information, terms and conditions and all of that palaver, head over to the Thomann website at www.thomann.de.

British icons Massive Attack are as revered as much for their music as for their commitment to the environment. Their Act 1.5 Climate Action Accelerator event in Bristol, UK in 2024 made headlines for its sustainable ambitions.

Among the Adam Curtis-produced messaging and green infrastructure, collaborators Horace Andy, Liz Fraser and Young Fathers performed with the band on classics ranging from Teardrop to Unfinished Sympathy.

Taking inspiration from Massive Attack, the city has since unveiled a new initiative aimed at decarbonising major music events across 2026.

“The event was hugely significant because it showed what can be done when the right expertise, willingness and resources come together,” says Claire O’Neill, CEO of A Greener Future. This not-for-profit company helps organisations, events, festivals and venues go green and played an important role in supporting Massive Attack’s mission.

“The sponsor Ecotricity, the headliner of course, the promoter, management, production team; everyone was on board with the cause to create a super low carbon and greener event at scale without compromise. It was the first time that a main stage of that scale had been powered by a battery without diesel backup, not to mention the entire site.”

The gig proved to be a huge success story, breaking the world record for producing the lowest ever carbon emissions, the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change post-event research revealed.

Attended by more than 32,000 fans, it slashed energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by 98 percent, sold 100 percent vegan food, avoided single-use plastic, and was completely powered by batteries.

With audience travel accounting for almost 80 percent of a live event’s emissions, ticket priority was given to those in the immediate area, electric shuttle buses utilised and rail travel incentivised.

Bristol’s recently unveiled low-carbon scheme aims to build on what the band have started by decarbonising more than 20 major events across 2026 using a similar logistical template.

“The recycling rate was 89 percent, and no general audience car parks were provided along with incentives for public transport,” says Claire on Act 1.5. “The collective effort and clear objective was remarkable and deservedly attracted a lot of media, industry and artist attention.”

In recent years, growing numbers of high-profile bands and artists have started to explore ways to enhance their sustainable live activities.

Coldplay’s Music Of the Spheres tour saw a 59 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared with their previous world tour due to reducing air travel and a commitment to planting a tree for every ticket sold.

Elsewhere, the 1975 played the first carbon-removed arena events at London’s O2 in 2024 while Radiohead, like Massive Attack, have long been green champions, commissioning sustainability agency Best Foot Forward to calculate the carbon footprint of two previous US tours and create a roadmap for future events.

According to stats discussed in UK Parliament, festivals generate 25,800 tonnes of waste, 22,876 tonnes of CO2 and use 185 million litres of water annually, underlining the need for action.

Jamal Chalabi is Massive Attack’s Tour Manager, Head of a Greener Tour and a key player in discussions surrounding live event industry sustainability.

“I’ve been a touring and production manager for over 30 years now and climate change is an issue I’ve long been aware of,” says Jamal. “As a global production manager, you see and experience it every time you travel the world - from turbulent flights to extreme heat to lightning strikes at outdoor events.”

According to Jamal, the live music community used the unwanted pause of Covid to hit reset on a variety of issues around welfare, equality, diversity and inclusion and sustainability. As restrictions eased, he worked with Bring Me the Horizon and Yungblud on their live gigs to implement sustainable best practice.

“The big thing for us as a group of tour and production managers coming together after Covid was to make sustainability seem financially viable,” he says. “As long as everyone got on board and followed the green code, then we thought it would make sense and work financially. On the Bring Me the Horizon tour after Covid restrictions eased, we reduced our carbon footprint trajectory by 38 percent by simply ticking a few boxes and following transport, power, food and waste.”

Conversations surrounding going green have certainly grown louder in recent years, thanks in part to the work of artists like Massive Attack and switched on industry professionals such as Jamal.

At the same time, technological advancements have also come in which make embracing sustainability easier for artists and their production teams.

“Since 2019, the landscape professionalised, and ‘Sustainable Event Manager’ became very much a normal job option, unlike in 2005 when sustainable event management wasn't really a thing yet,” Claire O’Neill explains. “The options now available to events have hugely professionalised too and the suppliers and support services to do things better are there, be that energy, waste management, electric buses, vegan food as standard.”

Taking its name from the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C climate target, Jamal was entrusted by Massive Attack to lead their landmark 2024 event off the back of his work with other touring artists. To start off with, Jamal collaborated with Power Logistics, a company that provided a power plan, to realise what the energy requirements for the show would be. One of the main pillars of their approach was to avoid using any diesel generators which festivals have traditionally relied on.

“We didn’t want to burn any fossil fuels at the festival so we had the pleasure of getting Grid Faeries involved and it was their battery that powered the main stage,” says Jamal.

“All of our power was sourced from Ecotricity who supply 100 percent green electricity, generated by wind and solar power. We then worked with Volta Trucks to move batteries around the site, using these vehicles like energy tankers. We had one charging a truck and battery and then another moving around the site and dumping charge into batteries.”

It was the power plan that allowed Jamal to get a more accurate picture of what energy was required and where in a bid to streamline their requirements.

“The biggest issue is that many production teams come into a festival and give you their power requirements by the size of the plug socket,” he says. “A production might want to ensure there is 1000-amp power capacity on stage but only draw on 250 amps, so there is huge overcompensation. We wanted to counter this by getting a more accurate picture of what we needed - this gave us a better idea of what our battery needs and charge capacity was.”

Initially, Jamal recalls some of the power experts within the production crew being concerned by the reliance on the batteries. This was one of the first occasions that they had been used for an event of this scale.

“A lot of the power guys came on site and were initially really nervous about our approach,” Jamal explains. “However, once we had everything in place, it became apparent how much easier this process was compared to relying on generators. We could very easily monitor the charging status of the batteries, where charge was in terms of the electric trucks, how much power we had - having the data in front of you is key.”

Zenobe is an electric vehicle fleet and battery storage specialist that initially started working in motorsport gaining experience around replacing diesel generators at events with greener solutions. The company worked across various projects before lending their expertise to Massive Attack’s Bristol show.

Zenobe’s team was responsible for sourcing five different types of battery - seven of their own 100kW/150kWh Powerskid, three AMPD Enertainer L 449kWh batteries from Select Plant Hire, two AMPD Enertainer M 172kWh batteries from Select Plant Hire, five Voltstack 5kWh, one 20kW/80kWh EGEN and a 100kWh EGEN, all from Green Voltage. The batteries were put together as ‘farms’ to power different areas of the site while electric trucks would take them to and from the charging site.

“The charging location was at the Ecotricity site about 40 minutes away from the festival,” says Robert Long, Head of Portable Power at Zenobe. “It would have been more efficient to have a charging location that was closer to the event - if you could drive round the corner, you could streamline the logistics.”

“In terms of other learnings, we could have used a smaller battery to power the main stage and the batteries themselves were mobile but not strictly designed to be moved. So for future events, lighter batteries that are quicker to plug and unplug could be utilised. But now we have the experience of putting this together, we can implement these efficiencies to make events like this even more sustainable.”

Now the dust has settled on 1.5, it's clear Massive Attack are spearheading a generation of switched-on headliners attuned to the needs of the environment. Act 1.5 demonstrated that it is entirely possible to run a huge outdoor event entirely from batteries without any diesel generator backup.

According to the Tyndall centre’s post event report, emissions associated with onsite electricity were at least 81 percent lower than the counterfactual show running on diesel generators.

Massive Attack’s event has already seen a significant impact on the live event sector. AEG Present’s LIDO Festival, held in London’s Victoria Park in the summer of 2025, took many of the learnings from Massive Attack on the Downs, as well as A Greener Future's work with them and LS Events over the years on BST Hyde Park and All Points East, to create London's greenest gig of this scale.

The main stage was run on a Grid Faeries battery, this time connected to the grid with green energy from Ecotricity. In 2025, Communion One hosted Idles on Queens Square in Bristol with Impression One and Greener Power ensuring that the site was run on 100 percent battery and grid.

“One of the hardest aspects of sustainability is convincing others to invest in it,” says Jamal on the challenges of working in this field. “We are all aware of what is happening with climate and we know what we need to do - it’s getting everyone facing the same way, that is the challenge.”

“One of the most exciting things with the Downs event was my 'Team of Rivals'; seeing the power companies who would usually work in competition with each other start learning from each other and collaborating. It was great to witness and for me that’s the most exciting thing, to see how we can work together to make a difference.”

Another important element in the success of the Downs event was including sustainability ambitions from the beginning of the event production plans.

“By implementing sustainable best practice from day one, you unfold sustainability with everything else,” Jamal says. “What I would love to see in the future is for events and festivals to avoid running generators overnight at a festival. We have to leave lights and amps on to keep them warm and it’s hugely inefficient to run them like this as well as highly polluting.”

While bands are leading the charge, other organisations are working tirelessly to make a positive impact on the climate. Music Declares Emergency is a group of artists, music industry professionals and organisations that have declared a climate and ecological emergency and called for an immediate governmental response to protect life on Earth. Earth/Percent invites artists and the music industry at large to donate a small percentage of their income to support organisations addressing the climate crisis.

Claire at A Greener Future is busy with a CO2 analysis of Massive Attack’s latest tour while A Greener Future is also digitising its certification and analysis tools for events.

“An exciting legacy project from Massive Attack on the Downs is now underway with Act 1.5, WECA, Bristol City Council and Grid Faeries x Ecotricity, which includes the Battery Hub project with 20 events which was announced in November, and the ongoing electrification plans to connect key Bristol event sites to grid,” Claire says on future endeavours for her and the industry.

“What the Massive Attack show has done is demonstrated what is possible at scale,” she continues. “Other artists now want and expect the same standards, and this is something we're experiencing in the appetite from promoters to replicate and build upon what was done there.”

NAMM 2026: With this year’s hotly anticipated NAMM Show looming on the horizon, we felt it was high time we spoke with the recently installed President and CEO, John Mlynczak.

With vast expertise across the music education domain, as well as a stint driving learning at PreSonus Audio, Mlynczak’s appointment in early 2023 marked a real statement of intent. At that time, the future of NAMM was looking somewhat bleaker following the industry’s painful readjustments post-COVID.

With John at the helm, NAMM’s year-round educational offerings - and people-first attitude - have been key factors in its annual winter show regaining both its attendance and its importance to the wider industry. As John explains, this year’s show is already well on course to exceed previous records across a range of metrics.

We caught up with John to learn about his experience of leading NAMM so far, and his view on some of the key industry concerns that will undoubtedly be on everybody’s lips at the Anaheim Convention Center this year…

MusicRadar: Hi John, can you take our readers through your career prior to becoming NAMM’s CEO. How did that journey lead to this position?

John Mlynczak: “I just was fascinated by musical instruments my whole life. I was going to music class in elementary school, and my dad was playing in bands. I'd play guitar at home and play the piano at home - I would just play anything I could put my hands on! This love of instruments carried on all through school.

“When it came down to college, I did music,. When it then came on to grad school, I wanted to go and do a masters in music.

“So, I think my career is really three stories. The first story is just like blindly loving music. [As] a kid, I got good grades [in music], went to college, all that. Then I’m gigging all over Louisiana, New Orleans, and I'm like, ‘Okay, wait a minute, this is great, but what's next?’

“I went back and got a second masters in education. There was something in my brain percolating when it came to music education and technology, because this was the time when the iPad came out in 2010 and everyone had GarageBand at their fingertips.

“Suddenly, every kid had a music creation tool. You had online platforms like Noteflight too, enabling people to go on and write music online. So suddenly [I felt] we should be teaching this stuff.

“So I started teaching it at my school, but it wasn’t an approved course on any state level. So I went to the state, got it approved. I wrote curriculum and started doing presentations. Eventually, I got a job at PreSonus, as they were looking to get into music education space.

“[At PreSonus] we kind of made up this job. We didn't know what to call it. I think we called it Music Education Market Manager, which eventually was like Director of Education. The thinking with that role was, that if we taught people how to educate students in audio creation and music production, then we can grow a market. And, if we do it with our products, they'll use our products.

“That was my first time in the industry. So that's like ‘story two’ of my life. I left teaching, joined this industry.

“So, I joined in January. They said, ‘Go to LA, you're going to the NAMM show’. I said, ‘What's a NAMM Show?’

“I attended my first NAMM Show in 2013. It was an interesting moment there, because for me, it was [the culmination] of everything I had done all my life to date. I’d been a working musician for years and never knew NAMM existed! I was actually mad when I saw the scope of what the NAMM Show was.

"I’d never thought about where instruments come from; I just thought a mummy trumpet and a daddy trumpet fell in love! But no, someone makes these things.

“I then got a job at Hal Leonard through different relationships. I was hired to run Noteflight, which is one of the technologies I started using as a teacher. I ended up moving to Boston because Hal Leonard had bought that company.

“I then got involved with NAMM’s advocacy and the NAMM foundation. I was working a lot with dealers across Hal Leonard's network. I was traveling to every conference, doing all these sessions. So I just got to know a lot of people. I developed a deep love of the industry, I was lucky to be able to run companies. I was able to get leadership positions and had really great mentors, it was just a great ride."

MR: When did the NAMM leadership position come up?

JM: “People kept asking me, and, at that point, I was 39 years old. I [thought], ‘I can't do this job’ . But more people kept asking me. I said, ‘Well, put in my name.’

“At that point, NAMM was going through a big transition. Everyone was talking about the death of trade shows, and asking if NAMM was still relevant in the world of influencers. The NAMM CEO position is the only job I've ever interviewed for - every other job in the industry was a position that a company created for me, [usually] because we had a new idea. We were going to do something that wasn't done before.

“So, I didn’t know how to make a resume and I have to apply for a real job. In the interview process, it turned out that a lot of the conversations were around how we adjust to where things going to be in ten years. How does NAMM use modern technology?, and how does NAMM as a show - and as an organization - serve more people? How do we create a platform for year-round engagement? It’s not just about [the shows] anymore, it's about being an association platform.

“I actually had done those things before. So it turned out I got the gig. It's been almost three years now, and it's been great. We've been able to transform a lot of our technology at the show. We've been able to get a new audiences at the show, expand out our education offerings.

"We're announcing new NAMM NeXT [online sessions] for 2026 at the show. Just the things we're doing now mean we're reaching more people. It turned out that every conversation and everything I’d done in the industry for ten years was actually a job interview!

“After [the initial interview rounds], I got to the full committee and, man, they had talked, they had talked to so many people about me. I just remember leaving that call. [I was glad] I hadn’t done anything real stupid over the past ten years or said anything mean!”

MR: Was it a point of priority for you to infuse that educational ethos that had guided your career into NAMM and its surrounding culture?

JM: “NAMM already has a long history of education, it was doing education sessions back in the 1950s and ‘60s, so it’s part of the history of NAMM, but yeah, for me education is something I’m passionate about. We’re an industry where employees need to grow. So, it’s like our mission [at NAMM] is to strengthen the music products industry. Then we strengthen the people in the industry to be better.

“At my first speech at my first NAMM show, I said ‘we’re not the 'music products' industry, we’re the 'music people' industry’. That’s what we need to remember. We’re in the people industry. That’d definitely a theme that NAMM is driving a lot.

“We want to know, who are the people at the show? Who do they interact with, Who are we educating? Who are the people at these companies - we provide many tools to help link them in with what we offer.

“I talked to the board about it, because our association was always built on like member companies - and in [the old days] companies were defined as building, when you had a retail store etc. But now it’s different. I was like ‘Guys, we’ve got to to serve brains not bricks. We’re not serving brick and mortar we’re serving people.”

MR: What is your attitude to the growth in AI - particularly generative AI in the music production domain? I know there’s a lot of discussion around the topic at the upcoming show

JM: "Yeah, it's the thing of the day. I mean, look, when the internet came out, there were a couple of people that were like ‘Ah, no one's gonna put anything on that box. It's not going anywhere’ and there’s people today [who think] AI is just another example of ‘it’s not going anywhere’.

“Where are we in the AI cycle of new innovation - I think we're definitely in the messy experiment, let's try a bunch of stuff and overuse it-phase.

“AI [right now] is like a chef with a new spice - and all of a sudden it's like, ‘no, everything tastes like cumin! Stop!'

“But I do think that it's not going anywhere. When I look at our industry's evolution, I think the quicker we embrace it, the quicker we get through this ‘messy’ phase. It’s going to disrupt some of the ways we used to do stuff, but it's going to create opportunities that we can't even imagine right now.”

“So we embrace AI. You see it in education, you see it in the companies. It's not our place as the association to decide, you know, what's good and bad. It's definitely our place to propel an industry forward."

MR: Obviously after COVID there was a significant scale-back of the size of the show, would you say that NAMM has now regained its full strength?

JM: “Oh, yeah, we're definitely back in a position of strength. Obviously there was no show in 2021, and then, you know, quite frankly, putting a show in June of 2022 and April of 2023 didn't help either.

"Hindsight is absolutely 20/20 moving the NAMM Show around, but the timing just didn't work. So we basically had three years of complete, utter disruption. So we get back to January in 2024, but also, you know, you still had some big companies not there. So we invited them. And we had, we had really big conversations.

“They were all there because they met with me personally. I begged them. We said, ‘what does this look like for you in the future?’ Like, ‘what is the NAMM Show in a world where everyone has a podcast, everyone can launch product, everyone can talk about product all year round. What's the value of the show now? And we really feel confident we're there.

“We're 25% up in registration (as of today) than we were last year. So I don’t know what the final [attendance] figure will be - 70, 75 or 80,000 maybe, we’ll see where the lands. We did make a conscious effort though. We knew that we had to build back.

“The five-day model, with three days of exhibits is one we tried last year that worked really well. So, we expanded upon that. There’s been internal arguments about whether we go full trade or full consumer. What we realised is like both sides of that debate actually want both, but they don’t think they do.

“We had to ask what is a consumer? [Brands] want to reach consumers but don’t want them to waste time in the booth. That’s where the influencer thing comes in. The cool thing about being back now is that we can ask [brands] who they want to talk to - they want industry, they want artists, they want educators and they want influencers. It’s the influencers that have massive reach. So we started bringing in and cultivating these influencer audiences, as we started working with companies on brand experience.

“So, I say we're in a good place because all the companies are saying they're getting what they need out of the NAMM Show. They're seeing who they want to see at the show, but they're reaching millions and millions. Last year we had 40 million views on content created the NAMM Show. It was 24 million the year before that, and it was 9 million the year before that. I've told the team they have to break 50 this year!"

MR: What are some of the new elements that will make NAMM 2026 the strongest show yet?

JM: “Beyond the various awards shows, as far as being around the show, the cool thing is our new app. You can use it to go sector-by-sector. You can say, ‘show me all live events’, or, ‘show me all music education’, ‘show me all retail;. The cool thing is, when you do that and you select, you're going to see a curated program.

“NAMM is not one show, it’s not one audience. We're actually probably 70 audiences that have to find each other.

“We're running 70 events under one umbrella, and our job is to make sure that everyone finds the person they need to - because that's when they're successful.

“[The data we get from the app] can be used to inform our webinars almost every month, and our NAMM NeXT events in Europe. All that's under the hood, that's what we've been working on all year.

"So the new app, new registration, all this stuff, all of it is very strategic, because the more we learn about the people in our industry, the more we can serve them. That’s been my focus since I began. We have to get [more deeply] engaged with the people in our industry.”

“Our industry is built on relationships. It's built on people. It's built on people that trust each other, that have each other's back. And you saw it last year.

“Look, last year was rough on our industry. But our industry supported each other [during the tariff situation in US].

MR: I know you were very involved last year in that [tariff] situation. How has that wider economic and political context affected the show this year?

JM: “Yes, everyone's paying higher. Everyone's paying more to import anything - whether it's a raw material or a finished product and everything in-between. Everyone's paying more. And obviously that has to come out of somewhere.

“But it was a nice pressure test, because we had said a couple of years ago that we were going to get more involved. We're there for industry.

“When the tariff thing happened, we were in Washington, D.C., lobbying with all the guitar manufacturers. We were out there on every webinar and partnered with the Consumer Technology Association, making sure that our brands that make technology were part of that lobby effort.

"We partnered with the National Retail Federation, to make sure our small retail is [on board] We were also in Europe, actually working with European members to actually submit letters against retaliatory tariffs We were all over, everything we could do.

“And look, there wasn't much process, and the only people that got tariff reductions were people that gave watches or golden phones.

“Again, I'm just just repeating what was on the news. At the end of the day, if we. We left no stone unturned. There was nothing left on the field - we put it all out there. One of our metrics is like ‘increase the percentage of companies in our industry that we touch throughout the year’. We blew through all our metrics last year because people needed us. But [it has fostered] deeper relationships too."

MR: This year also marks 125 years of NAMM. That’a a time-span that has seen some quite significant changes to both the industry and the world at large…

JM: “Oh yeah, even in the decade. I mean, you go back to 2016 - a lot's happened. You know, the rise of YouTube, the rise of the influencer, the [prominence] of social media. It was still young in 2016. The election changed the game for how people used targeted ads.

"But when you zoom even further out to see the full 125 years, you start to think like, we’ve always got through it. We’re an industry of music products, and humanity will always want to make music. There were so many bands on tour during World War II. People make music at all times.

“If we were the National Association of Telephone Switchboard Operators or Ice Block Delivery Men, our industry might have disappeared, but we're not. So we're going to be fine.

“Second, we work together. When something happens, we as an industry don't get. competitive, we come together and we come together at the NAMM Show. It where we as an industry sit down and say, ‘what do we need?’ And that's why I think NAMM is the longest running national association in the world. So, we’re going to celebrate it.

"We’re going to bring a lot of hope and happiness to our industry. We’re excited."

For our latest NAMM 2026 coverage, make sure you bookmark our rolling NAMM live blog, which will cover all the new products, key events and significant moments of this year's show as they happen.

I probably lust after music gear more than most. Yes, of course I realise that it's not just about the hardware or software you use that makes your music great, and that your creativity, imagination and musical chops are the main factors that open the doors up to successful music making. But as I lack all three of those, I more than make up for it by buying gear, and if I can get the same gear that my heroes use, then all the better.

My particular heroes started out as Kraftwerk, after seeing them at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1981, at the tender age of just 14. That gig changed my life and put me on a path to writing about synths, bands, synth bands, and more synths, which I've been following for the last four decades. And when I met/stalked the band's co-founder, Florian Schneider, at Superbooth a few years ago, I told him just that, during the only conversation I have ever had with a famous musician where I would describe myself as resembling a giddy teenager. (Luckily, security was called and I was led off before I could make too much of a fool of myself.)

So when Florian died in 2022, I wrote this about him, and when an auction of many of his possessions took place this month, including a wide array of instruments and studio gear, I was the first to turn up, credit card in hand. The only problem was, it was my first ever auction, and it would end both brilliantly (gear) and terribly (bank balance).

“Never meet your heroes,” they say. That's wrong, they've all been lovely. They should have said, “never buy your heroes' gear” instead.

To say I got a little overexcited is an understatement. This article is the result, not only because I learned some hard lessons so you don't have to, but because I've had to un-retire, thanks to the bill I now have to pay. So here's the story of how I went to an auction to buy some studio chairs, but came back with loads of the contents of a legend’s studio instead.

Starting sensibly

A wise auction goer – which I thought I was to start with – goes through the entire auction catalogue and decides way before what items to focus on. And with more than 450 in this case, there was a lot to get my head around.

The first ever synthesizer that Kraftwerk bought, an EMS Synthi A Suitcase, was an obvious target, but had a selling estimate of between $15 and £20k, well out of my price range.

So I set my sights on some cheaper items, in what can only be called a random scattergun approach that covered drum machines, synths, outboard gear, even mixers. I recently sold a lot of studio gear so pretty much have to start again from scratch, so why not use some of an ex-Kraftwerk member's gear to do just that, I thought?

This meant I was looking at simple 16-channel mixers, controller keyboards, even sunglasses that lit up (yes, really). As an ex-middle-aged-man in lycra, I even considered a road bike (from the band's Tour De France video), but not the VW Camper that ended up selling for over $40k.

The sensible point I am trying to make is that I plan to actually use the gear, something that Schneider wanted to happen to all of his equipment after he passed away.

So far so good. I made a list of some 43 items I was interested in, even putting my maximum bid next to each. I also chose a couple of items I thought only I would be interested in, including four studio chairs with a sleek, industrial design, that were used in Kraftwerk's legendary Kling Klang Studio. How much closer to the band could you get than by having something each of them sat on while recording?

Before the auction started, then, I was armed with a budget, a list, and some maximum bids. The auction was streamed live with – thankfully – an auctioneer who didn't talk like those ones that sell livestock. The process was clear, calm and collected. Unfortunately, I wasn't.

One… two…

I first realised that things would go too far north price wise when a 1930s Telefunken Volks-Trautonium Pre-Synthesizer sold for $38,400, well above its top estimate of $7k. And that Synthi A? Well that went for $115,000, trouncing its maximum estimate of $20k.

By this time I was also annoyed that I hadn't gone for Schneider's oscilloscope, which appeared in several early pictures of him like this one on the back of the Ralf & Florian album.

That went for a shade under $4k, a price that would eventually seem reasonable in the grand scheme of this auction. Instead, I thought I would take a stab at one of the vocoders that Kraftwerk used – after all, Kraftwerk pretty much invented the robot voice, so these could be fabulous buys. That thought quickly evaporated when one went for a mere $256,000.

Now was the time not to panic so of course, I did, although thankfully the auction would end up being around six hours long and it would be some time before my next targets came up: three drum machines which I had put a £3k limit on each, not expecting them to get close.

The first, a 1979 Korg Rhythm 55, sold for $4,500, and the TR-606 for $4k. That left a Korg KPR-77, which Vintage Synth Explorer kindly describes as a '606 wannabe', but I snapped it up in my first purchase for $2k. Even though they sell for a fraction of that, it is an analogue drum machine from the '80s that Kraftwerk used, and it was half the price of the others, so I was feeling OK. Yes, I'm putting a positive spin on things.

Price wise, things were now getting even tougher. Those 16-channel mixers I mentioned sold for $900 and $1,500, way above my $600 maximum bid. Luckily, no-one seemed to notice a third one sitting in a studio rack lot that I did manage to get for around $1,700 – one of the few items to sell under its estimate – and that also included two other effects and a Yamaha FM synth.

At this point I was happy with my lots. I pretty much had what I wanted: a drum machine, synth and a mixer, albeit not quite the classic gear you'd necessarily associate with the big K. Perhaps I should have departed at this point with a relatively decent bank balance still intact.

Then it went crazy

Prices started to go sky-high after this, with a short wave radio I had my eye on selling for over $10,000, and a couple of Korg PS synths that I had fantasised about getting shifting for around $20k each. Then the 'Ruhe' electric Kling Klang 'Recording' studio sign (which I had thought would be popular) sold for nearly $20k while the studio clock – another item I thought I could snaffle up while no-one noticed – sold for $16,000.

Even a dentist's chair, one of many odd items to feature (including a giant plastic fly) sold for $1,600, although that is about the price of a filling in the UK now, so could be considered 'a bit of an earner'.

Then it was time for the studio chairs. I wanted them so much I even broke my own 'maximum bid' rule, but, alas, was unfortunately outbid by another eagle-eyed studio boffin. After a promising start, things were starting to go wrong.

The next item to catch my eye was a 1950s filter, but that went for over $5k. After way too many saxophones, we arrived at three sets of studio speakers, two of which were actually employed at Kling Klang and have appeared in a couple of rare KK photos.

The first, a set of cinema-style speakers, sold for close to $30k, so I wasn't too confident on my target, some classic JBLs that the band used in Kling Klang from 1980 onwards. However, by this time, I was panicking that I didn't have any actual Kling Klang gear, so when these stalled at my maximum bid, I bought them.

The lesson here is to check the size of the gear you buy… before you buy it. At 80kg a piece and a metre tall, these are not your average nearfields, and will likely cost the same again to ship them to me, but with second-hand prices for the individual speakers being anywhere between $5k and $10k I still think I might have got a bargain, although ask me again once they have arrived.

Synths!

And so we actually get to the point of what I wanted: a synth. Yes, I'd bought a TX81z as part of that rack lot, but that FM module is hardly a Moog is it? Luckily, there were two further options that I was targeting. The first was a reverse key Korg Poly 800, an 8-voice polyphonic analogue synth that is a hidden gem to my ears, and sells for silly money (as in silly cheap). Importantly, it was also the first synth I ever played back in the '80s, so to get Schneider's would be a full circle moment for me, and in more ways than one. Luckily, it snuck in at just under my maximum bid so I managed to get it.

Finally, I had Schneider's Roland XP-80 as my last synth target. Again, this is an undervalued beast, basically a Jupiter 8 in rack form. With those synths selling for anything north of $10k, I was willing to go up to $6k but managed to get it for $4.5k (plus fees).

Lessons learnt?

I ended up with three synths, two pieces of outboard gear, a mixer and some (very large) speakers – a haul that could be construed as a studio, of sorts. Yes, I'd clearly overpaid for some items, and possibly underpaid for some, but there's a big BUT coming right at you… or me. Fees are the killer. In this case you had to add a mighty 28% on top of the selling price for the auction fees, and then there's the small matter of getting the stuff shipped. I've spent a lot, well into five figures from my pension pot. That might increase rapidly with Trump's tariffs and those shipping fees.

I'd say, then, that buying gear from any auction can be a way to snap up bargains, but you need to factor in all of those extras before deciding on your maximum bid – in this case basically doubling the sale price – to get that gear to you.

Obviously, the iconic ex-owner is going to be a future factor in these prices, and is likely only to add value, but in this case, I am also finding comfort in the fact that Schneider wanted his gear used, and I will certainly do just that, even though my pension has vastly diminished and I might end up on the streets busking with it.

Oh, and if you fancy some enormous speakers…

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced its list of 2025 inductees, and it’s good news for Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden and The White Stripes.

All of the above artists will be admitted to the Hall in the Performer category - some of them posthumously, obviously. Pioneering female hip-hop duo Salt-N-Pepa and singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, meanwhile, will both make it through the door by virtue of winning the Musical Influence Award.

There are three Musical Excellence inductees, too: Philly soul supremo Thom Bell, session pianist Nicky Hopkins and bass legend Carol Kaye. The Ahmet Ertegun Award will go to producer and music industry executive Lenny Waronker.

“Each of these inductees created their own sound and attitude that had a profound impact on culture and helped to change the course of Rock & Roll forever,” said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “Their music gave a voice to generations and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”

Nominees who failed to make the cut this year include Oasis, Mariah Carey, Phish, Joy Division/New Order, Billy Idol and The Black Crowes.

The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction will take place on Saturday 8 November at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. You’ll be able to watch it live - with performances from some of the inductees, presumably - on Disney+.

Learn To Play, the event billed as the UK’s ‘biggest free music-making weekend’ has been confirmed for the second weekend of October this year.

Organised by the charity Music For All, the aim of Learn To Play – as its name suggests – is to encourage both new and lapsed musicians to enjoy the benefits of music making as well as championing music providers, whether they be community groups, music shops or music teachers.

We all know that music education at school is under threat. Fewer though are aware of the health and well-being benefits of being able to play music, as well as the economic benefits it brings to the country.

Sonja Banerjee, the General Manager of Music For All explained: “Engagement with performance-based art, particularly participation in music, has been very well documented over the years as being linked to reductions in depression, anxiety and pain and improved quality of life for many people. Learn to Play activities are needed now more than ever and through these regional music making events, we aim to support vital UK music providers, as well as inspire as many people as possible in experiencing the unique joys and benefits of music making.

“The arts enrich our lives, our community and economy, as well as improving our mental health. At Music for All we make it our mission to support disadvantaged music makers with financial resources to access music making, and Learn to Play is a fundamental part of this work.”

Learn To Play has been extended to four days in 2025 – it kicks off on Thursday 9 October and runs to October 12 – which the organisers hope will lead to more events. “We want to engage anyone who is passionate about widening access to music making so as many people as possible are able to join in the UK’s biggest free music making weekend,” said Banerjee.

So Music For All are encouraging music schools, teachers and just ordinary musicians to get involved. ‘Taking part in Learn to Play was an incredible experience that went beyond just teaching music,” says Errol Bignall, Head Of Community Engagement at Communities First which hosted a Learn To Play event last year.

“It brought people together and strengthened community connections. Seeing participants of all ages and backgrounds unite through music was truly inspiring. The enthusiasm didn’t stop at the event; many expressed a keen interest in continuing their musical journey, which has now become a key part of our Community cafe. We’re excited to keep building on this momentum, ensuring that music remains an accessible and transformative force in our community.”

So if you’re up for doing something similar and contributing to this year’s event go to Learn To Play Provider webpage here and submit a registration form.

There’s currently less than 20 hours to go before AllSorts Festival’s 100-Hour DJ Marathon, a new event aiming to raise cash for the Zero Gravity Fund, funding social mobility concerns and fun, fair education for young people throughout the UK.

And with the event being entirely watchable and enjoyable online, all you’ve got to do to help out is spare a few moments in between the action to visit the charity’s GoFundMe page to give what you can and show your appreciation.

And just by watching or chipping in you can say you’ve been part of a world record attempt as the event aims to smash the record for longest non-stop DJ livestream.

Adventures on the wheels of steel

Put together by the Zero Gravity Fund, transforming the futures of talented students from low-opportunity backgrounds across the UK, and AllSorts, the London-based events company which hosts a three-night festival in Malvern each summer, the event brings together DJs from across the country for an unprecedented endurance challenge.

Their DJ Marathon will be live-streamed in high definition video and top quality continuous audio from Mile End, East London via the AllSorts Festival website with the goal of smashing a 100-hour record.

And viewers on the stream can get involved by taking part in audience participation games, learning from the guest speakers (including finding out more from students who are currently supported by the Zero Gravity Fund) and – of course – donating via that GoFundMe page.

All money raised will fund Zero Gravity Scholarships, removing economic barriers to the opportunity of under-funded students and unlocking their academic and career potential.

Spinning a world record

"We believe that every young person, regardless of their background, deserves the opportunity to succeed," says Nick Byrne, co-founder at AllSorts of Tunes. "The AllSorts World Record DJ Marathon is our way of contributing to a more equitable future, where education empowers all.”

Meanwhile Shiv Patel, Head of Scholarships, Zero Gravity said: “We’re so excited to partner with AllSorts of Tunes on their World Record DJ Marathon to raise funds for Zero Gravity Scholarships.

“Music has always brought people together and driven change – and this collaboration is no different. Together, we’re backing diverse talent from every corner of the UK and helping them launch into life-changing careers.”

The event starts at 11am on 9 April and runs right through to 3pm on 13 April and so far features appearances by Ragga Twins, Tommy Villiers, Michelle Manetti, Kyah Fyah, Scruz, Loai, XDBR, Jive Talk, Dutty Moonshine, Cable!, Kenny Blacksmith, Case, Mamba, XODOS, Baby Rollen, AllSorts Festival residents, and many more to be announced.

Here’s that GoFund me link one more time and be sure to check out the livestream at AllSortsOfTunes.com.

Aiming to put London’s Denmark Street back on the musical map, as not only a place to browse music stores and soak up a little London culture, but also meet with like-minded collaborators and create tomorrow’s great new music, comes a new writer’s retreat event.

It's the result of a partnership between Outernet, the music, culture and entertainment district in central London and Trans Atlantic Artists, with their very first Denmark Street Songwriters Retreat event taking place on Sunday 23 March 2025.

And during the week, each evening, the group of writers will perform "a song share" in different locations on Denmark Street.

Outernet has been hard at work restoring Denmark Street’s most iconic shops, creating new live venues such as HERE and The Lower Third, and bars including Thirteen and Dram and this new venture is their latest move in reestablishing the iconic street’s stature.

Rounding out the week will be a candlelit concert at the Poet’s Church in St Giles In The Fields which will showcase all the songs made by the collective writing group during the week.

Big names, big talent, big aspirations

The retreat’s curator will be Beth Nielsen Chapman who, as a two-time Grammy Award nominee, has written hits for the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Bette Midler and Elton John.

Plus, artists confirmed attending the retreat include Graham Gouldman, one of the founding members of 10cc and the co-writer of immortal hits including I’m Not In Love, and singer-songwriter Judie Tzuke.

Also in attendance will be English folk guitarist and singer John Smith, singer songwriter Donna Taggart, Finlay McCarthy of Glasgow-based band Walt Disco, London-based Americana artist Our Man In The Field (AKA Alex Ellis) and London-based music producer, songwriter, and artist Atticus Blue, alongside new writers being nominated by PEER (the last music publishers resident on Denmark Street), The BRIT School, HelpMusicians and Busk in London.

"Inspiring the next generation to write, create and record”

Producing the group’s output will be Trudie Myerscough-Harris, a song-writing retreat veteran from the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation.

“It's our passion to bring songwriting back to the historic heart of the West End and refocus the spotlight on the heritage of London's "Tin Pan Alley"- a mecca for musicians and the music industry,” said Myerscough-Harris.

“Established and emerging songwriters will collaborate in WC2 to continue this creative legacy and inspire the next generation to write, create and record.”

“Denmark Street is a very important part of the Outernet district and we have seen multiple new music shops open over the last couple of years alongside the much loved established stores,” said Philip O’Ferrall CEO Outernet.

“Without songwriters there is no music industry so we are very proud to have established this retreat in such an apt location.”

For full details and how to enter head to outernet.com/denmark-street

The list of recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award for next year’s Grammys has been released, and it includes a number of figures who are sadly no longer with us.

They include Prince, who (how can we forget?) died in 2016, Maze frontman Frankie Beverley, who passed in September, and The Clash - Joe Strummer shuffled off this mortal coil some 22 years ago yesterday.

All three will have to ‘receive’ their awards posthumously. Fortunately, the Grammy Academy haven’t left it too late with the other names on the list, which include gospel singer Dr Bobby Lee, rapper Roxanne Shante, blues singer Taj Mahal and Frankie Valli, who is still performing at the grand old age of 90.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in a statement: “It’s an amazing privilege to honour this eclectic group of music icons during the year’s biggest week in music.”

“Each of this year’s Special Merit Award recipients has left an indelible mark on music, from paving the way for others to innovation that forever has changed the trajectory of the musical landscape. We can’t wait to celebrate this group and their achievements in February.”

Meanwhile, Glyn Johns, who at 82 is also still with us, is set to receive the Trustees Award, which is given to “ individuals who have “made significant contributions, other than performance, to the field of recording”. Johns certainly fits the criteria. The veteran producer has enjoyed a glittering career, producing a long list of iconic artists, including The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, The Who and Led Zeppelin to name but five.

The Grammys are scheduled for February 2 next year. Beyonce leads the way with 11 nominations, the most ever for a female artist in a single year. Charli XCX and Post Malone are both nominated in eight categories. The Beatles’ Now And Then is notable for being the first song produced with AI assistance to be nominated for a Grammy. And Jimmy Carter is the oldest-ever nominee – the 100 year old ex-President has been nominated in the Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording (yes, there is such a category). Carter is not expected to attend the ceremony.

If Black Friday and Cyber Monday somehow passed you by and you've got a serious case of missing out, don't worry. We covered the entire event from start to finish and there are still plenty of big savings to be made, with most sales continuing into early December for last-minute gifting.

We won't sugarcoat it, you've definitely missed out on some great deals this year but whether you forgot someone from your list, or you just wanted to get yourself something else with a little extra budget you didn't think you had there are still some great opportunities still hanging around. Over at Sweetwater Cyber Monday sale is still very much alive and kicking, offering up to 70% off loads of great music gear.

How long these sales will hang around, we're not sure, so if you are late to the party don't hesitate any longer before picking up your favorite gear, it likely won't be discounted again for a while.

In this article, the MusicRadar team has rounded up all the best savings that are still out there, and if you want more great deals then head over to our Cyber Monday music deals page for more savings.

🥇 Editor's picks

🎛️ Home studio deals

🎹 Keyboard and synth deals

🛠️ Software deals

🎸 Guitar deals

🥁 Electronic drum deals

📱 Streaming deals

📚 Lessons deals

Ending soon: more still-live Cyber Weekend sales

• B&H Photo: Mics, monitors, headphones
• Fender Play: 50% off a one-year sub
• Fender store: 50% off Cyber Week sale
• Guitar Center: 50% off Cyber Monday Doorbusters
• Guitar Tricks: 1 year for only $99 + free gifts
• IK Multimedia: Huge iLoud monitors sale
• Musician's Friend: Best-ever CM 70% off sale
• Sweetwater: Huge 70% Cyber Week savings
• Plugin Boutique: 75% off iZotope Neutron 5
• Positive Grid: 50% off Cyber Monday sale
• Waves: 3 plugins for $49.99

We all know that overnight successes are a rarity in music, but in today’s landscape, it seems that artists, and particularly bands, are having to put in significantly more time, effort and - importantly - money into their endeavours, before they can start to reap the rewards

Recently, we reported on the shocking statistics that indicate that bands are not achieving the same level of sales, chart placements or cultural critical mass that they once did. A significant reason for that is surely the decline of traditional routes to achieving success, namely, the all-important grassroots venue scene’s erosion.

Recent figures released by the UK’s Music Venue Trust, indicate the spiralling decline in stark detail. Sam Duckworth (best known by his Get Cape Wear Cape Fly artist monicker) works with the Music Venue Trust, and recently laid out the dearth of viable venues that new bands can hone their craft in. At the Beyond the Music conference in Manchester. Duckworth said, “My first major tour was 54 dates. There's no way I could do a 54-date tour now. What it really means is that fans in certain parts of the country have now either got to travel long distances or hope to be the one non-major city on a tour. So not only are we seeing a crisis in economics, we're also seeing a crisis of access. There are vast swathes of the country where your only option is to travel an hour and a half. Then you factor in that the cost of everything has gone up. The train tickets have gone up. The ticket prices have gone up. The cost of your life has gone up."

The cultural knock-on effect of these across-the-board costs perhaps goes some way to indicating why bands - who traditionally rely on the live circuit more than solo artists - have receded. But, perhaps the recent resurgence of legacy acts from the Britpop-era could go some way to capturing the imaginations of today’s musically-inclined youngsters.

In our recent deep dive into the economics of music-making in the 2020s, we spoke to The Lottery Winners, the Wigan-based four-piece who have generated a massive amount of acclaim from both critics and audiences. Some are even going as far as hailing them as the saviours of British guitar-based music.

Despite the prevailing bleakness in many media reports about the state of bands and venues, The Lottery Winners’ lead singer and songwriter, Thom Rylance has witnessed first-hand a raft of exciting new bands on the touring circuit. He told us; “I don't see any drought in guitar bands on the touring circuit, [actually] playing in independent venues. I think it's the scene is rife at the moment. Actually, I think there's so many great bands that you could go out any night of the week and see one, and that is really refreshing.” Rylance enthuses.

He also expressed his belief that we’re on the cusp of a new wave of guitar-toting acts, inspired by one of the biggest stories in music (and popular culture) this year; “I think we're about to have a big resurgence now in kids picking up guitars, and I think we've got the Gallagher brothers to thank for it. [Oasis] reforming, and the hysteria that surrounded that is just complete testament to how important they are culturally, in both fashion and in music. I think music kind of moves in circles. It's always cyclical, and we're just about to hit the guitar and indie thing again.”

Set to release their fourth album in early 2025, The Lottery Winners know the touring circuit all too well, with their current success resting on a 12-year legacy of playing gigs up and down the country, honing their craft and working second jobs before landing a record deal. “I think the first, you know, 12 years was our preparation, our training,” Thom told us. “It’s where we were learning our craft. We played every kind of gig there is. We were playing in pubs to no-one. We were playing weddings, we were playing just every kind of gig you can imagine.”

"I think without that, we wouldn't be as good as we are live, and we wouldn't be able to, like, handle this really strange world that we've been kind of thrust into.” Rylance told us.

In that time-span, Thom and his band-mates worked day jobs to support their endeavours; “[Music] was always the main thing. Everything else that we did was always to supplement it. Katie used to clean toilets. [When] we signed a record deal with Warner Brothers, she was cleaning toilets on the same day. Because we had to do that. I used to work at Claire's Accessories - piercing ears, which was a weird job. I never wanted to do any of that shit. But, we've had that kind of determination that it was all going to work out.”

Thom told us that, even at their level, touring is still the primary route for generating revenue as a band, “It’s not through streaming. The way we all make a living is being on the road all the time.”

Fore more on the cost of releasing and performing music, read our full deep-dive on the economics of being a music-maker in the 2020s, as well our report on the general decline in bands here.

On this World Mental Health Day, our attention turns both to our own personal feelings and pressures and to the wider mental health impact that is seemingly burnt-in to the stress-laden world of being a musician or part of a musician's crew.

The non-profit wellness and mental health-oriented organisation Backline has a clear aim - to foster a healthier music community. As it marks its fifth year of existence (which coincides with World Mental Health Day) the team are today sending the industry's key decision-makers a message - and demanding clear and coherent action on a range of issues affecting creatives and personnel working in the music sphere.

"Since its founding in 2019, Backline has helped thousands of industry professionals access mental health and wellness care, offering a range of services that address the emotional, psychological and physical challenges inherent to the industry. Through 1:1 Case Management, music industry professionals and family members can receive personalised care plans that include referrals to vetted licensed mental health professionals who understand the music industry, as well as support accessing financial aid and substance use treatment," Backline state.

Over the last five years, the Backline team have generated 1,700+ customised care plans for musicians and industry individuals. It states: "The ripple effect of this impact extends far beyond the individuals served - by supporting one professional, Backline helps entire teams, tours, families, and productions run more smoothly, creating a chain reaction that strengthens the well-being of the industry as a whole."

As issues with mental health management only increase, Backline have built-out a manifesto of action points that the industry needs to adopt asap; "As mental health needs within the industry continue to grow, prioritising mental health care is no longer optional - it is essential to the survival and well-being of those who power the multi-billion dollar industry." Backline says. "Without stronger support, many professionals will continue to struggle in silence. The future of the music industry depends on creating a more sustainable and supportive environment where mental health is at the forefront."

The industry, Backline believes, can take action by engaging with the following three pillars:

1. Fundraise for Mental Health
"Backline needs direct financial support to expand its life-saving programs. Industry leaders can dedicate proceeds from tours, events, or merchandise sales to help fund mental health care for professionals who cannot afford it. Host sweepstakes, auctions, or a $1/ticket campaign to raise vital funds."

2. Share Mental Health Resources
"Make mental health a priority by sharing Backline’s resources within your organisation. Promote Backline’s services in employee newsletters, social media, or backstage at venues. Ensure every professional in your orbit has access to the mental health care they need."

3. Engage Your Community
"Rally your network of artists, managers, and influencers to raise awareness of the mental health crisis. Encourage them to share their own stories, fundraise, or serve as ambassadors for mental health in the industry. Normalise the conversation and break the stigma."

A good case study is that of singer/songwriter Noah Kahan who worked with Backline to develop a tour support program, allowing his band and crew to access education, workshops and wellness efforts spanning their seven-month tour.

On the collaboration, Kahan said, "I’ve always wondered why there isn’t more support in this industry — not just for the artists, or the band, but for the crew, the people working their asses off from 7 in the morning to 2 in the morning. Touring isn’t nine-to-five, and if you’re struggling on the road, it’s really hard to find time to step away and take care of yourself. It’s been really special working with Backline, and knowing that that [resource] is going to be on my tour makes me feel really good.”

Head to Backline's website for more information on their initiative to take action on mental health in the music industry.

U2's astounding recent residency at the newly constructed Las Vegas Sphere was not only a visual spectacle; the immersive 40 live dates were also a showcase for the futuristic spherical venue’s revolutionary live sound capabilities, harnessing beam forming and wave-field synthesis technology.

But behind such a notably audacious live event, at the world’s biggest spherical building, came years of preparation. In an interview for U2.com, the band’s long-standing live sound engineer, Joe O’Herlihy, shared the preparation he undertook to integrate the band’s setup into the mind-boggling new space, and remembers being blown away by the results: “The sound in The Sphere is absolutely phenomenal,” said Joe, who has been on the road with the band for over 40 years.

O’Herlihy shared that Bono began thinking about the then in-development Sphere – and its Immersive Sound System, developed by Berlin company Holoplot – in August 2021. “[Bono asked] if I could go over to Berlin and see if I could break it.” Joe said, of the system. “That has been my brief since year dot. To be perfectly honest, I tried my level best and I couldn’t break it.”

“I went to Leipzig, to the Congress Messe where there was an exhibition of the sound system – the first time they’d put together sixty of these boxes. They had industry types like myself give it a listen. I was scheduled to have a brief demo, but I was so enthused by the whole thing that I actually stayed for the week.”

This incredible setup, dubbed the 'Sphere Immersive Sound' system, is based on Holoplot’s X1 Matrix Array of speakers and encompasses 1,586 fixed speakers, with 300 mobile modules. 99% of which are hidden from view behind the venue's colossal wraparound video screen. The system offers vast control over the sound dispersion in both horizontal and vertical fields. Overall, it comprises 167,000 speaker drivers, amps and processing channels.

Joe brought multitracks of numerous different U2 recordings from various venue types, including outdoor stadiums, the Sydney Cricket Ground and an indoor dome in Seoul, Korea. “I did that to get an idea of the sonic value of all of those. We also played the biggest arena in the world, (the Phillipene Arena in Manilla.)”

These multitracks gave Joe various acoustic situations to work with, but when it came to stress testing the system that promised ‘perfect acoustics’ he was astounded “I ran extremely loud and I ran extremely hard to see if I could break it or now. The sub-bass and all of that energy was second-to-none.”

Joe dubbed the resulting sound a “low-end heaven” which, when delivered at full-pelt gave unprecedented results. “You have to take into consideration that this system was brand new, and hadn’t been used any venue anywhere, so it was a big chance to take. But things like the vocal intelligibility of Bono’s voice… it was almost like he was singing [close to your face]. You feel up-close and personal.”

Coming out of that initial test, Joe wrote Bono and The Edge an email, “My opening line was, ‘this is going to be quite a biblical report’, because this is what happened. My parting shot on it was – 'you guys definitely have to the best the first band into the The Sphere, because this is the future.'”

Thankfully the band agreed with Joe's assessment and U2’s Achtung Baby Live residency spanned an extended run of 40 concerts between 29 September 2023 to 2 March of this year, pulling in over 663,000 people. The concerts were a phenomenal success, and sold both the concept of the venue (which also utilises a 16k resolution wraparound LED video screen to provide a fully immersive experience for concert-goers). It would become the fourth highest grossing concert residency of all time. “We’ve always pushed and pushed, and [decided] we were going to be the first,” said Joe.

Further residencies at The Sphere have included Phrish, Dead & Company and – currently – The Eagles, who have extended their residency until February 2025.

SYNTH WEEK 2024: PĒRKONS HD-01 is a unique live performance and sound design instrument that tears down the borders between drum machine, synthesizer, and drone instrument.

PĒRKONS features four sonically versatile hybrid voices (digital sound engine + analogue multimode filter with overdrive) and a sequencer with simultaneous control over all four percussion tracks.

Each voice has 3 sound engine modes, an HP/BP/LP filter and 8 controls for nuanced sound design, including an internal BBD FX send. All voice parameter settings can be saved as KITS. To add dynamics to the performance, parameter automation is implemented and a modulation LFO can be assigned to all parameters.

For a real thunderstorm, integration with external gear is considered - each voice has a dedicated trigger input, individual output, and FX send and return with 6.3mm jack sockets, along with extensive MIDI implementation. All voices are summed and run through a built-in compressor. 

Time to ride the skies!

We have been pleased to see the enjoyment the PĒRKONS has brought to users worldwide over the past two years! To celebrate its success we have decided to transform the beast by giving it a new demeanour – a timelessly black finish to match our other instruments and to visually complement the dark aesthetic that has become synonymous with Erica Synths modules and desktop instruments all over the world.

PĒRKONS features

• 4 hybrid voices (digital sound engine and analogue multimode filter with overdrive)
• 8 controls per voice
• External trigger inputs for each voice
• Individual voice outputs
• Individual FX sends and returns
• Master FX send and return
• 64 kit and 64 pattern memory + additional memory on the SD card
• Built-in BBD emulation and a compressor
• Modulation LFO with morphing waveforms; up to 8 modulation destinations per voice
• 4 track sequencer, 4 time divisions and 4 time multiplications per track
• Per-step ratchets and probabilities
• Shuffle & groove settings for each track
• MIDI IN and MIDI OUT
• Dimensions: 315mm x 454mm x 90mm (including knob height)
• Weight: 3.7 kg

The Erica Synths team is made of visionaries, engineers, musicians and our most important employee – Tuna the cat. We have been working hard to create Eurorack modules and desktop instruments that make a difference in your workflow, whether for production in the studio, live performances on stage or educational goals in the classroom. 

We strive to offer the highest possible quality in our gear in terms of how it looks, sounds and functions. All instruments are designed and manufactured in Latvia.

Get more information about Erica Synths here. 

Keep up to date with Erica Synths on Facebook, and Instagram.

For many, the appeal of VR headsets might be considered to be the exclusive domain of gamers, with little else to justify the (sometimes intimidating) pricetags. 

There’s also the embarrassment factor that keeps the more self-conscious among us from being seen wearing a chunky headset. But, with the release of Apple’s Vision Pro, a more holistic vision of the VR/AR headset was presented, positioning it not for techies, but as a workflow-assisting, reality-distorting, focus-honing productivity tool.

For music-makers – where productivity and immersion are key – the renewed focus on the potential of VR is incredibly exciting. VR gives you complete control of your visual workspace, and it’s possible to save that setting, and recall it – no matter where you are.

Then there’s the chance to use enormous virtual displays, bigger than you could probably fit into your real-life workspace. Coupled this with the ability to ‘touch’ virtual instruments without a controller in-between and a new way of thinking about music production presents itself. This radical transformation of interface and environment could get you creating previously unimaginable types of track.

The tools: Apple vs Meta

So how do we explore this fertile ground? Since 2019, the dominant mainstream VR option has been Meta’s Quest, the current model being the Quest 3 (£479.99 – meta.com), while in February, Apple released the Vision Pro ($3,499 – apple.com). Both of these are primarily seen as consumer devices, but it’s very possible to create and perform music on the Quest and Vision Pro today. We’ll take a look at some of the specific software shortly.

How you choose between these devices is a matter of budget and taste. The Quest 3 uses an Android-based operating system, and includes two Touch Plus controllers to provide haptic feedback. It’s been around since 2019, so by this point has a decent and diverse app library. Critically, the pass-through quality could be better, and it’s skewed towards Windows compatibility. Apple’s Vision Pro uses visionOS, and no controllers are needed for day-to-day use. It boasts superior image quality, and is compatible with many iPad and iPhone apps, so there’s more than enough to get you started.

It is, however, limited by the usual closed Apple system. The Vision Pro isn’t even marketed as a full VR solution, but we can imagine how that could change before too long.

Wearing a headset when you’re working solo is one thing – it’s another to integrate it with studio gear. It’s pretty fundamental to be able to get your music in and out, right? The Quest 3 makes some of this straightforward, with a 3.5mm headphone jack, and file-sharing over WiFi, USB drives, or a USB-C cable to your computer, and it supports USB-C audio.

The Vision Pro, being an Apple product, has no physical connectivity to speak of at all, relying on the usual Apple cloud/web-based methods for file exchange, and depending on Apple’s low-latency H2 wireless connection for audio output. The Quest 3 and Vision Pro both support avatars, which, along with passthrough, can make the virtual experience feel less isolated. The Vision Pro has its own ‘Eyesight’ feature and Persona avatars to build on this, while the Quest uses Meta avatars, and some apps support the Ready Player Me service.

AR and VR explained

The term ‘Virtual Reality’ was originated by Jaron Lanier, a former Atari employee who went on to found VPL Research, one of the first companies to sell VR hardware (including the groovy VPL DataSuit). When wearing a VR headset, the user is fully immersed in a digital environment, which they can explore either through physical movement, or gestures and controllers. Cameras on the headset are used to capture info about the world around the user.

Then there’s AR – augmented reality – where through those same cameras, a headset allows the wearer to see what’s going on around them in the real world, with digital objects superimposed on that. This is referred to as ‘passthrough’, and can be used for aesthetic or practical reasons. Great value is placed on how clearly passthrough shows the outside world. The Quest 3 is Meta’s first headset with full-colour passthrough while the Vision Pro delivers very high quality passthrough and image resolution – one reason it’s so expensive.

Passthrough quality is also affected by ambient light available, like most cameras. We’ve found the Quest 3 passthrough is a good fit for AR use, brilliant for moving around, but not ideal for tasks like reading text during long work sessions, like in a web browser. For music use, we’ve relished the full immersion of VR in a solo setting, but we’ve come to think of passthrough as an essential when working with other people or interacting with real-world equipment and situations.

The app-makers

One of the clearest implementations of a Vision Pro DAW comes via RipX DAW Pro from Hit’n’Mix. Founder Martin Dawe explains how the company landed in the VR space: “We were doing stem separation and audio editing, using our special ‘Rip’ audio format. It stores all the parts that you need to make waveforms; it’s a bit like MIDI, except it contains all the pitches and in-depth information like the timbre, phase level and panning.

“This means you can do whatever you want with this audio. It’s always been in my mind that it would be best used on a kind of three dimensional interface, because you have the layers of the different instruments, which get hidden a bit on the 2D screen.” 

Martin’s a great believer in the Vision Pro. “At the moment, the Quest seems more like a gaming device, while Apple seems keen to make the Vision Pro a true computing product – the passthrough is really good, for example. I made some other music products, and the Apple versions outsold the Android stuff tenfold. I’m impressed with the Vision Pro. It’s just going to get better, without a doubt, over the next few years until everyone’s going to be wearing them, and the price is actually not bad.”

Dawe is also relatively unconcerned by the Vision Pro’s lack of connectivity. “I believe we are looking at an ultra-low latency wireless future and I suspect Apple will put a great deal of energy into making sure this works well.” 

As far as we’re concerned, PatchWorld (£22.99 – patchxr.com) is the most exciting VR music app on the market, containing everything you need to create music and visuals for a full A/V set. We strongly recommend PatchWorld’s interactive tutorials, as they’re like no tutorials you’ve ever seen, guided by some very eccentric and engaging animated characters.

PatchWorld provides total control over all aspects of the environment; a background can be a sky, texture, solid colour, or simple passthrough. There’s also a library of music devices, including sequencers, synths, mixers, samplers (including the very weird Blooper), and effects, right up to a bizarre collection of sound-making objects, such as a beer bottle, a sausage, and a skull.

Signing up to the PatchWorld Discord gets you access to the latest beta, and to ‘Blocks’, which are core elements that can be used to build devices from scratch, including routing tools, oscillators, virtual strings, and effect elements, objects being linked by dragging virtual cables, Reason-style. Satisfyingly, any element can be placed anywhere in the 360º space. There’s also a library of visual effects, and the giddy thrill of being able to import your own 2D and 3D images.

For those who want to create a hybrid system with headset, computer, and music hardware, PatchWorld includes Ableton Link and wireless MIDI control, via a collection of control interfaces, and the Max For Live PatchWorld OSC Bridge device. In our exploration of it, importing or recording samples was straightforward enough, but there was some head-scratching involved when it came to capturing the spatial performance audio inside the app. It seems that it’s currently depending on the audio outputs, or using the Quest system’s movie capture capability.

We spoke to Gad Hinkis, PatchWorld’s product manager, and asked him to give us the elevator pitch for the benefits of PatchWorld. “PatchWorld is an app where a 10 year-old can put on a headset and just start jamming. They don’t need any musical experience, because we have all these playable instruments, like you can play drums on a bubble, or you can record your own voice and put it inside of underwater creatures.

“But under the surface, if you want to go deep, this is actually a professional-grade content creation system. Right now for us, it doesn’t make sense to invest the resources in the Vision Pro, but long term, obviously we’re going to be there. And this year we’re going to add better hand tracking, so you don’t need the controllers for playing.“

Gad tells us that while it’s currently a VR-exclusive app, PatchWorld is heading to conventional desktops too. “The next thing we’re going to do, hopefully, is to make it easier for people to access the app outside of VR,” Gad explains. “We are very close to releasing the beta of a desktop app that you can download on your Mac and PC. You can navigate worlds and join multiplayer sessions.”

“Having a full-body music experience is very important because with electronic music until now, we were stuck in the age of tweaking dials and sliders and buttons. But actually, humans for 100,000 years have been moving their body around to create music. And with multiplayer, you can have an electronic jam session and a wall of synthesisers, and playful instruments.”

Jim Simons of Alive In Tech is an innovative developer who’s aiming to transport the fun and excitement of the controllerist mindset into virtual reality via his Tranzient app. “We want to [bring] the ‘Ableton Push’ workflow to VR. I’ve tried the Vision Pro, and I’ve used Quest 2 and Quest 3 a lot.

“You’d definitely describe it as premium hardware, passthrough is really good, and the visuals are, like, 50% better than a Quest 3. As [the Vision Pro] is so expensive, I’m not going to support it now, although absolutely we will in the future. Also, my applications are Unreal Engine based, which is very beta at the moment in terms of Vision Pro support.”

The latest update to Tranzient includes hand tracking and passthrough. “I’m trying to get ahead of the curve in how people are going to use the Vision Pro,” says Jim. “I actually spent a couple of years working for Ultraleap, who are the hand tracking experts behind Leap Motion, so I gained a load of hand tracking skills.

“Probably what I’ll do next is create something with an easier learning curve. If you understand Ableton, Tranzient is kind of easy, but if you don’t understand Ableton, it’s not. My Ableton controller project, AliveInVR, pretty much stopped development two years ago; there’s just not enough people with VR who are also using Live on a PC.” 

Jim sees the Quest and Vision Pro co-existing more harmoniously into the future. “There’ll always be a parallel development between the Quest and Vision Pro, I think, especially as Apple have gone high end.”

Peripheral vision

VR’s peripherals and app ecosystem may feel like a little bit of a financial black hole but if you’re invested in this universe, they will just add to the fun. Take the humble USB C cable. Dull, but it’s vital if you want to use your swanky new headset while charging, without feeling like you have to keep your head slightly inclined towards the charger for fear it’ll pull out. A couple of metres are therefore recommended (there are also head straps available that include built-in batteries to boost beyond the typical two hour-ish time limit).

Although the Meta Quest and the Apple Vision Pro have good onboard speakers, sooner or later you’ll need headphones that fit comfortably over the headset, and we’ve had great success with the Final Audio VR3000 in-ear phones, which are optimised for surround. On the visual side, Google’s Chromecast 4K, with its HDMI connection, has worked well in terms of sending audio and video wirelessly to TVs and video projectors. 

When we come to music apps, the Quest has been around longer, so unsurprisingly, it has an edge, for example MoveMusic ($49.99 – movemusic.com), should appeal to controllerists, wirelessly controlling music software on Mac or PC.

Early adopters for the Vision Pro include Moog’s Animoog Galaxy ($29.99, moogmusic.com), a VR version of their much-loved Animoog synth for macOS and iOS, and Algoriddim’s DJay, another app that crosses platforms (macOS, iOS, iPadOS), and is now available for the Vision Pro, as DJay Vision (free, $6.99 subscription for pro features, algoriddim.com), complete with virtual decks.

Given Apple’s history as a platform of choice for musicians, it’s not much of a leap to guess that there’ll be more to come, but we’re still rooting for Quest options too.

Breaking down boundaries

VR brings new challenges. For live use, passthrough is the most essential element to consider, if only in terms of preventing you from falling off the stage, otherwise you might need a crash helmet to fit over your VR headset. The Meta Quest 3 and the Vision Pro both use boundary systems, where you can map out the floor space in the room/venue, and whenever you approach the limits of this space, an on-screen representation of the boundary appears to alert you.

Both of these headsets have features where anything or anybody that encroaches on the boundary becomes visible. With AR, when you open an app, or any kind of window, it stays behind as you walk away, and if you look back you can see it in the distance. This kind of location awareness is great as it’s what lets you position your ‘assets’ around you in space. This is also why headsets need a flight mode so when used on a plane, the location awareness is disabled so your windows don’t go flying off behind you.

Both the Quest and Vision Pro remember these boundaries, so next time you wear the headset in the same place, it’s ready to go, no further mapping required. The PatchWorld app includes a resizable, movable ‘window’ that can be used inside a full VR setting, so you can be immersed in that world, but still see what you need, whether it’s the floor, your keyboard, or your bandmates (remembering of course, that VR can be used sitting as well, so the setting of boundaries might be irrelevant to you – but where’s the fun in that?). We’ve found this useful as a way of enjoying the benefits of VR, while also keeping a little back door open just in case.

The verdict: Linn weighs in

Roger Linn should need no intro to our readers. The industry titan behind the MPC, the LinnDrum, the Tempest, and the Linnstrument, has decades of experience. As a peerless innovator, it’s no surprise to find that Roger has strong views on VR and AR, particularly as he’s a keen user of both the Meta Quest and the Vision Pro.

“The technology in the Vision Pro is amazing,” Linn says. “The possibilities are wide open, there are just no apps yet; it’s hard to know what to do with it, as the number of units in the field is low. As a work computer, it’s limited because it’s essentially an iPad OS with enhancements on your face, and even at the high resolution it has, it’s not as good as a retina display on my MacBook Pro. The Quest is lower resolution so there’s less demand on its lower-power processor to run games, display movies, or other things.”

Linn continues, “The problem with VR is that moving your hands in the air is inherently less accurate that playing a keyboard or other tactile interface. So it’s not so good for playing specific notes and chords. However, it’s very good for ‘conducting’ apps— apps that allow you to arrange clips, sequences, beats or loops— because such apps don’t require the same accuracy and tactile feedback as playing notes and chords.” 

Roger does spy interesting possibilities in the scope of AR that’s used to add visual enhancements to a physical instrument: “The Piano Vision app (£7.99 – pianovision.com) is a great example of combining the advantages of the physical interface of a real keyboard with augmented visuals.

“With the ability to use full-body gestures and the capabilities for personal customisation that result from an inherently malleable interface, it starts to merge into dance, and therefore makes for some very compelling performances. I think an artist who is comfortable with making their own music and working with their own visuals is really well positioned to do something good with this.”

At this stage, the solidity of a VR and AR-centred future is hard to point to. VR has immense potential for creative users; we’ve found that working with VR and AR changes our perceptions of how we can interact with musical instruments within the apps. It’s also worth noting just how exciting it is to engage with a rich world of visual creativity. Right now it might not be ready to fully replace our computers or music gear, but it adds a unique way of presenting a workflow, and a fresh creative world view. 

NAMM 2024: The NAMM show made a welcome return to its regular time slot this January 25-28 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. 

After a couple of years of shifting dates thanks to COVID, it back to doing what it does best: bringing us mountains of gear music news to digest, and instruments and equipment to look forward to in the year ahead. 

This year's show was a cracker and the gear reveals came thick and fast in the lead-up and during NAMM 2024. 

Below, you'll find the biggest new products and music-making gear news stories from this year's show...

Music tech and software

• Korg dominated this year's NAMM show with a slew of new releases across several categories...

• Korg has unveiled microKorg 2, the sequel to one of the 21st century's most iconic instruments and a 'first synth' for a whole generation of music-makers. It's the long-awaited successor to the beloved microKorg.

• Next up is Korg's KingKorg Neo (above), a more compact version of Korg's KingKorg VA synth. It uses the same XMT (eXpanded Modeling Technology) sound synthesis engine to generate its analogue-style sounds, and has plenty of hands-on controls over them, albeit in a much smaller and cooler compact form. 

More Korg...
• Korg is embracing ‘portablism’ with a new portable record player/looper inspired by the Vestax Handy Trax (below).
• Korg’s Poetry, a ‘Chopin piano’, could be the most unexpected signature instrument ever.
• Korg unveils the Opsix mkII, an updated version of its six-operator 'Altered FM' synth.
• Korg has also updated its Gadget music production software and plugin suite with new gadgets, effects and VST3/AUv3 support.

• Yamaha also made a splash at the NAMM show with its new Seqtrak. Yamaha calls it a "standalone music production studio" which pretty much covers everything, as pretty much everything is included! Seqtrak has a step sequencer, drum machine, sampler and several software synths. it is equipped with a microphone, speaker and rechargeable battery, along with a companion app that allows the user to dive into detailed sound editing.

From left to right on the unit you get drums, a synth and sampler in the middle, and sound design and effects on the right. The drum section has seven tracks (kick, snare, clap, two hi-hats and two percussion sounds) that can be filled with sounds from Seqtrak's 2000-sample library, or with your own samples via the Seqtrak app.

Read more >> 

• Happening in a universe parallel to NAMM: "We assure you that this beauty will come to fruition"  - Behringer announces an update to its most hotly-awaited clone of the Roland Jupiter-8

• Yamaha also recently announced its new new HS3 and HS4 monitors. We described the Yamaha HS5 as "the best-sounding studio monitor we’ve heard in its price range by a mile", so we're already pretty excited by these – they look like delivering a great sound from a couple of even more compact enclosures. 

• Ever wanted an all-analogue synth with motorised knobs? Looks like the wait will soon be over. It’s surely no mystery as to why the Nina – an as yet unannounced synth from an unknown manufacturer – chose to surface around now.

• Shame that Roland won’t be at the show (when their vast stands have proved a popular ‘go to’ in previous years) but having already played their hand with their Aira Compact synth, Fantom 0 series and Juno-X, we wonder if there’s any more NAMM-timed releases on the way?

• Definitely putting in an appearance however, will the Oberheim OB-X8. We’ve already checked it out in the flesh at Superbooth but fingers crossed we can get even closer to its greatness at NAMM. 

• We're also looking forward to getting hands-on with Eventide’s innovative interval-based sequencer module, the Misha.

• Next up, Audient is debuting its most powerful interface yet, the EVO16, and also has a new product under wraps which we should be able to unveil here very soon.

• “The most mobile audio interfaces we have ever made” - Steinberg’s wallet-friendly IXO12 and IXO22 are designed to help you record anywhere

• "The biggest ever release for audio mastering and editing" - Steinberg announces WaveLab 12.

• “You’ll never have to adjust levels” - Zoom’s new Essential Series handheld recorders have 32-bit float for clip-free recordings every time, and are more accessible than ever before 

Guitars

• STOP PRESS! The Epiphone Dave Grohl DG-335 exists and we've seen it. Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the Pelham Blue?

• Schecter has already made headlines with its latest Machine Gun Kelly signature guitar, the Razor Blade – for reasons that become obvious when you see it below.

• Alex Lifeson unites with Godin to channel and evolve his Hentor Sportcaster with the new signature Limelight guitar – “It was not quite enough for me to just develop a reissue of that very special instrument"

• The Strat is turning 70, and Fender - another NAMM absentee, sadly - is going to town for the Strat's 70th birthday with new models available now. There are two 70th Anniversary models: a Mexican-made Player model in stunning Nebula Noir, and a USA-made American Profession II with striking Flame Maple top. 

In addition there are standard spec Player and Pro II models with an Anniversary Two-Colour Sunburst. All models are available this year.  

The 70th Anniversary Player Stratocaster is the one we're most excited about; it looks like a statement for today about the Strats timeless quality, and the price/spec ration here is a pretty good balance for a special edition. It will retail for $999.99/ £959/€1,099/$1299AUD/¥165,000.

The Nebula Noir finish is something we're looking forward to seeing dazzle up close, but the specs are just as alluring; a modern “C”-profile maple neck and 9.5” radius rosewood fingerboard, Pure Vintage ‘59 Single-Coil Strat pickups, 2-point tremolo and Classic Gear tuners could be an interesting mix of contemporary and vintage. 

The 70th Anniversary American Professional II Stratocaster ($1,999.99/£2,169/ €2,499/$3,699AUD/¥330,000) is further up the price and spec scale, but is a stunner with a Comet Burst and flame maple top. Pickups are 70th Anniversary V-Mod II single-coils, neck is a deep C-shape with rolled fingerboard edges and what Fender calls its 'Super-Natural' satin finish. 

• Gretsch has unveiled a reassuringly non-radical range of updates for its 2024 Electromatics...

• EVH Gear is bringing back a pair of Eddie Van Halen cult classics as the Shark and the Circles (aka Unchained) guitar return to the lineup.

• Hot rodders Charvel raise the (whammy) bar for its shredder-spec Pro-Mod series with super-hot Bubblegum Pink and Malibu Sunset colours and distressed nitro finishes...

• "Inspired by both Japanese city pop art and the sun-drenched vibes of SoCal", this new generation of Pacificas from Yamaha (below) is a hefty upgrade from the line's entry-level rep.

Acoustic and Bass

• Cort will be showing off three new acoustic electric guitars as part of its Core series, all with built in Fishman gear. Doubtless there’ll be more from them too.

• “A lineup of instruments designed for the serious-minded, high-performance guitarist”: Jackson launches four Concept Series shred machines for the discerning metal player.

• Taylor celebrates 50 years of high-end acoustic guitar excellence with six stunning limited edition anniversary models (below).

• Taylor’s 700 Series also gets a major boost with new Grand Concert and Grand Auditorium models to replace its spruce/rosewood combos.

• Martin is, of course, associated with high-end acoustic guitars but has also long championed an expanding line at the more accessible end, central to which is the company's X Series. New for 2024, is a set of remastered guitars in that series. 

• “A fitting tribute to a metal guitar master and one of his favourite instruments”: Gibson unveils meticulous Murphy Lab replica of Kirk Hammett’s 1989 Les Paul Custom.

Amps, Pedals and More

• "It has been my hope for a while to make an affordable pedal for beginning musicians" – Jack White and Donner Music unite for $99 Triple Threat multi-effects. 

After the teaser, it's now official – Donner Music and Jack White have collaborated on the $99 Triple Threat multi-effects pedal, combining distortion, echo and phaser.

Read more >>

That's not all from Mr White, though...

• Jack White says build your own fuzzbox as Third Man launches new $75 Fuzz-a-tron, “a basic no-fail DIY guitar pedal kit” for players of all abilities

• Gibson has broken cover with the return of its amp division; its '60s Falcon combo flies again with Randall-Smith-designed 20 and 5-watt Falcon tube amps at prices that are a lot more on the Fender side of the equation than Mesa/Boogie. 

• Blackstar refreshes its top-selling digital practice amp series with the feature-packed ID:CORE V4 now equipped with single-watt bedroom setting.

• Laney antes up with the launch of the world’s most-powerful FRFR guitar cabinet – a 4x12 monster packing 2600W that was developed with Devin Townsend.

• Keeley Electronics and Andy Timmons join forces once again for the Muse Driver – “a veritable drive workstation” for boost, tube-style overdrive and hot germanium fuzz.

• Vox unveils Custom Series AC10 and AC15 tube combos in a very smart Rich Blue Vinyl finish.

• TC Electronic's Plethora X3 is a smaller multi-fx pedal… but it's still packing a lot of tones.

• Positive Grid takes Spark amps into a whole new era for the stage with the Live Spark Amp and PA system, Wireless Control X and Link Guitar System.

• We’ve already heard all about “the lightest 50-watt valve guitar amps on Earth” from Blackstar but we’re looking forward to finally hearing the St. James amp series for ourselves. 

• Can’t wait to try out Two Notes’ ReVolt Guitar and Bass amp simulator pedals, complete with amps based on Fenders, Ampegs, Marshalls and more.

• Catalinbread revamps its Rangemaster-inspired Naga Viper, making MKII hotter and more practical, taking the treble booster circuit “to its logical limit”.

• High on the list of must-plays are Seymour Duncan’s ’78, Green Magic and High Voltage humbuckers inspired by Eddie Van Halen, Peter Green and Angus Young. 

• And Universal Audio claim to have  upped their emulation game for their new UAFX Guitar Amp Emulator pedals, promising “the best vintage guitar amps of all time”.

• Revv’s new Shawn Tubbs signature overdrive pedal, the Tilt will be sure to impress in person.

• Getting up close with Crazy Tube Circuits' amazing Super Conductor four-in-one analog boost pedal is high on our list of ‘to do’s.

• And will the ‘almost too good to be true’ Bigsby Pedal from Gamechanger Audio impress once get ‘feet on’ with it? We’ll find out soon. 

• Reliable as ever, big guns Line 6 will be packing in the innovation, with their show highlight being the new DL4 MkII. 

• Tech 21’s four new SansAmp Character Plus pedals look like the perfect pairings of amps and effects in one.

• On the bass front the Badwater bass preamp and DI from Walrus Audio marks their first journey into the deep end.

• Way Huge brings back the Geisha Drive, promising “gritty, grinding tones that are as potent as they are versatile” for a limited time only

• This year's biggest NAMM trend appears to be... gear furniture. Taylor manages the best of both world's with its first foray into the world of amplification with the handsome Circa 74 guitar and vocal combo (above), designed by co-founder and ex-CEO Bob Taylor himself.

• Chinese brand Mooer always has a strong NAMM game. first out of the blocks thjis year, the typically feature rich Tender Octaver and Harmony X2. 

• “Cozy up and immerse yourself in true stereo analogue delay” – Walrus Audio adds its feature-packed, MN3005-loaded Meraki delay pedal to regular lineup.

• Vox's amPlug range has been coming to the aid of guitarists since 2007, and for 2024, the firm has launched amPlug 3, the third iteration of this successful guitar headphone amp range. 

The battery-powered mini-amps (just 86 x 31 x 80 mm, and sitting directly on a 3/4" jack), each have two channels and feature up to four effects including tremolo, chorus, reverb and delay, depending on the model.

Pianos and more

• “A genuinely unique experience” - a new Kawai keybed makes the Nord Grand 2 feel like a piano, but with advanced layering options, it can also sound like a synth.

Clavia has so many great Nord keyboards, each of which is designed for a slightly different kind of player, that it would be hard to classify one as the definitive ‘flagship’. The Nord Grand is certainly in the mix, though, and it’s now been updated to version 2.

• Grandstage X is Korg's sleek new, ivory white stage piano. It has no less than seven sound engines, providing 13 main piano sounds, including grand piano models from Germany, Japan and Italy, upright pianos and even classic Korg pianos from OASYS and the Korg M1. In fact there are a whopping 700 sounds in total and 128 notes of polyphony.

• Prince’s stunning custom Yamaha grand piano (above), the last instrument he played on stage, will be on display.

• Roland’s Bridge Cast X adds video support to the dual-bus USB-C gaming/streaming mixer.

Drums

• Tama is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, and one of its most-wanted re-dos has already emerged - it’s a reissue of one of the most sought-after snare drums of all time: the Mastercraft Bell Brass.

• Trivium’s Alex Bent announces signature Axis bass drum pedal, “I’m super-stoked to have my own pedal with Axis. I’ve got custom artwork on these from Half Sumo Collective… I hope you guys dig them as much as I do.”

• "Imagine a hi-hat stand that not only meets your professional needs and expectations, but also provides you with a richer and crisper sound…" Yamaha unveils its flagship HHS9D Hi-hat stand

• "This new colour is a nod to the bold spirit of drummers who dare to break the mold" - Ludwig names 'Purple' its colour of 2024 as it unveils an all-new Vistalite finish

The Black Friday music deals are kicking off with a bang this year, as Musician's Friend is offering up to 50% off a massive range of musical equipment from electric guitars to microphones, acoustic guitars to digital pianos and so much more. So, no matter what you are looking for, you'll be sure to find a bargain this holiday season.   

We must say we're very impressed with what's on offer right now. There's a saving to be had on all the heavy hitters from the world of guitar, with the likes of $180 off the ever-popular Fender Player Telecaster Plus and $170 off the extremely versatile PRS SE Silver Sky. It's fair to say if you're a 6-string connoisseur, you'll be sure to find something to get excited about this holiday season.  

However, it's not all guitar-related savings on offer, there are also deals to be had on the likes of the Alesis Nitro Mesh, which is down from $449 to $299! With a hefty $150 discount, this brilliant kit gives you the full drumming experience for much less. It's one of the best budget e-kits you can buy, providing a realistic feel and robust build quality, now at an even more reasonable price. 

If you are looking for an epic keyboard deal, the Roland FANTOM-07 is one of the best deals we've seen. This complete music workstation from Roland is designed to streamline your music creation and play the part of a performance keyboard all in one. It's got a huge $589 discount in the Musician's Friend Black Friday sale and even includes cables, a stand, an expression pedal, and a sustain pedal as part of the package. 

Of course, this is only a small cross-section of what's available, so we implore you to have a look through all the categories for yourself and see what other delights are on offer. The sale runs for a limited time, so be quick to ensure you don't miss out. 

Crypto markets may be dying a death right now, but that didn't stop e-currency Ethereum developers from throwing an exclusive - and highly illegal - party within the world famous Paris Catacombs.

The Catacombs, a massive complex of tunnels containing the remains of approximately 6 million very dead Parisians, was an unusually macabre setting for the event, hosted by attendees at the Ethereum Community Conference (EthCC) for 100 'lucky' party-goers.

Deceased trading
To gain entrance, participants took part in a suitably shady treasure hunt, featuring Telegram channels and multiple Catacomb co-ordinates, to evade the doubtless unaware then non-plussed gendarmerie.

“It’s very illegal but also very crypto,” one of the attendees told CCNBC. "You got a link and a password to a survey form, and you basically answered some questions."

"If chosen, you got added to a Telegram group with a handful of other people you didn’t know, and the guide dropped into the thread on the day-of to tell you a meeting spot."

Successful thrill-seekers eventually found that the party featured a DJ, Bar, candlelit ambience and, of course, many, many actual human skeletons.

• GEAR EXPO SUMMER 2022: all the latest gear from NAMM and beyond

NAMM 2022: Donner Music has unveiled an acoustic guitar that eschews the typical tonewood combinations, and indeed all but does away with the stuffy idea of wood altogether, with the Rising-G Pro leaning into the onrushing wave of technological progress to debut an all-carbon fibre build.

That’s right, mahogany – take the rest of the week off. Hit the road, Adirondack, and don’t you come back no more. But there is method behind this iconoclastic luthierie, with Donner promising that the carbon fibre used to manufacture the Rising G-Pro is “thinner and more durable” than your common or garden tonewoods. 

It’s not the first time we have heard this. But just before you renew your subscription to Rosewood Monthly, it should be noted that Donner says the Rising G-Pro is not just another carbon fibre acoustic, it is 35 per cent more resonant, with “a new improved classic tone that is brighter with a fuller low-end”.

We can all get down with that. The Rising G-Pro has a parametric soundhole – sounds painful, but really it's located on the guitar's shoulder – and is constructed of Japanese T1700 carbon fibre, which, with a tensile strength of 4900 Mpa, sounds like it would stand up to Pete Townshend in his guitar-smashing pomp.

There is some wood on the Rising G-Pro, some some HPL used for the fingerboard. Donner has had a big NAMM 2022 so far, also launching a smart guitar with light-up frets and a number of features to aid beginners.

No prices for the Rising-G Pro just yet but expect this to hit stores in July. Mid-summer for the northern hemisphere, but with a carbon-fibre build, there should be fewer issues with climate and all that business. 

Head over to Donner Music for more on their 2022 releases.

• GEAR EXPO SUMMER 2022: all the latest gear from NAMM and beyond

NAMM 2022: The new OD303 isn’t Austrian Audio’s flagship microphone, but with a price of just $119/£89/€99, this new dynamic vocal mic could be one of its most compelling.

Promising a powerful, well-balanced and open sound that’s said to be “unparalleled in this price range”, the OD303 has also been designed with longevity in mind. In fact, we’re told that its die-cast housing makes it almost indestructible.

The OD303 features Austrian Audio’s Open Acoustic technology - this is said to deliver an optimally-shaped super-cardioid polar pattern across a wide frequency band and with excellent feedback stability. 

The 3D Pop Noise Diffuser, meanwhile, is on hand to reduce plosive sounds such as T and P.

Find out more on the Austrian Audio website.

The NAMM show – THE biggest music gear show in the world – will soon be back for Summer 2022. At last. With the past two giant shows being a no-show, it’s making a welcome return. 

Show starts June 3rd, running until June 5th 2022.

Hopes are therefore sky high for new innovation and surprises by the touring truckload and – of course – we’ll be there to reveal everything new and improved, live from the show, right here on MusicRadar.com

And NAMM gossip and excitement always starts early so already there’s talk of just what we’re going to be seeing when the show opens, 10am on the 3rd. 

Here's what we know so far.

Electric Guitars

We’ve already seen a massive blowout from ESP when they announced 43 new LTD and LTD Deluxe models but the show will be our opportunity to get up close and report back.

Likewise for Yamaha's revamped Revstar range. Here’s hoping they’ve got something else extra special up their sleeves too.

Ernie Ball always have a large presence at NAMM and as well as two new finishes for Jason Richardson's signature model we’re looking forward to finding out what else is new. 

This NAMM will be the first public airing of Billy Corgan’s new Z-One signature model from Reverend. Maybe they’ve another famous name under wraps too?

Ibanez have kept quiet thus far but we couldn’t help noticing a nylon-stringed Talman in Polyphia's latest video. Doubtless all will be revealed.

Acoustic and Bass

Cort will be showing off three new acoustic electric guitars as part of its Core series, all with built in Fishman gear. Doubtless there’ll be more from them too.

Taylor’s 700 Series gets a major boost with new Grand Concert and Grand Auditorium models to replace its spruce/rosewood combos.

On the bass front the Badwater bass preamp and DI from Walrus Audio marks their first journey into the deep end.

And Ernie Ball has already revealed its DarkRay collab with Darkglass Electronics in five-string form. Wonder what else they’ve got new? 

As to what Martin will be delivering…? It’s all top secret for now, but we can’t wait to try them.

Amps, Pedals and More

Vox unveils Custom Series AC10 and AC15 tube combos in a very smart Rich Blue Vinyl finish

TC Electronic's Plethora X3 is a smaller multi-fx pedal… but it's still packing a lot of tones

Hopes are high for a new range from Positive Grid after they impressed us royally with their Spark Mini.

We’ve already heard all about “the lightest 50-watt valve guitar amps on Earth” from Blackstar but we’re looking forward to finally hearing the St. James amp series for ourselves. 

Can’t wait to try out Two Notes’ ReVolt Guitar and Bass amp simulator pedals, complete with amps based on Fenders, Ampegs, Marshalls and more.

High on the list of ‘must play’s are Seymour Duncan’s ’78, Green Magic and High Voltage humbuckers inspired by Eddie Van Halen, Peter Green and Angus Young. 

And Universal Audio claim to have  upped their emulation game for their new UAFX Guitar Amp Emulator pedals, promising “the best vintage guitar amps of all time”.

Revv’s new Shawn Tubbs signature overdrive pedal, the Tilt will be sure to impress in person.

And getting up close with Crazy Tube Circuits amazing Super Conductor four-in-one analog boost pedal is high on our list of ‘to do’s.

And will the ‘almost too good to be true’ Bigsby Pedal from Gamechanger Audio impress once get ‘feet on’ with it? We’ll find out soon. 

Reliable as ever, big guns Line 6 will be packing in the innovation, with their show highlight being the new DL4 MkII.

And Tech 21’s four new SansAmp Character Plus pedals look like the perfect pairings of amps and effects in one.

Tech

Ever wanted an all-analogue synth with motorised knobs? Looks like the wait will soon be over. It’s surely no mystery as to why the Nina – an as yet unannounced synth from an unknown manufacturer – chose to surface around now.

Polyend’s Play was a big hit at Superbooth and we can’t wait to have another play.

Shame that Roland won’t be at the show (when their vast stands have proved a popular ‘go to’ in previous years) but having already played their hand with their Aira Compact synth, Fantom 0 series and Juno-X, we wonder if there’s any more NAMM-timed releases on the way?

Definitely putting in an appearance however, will the Oberheim OB-X8. We’ve already checked it out in the flesh at Superbooth but fingers crossed we can get even closer to its greatness at NAMM. 

Can’t wait to try out Korg’s new Volca FM 2 and the software versions of their popular Wavestate and Opsix synths. Wonder if there’s more hardware on the way?

Looking forward to getting hands-on with Eventide’s innovative interval-based sequencer module, the Misha.

Audient are debuting their most powerful interface yet, the EVO 16

And great to see ROLI’s return with an all-new Seaboard RISE 2. We're looking forward to putting it through its paces.

Superbooth 2021: The humble cassette tape is having a bit of a moment right now, with an increasing number of lo-fi loving musicians falling for its hissy charm.

Now Error Instruments is set to introduce a Eurorack version of the Loopman, a neat little device that enables you to mess around with short tape loops.

It’s not clear whether or not this new module features the built-in microphone and radio tuner that you’ll find in the original, but it looks like you’ll be able to record onto the tape and then control playback via a gate input with CV-controllable speed. All kinds of experimental audio larks will then doubtless ensue.

Error Instruments is also selling 5-second cassettes although, presumably, you could also create your own by going old school with a pair of scissors.

Keep an eye on the Error Instruments website for more. The Loopman Eurorack is expected to be shipping within the next month.

The world's biggest music gear show has been postponed. The NAMM Show in Anaheim, California is moving from January 2022 to June 3-5 2022, citing the "health and safety" of its members.

The industry has not stopped evolving and innovating during the pandemic, and The NAMM Show is evolving, as well," says Joe Lamond, NAMM President and CEO. "As the health and safety of our members remains top of mind, and after carefully listening to companies here in the U.S. and around the world, the new dates will help members maximise their opportunity and accelerate what has arguably been a transformative time both in new products and in how they come to market. 

"I imagine this gathering will have the kind of impact of a Beatles moment or the introduction of MIDI—definitely one you will not want to miss.”

The organisation will definitely be hoping for that as it emerges from a difficult period that saw the 2021 Winter NAMM show cancelled and few significant product launches at the Summer event in Nashville in the wake of Covid travel restrictions. The show allows the industry to meet, brands to reveal products for the year ahead and for the vital retail arm of the musical instrument industry to plan ahead.

It remains to be seen what this means for the Summer NAMM show but it looks like it will be absorbed into the Anaheim event for 2022. 

Taylor guitars were one of the big names to welcome the news. “At Taylor Guitars, we applaud innovative ideas as we all attempt to navigate these unusual times,” said Barbara Wight, CFO. “Since its days in the ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel, The NAMM Show has always been an invaluable platform for us to launch new products and deepen our connections with our treasured retailers, suppliers and fans. We see this change to June as a smart opportunity to try something new, and we’re looking forward to being back together with our industry family.”

Yamaha and Shure also threw their support behind the 2022 show and NAMM will need many other big gear brands of the MI industry to follow suit. 

In addition and following on from 2021's Believe In Music week, Friday, January 21 2021 will see NAMM host a one-day global livestreamed Believe In Music event to "unify and support the people who bring music to the world".

More info at NAMM

Superbooth 2021: Against all the odds, Superbooth is back, with the previously annual grassroots music technology show set to take place in Berlin between 15-18 September.

Hurrah for that, we say, not least because it means that we can look forward to hearing about some new synth and other sound-making gear.

One of the first cabs of the rumour rank is Waldorf, which has posted an image of a red button on its social media channels, along with the words “Welcome back, old friend”.

While this doesn’t give an awful lot away - red buttons have been a fixture on quite a few pieces of Waldorf kit down the years - excitable types are suggesting that this could mean a new addition to the ‘Wave’ family, which has a history that stretches right back to the legendary PPG Wave.

Time will tell but, given that Waldorf is booked to attend Superbooth, we’d say that the chances of this ‘old friend’ making its reappearance there are pretty high...

iD4 MKII  £138, €149, US$199. iD14 MKII £199.99, €229, US$299. EVO Start Recording Bundle £199, €220, US$249.

Our mission is to make professional audio quality available to everyone through the power of technology. Making music is fun and recording should be too but often music makers are frustrated by overly complex tech or disappointing results. We get it, we’ve been there and we pay close attention to it. 

At Audient, we believe that quality begins with the first steps of design, a philosophy started by our founders and which continues to shape the way we approach products to this day.

Our team works together to design products that give you the power and flexibility to create with freedom. We connect quality and simplicity with innovative engineering so when you hit record, the results meet your expectations.

Finding the balance between audio excellence and user experience continues to drive everything we do. 

Our passion alongside our technical expertise ensures our products not only empower creativity but make recording easy. 

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in the UK, we continue to design products that help bring your projects to life.

To honour Audient’s brand transformation, the next generation (mark II) of two iD audio interfaces iD4 MKII, iD14 MKII have been released, along with the brand new EVO Start Recording Bundle.

In order to continue providing the best product proposition to its customers, Audient has taken this opportunity to make significant upgrades to the audio performance and feature sets of both iD4 and iD14, making sure they are now comparable with its most powerful interface, the iD44.

Both iD4 MKII and iD14 MKII now provide 126dB and 120dB of dynamic range on the DAC’s and ADC’s respectively, representing a huge step up in audio performance and ensuring users experience professional audio performance. As well as the improvements to the audio specs, new features have also been added.

iD14 MKII is now completely bus powered via USB3.0 and benefits from the addition of dual headphones outputs, two extra line outputs and a USB-C connection, making collaboration, connectivity and portability that bit easier. Whilst iD4 MKII is now USB3.0 bus powered with a USB-C connection, both models now sport a modern gun-metal finish.

At the same time, Audient’s sub-brand EVO by Audient launches the EVO Start Recording Bundle. This comprises the EVO 4 audio interface, the SR1 large diaphragm condenser mic plus shockmount and the SR2000, monitoring grade headphones.

To find out more visit our website

Using ZOOM for your Virtual Music Lessons? Tired of bad sound quality? Dropouts? Lagging? And the whole damn thing just not working right?

RockOutLoud.Live was made BY a Music Teacher FOR Music teachers.

The Top 5 Features that will provide you and your student the Ultimate Music Lesson Experience:

Feature 1: DUET Mode and HD Audio. Because RockOutLoud.live uses Peer-to-Peer technology (the teacher's computer connects directly to the student’s computer), we are able to offer the lowest amount of latency possible compared to any other virtual platform in the world. Our DUET feature offers full 48k HD-Audio. This feature is called E.A.R. (Enhanced Audio Recognition) and is only available to paid subscribers.

Feature 2: Rock Out Loud provides a Full Duplex Experience, which means you and your student can talk (and play) at the same time! Unlike ZOOM or any other platform which provides a Half Duplex experience, where only one person can talk (or play) at the same time.

Feature 3: RockOutLoud.Live offers the world's first Musicians White Board to allow you to annotate music. You'll be able to pull up treble and bass clefs, notate, blank piano keyboards to teach chords and scales, tablature, blank chord charts for guitar and ukulele and so much more.

Feature 4: We've completely removed the parents from Music Lessons. You no longer need to send out an email after your full day of teaching to each of your students in hopes that the lesson you are emailing will get to your student. Often parents never get those emails, let alone print them out for their child to practice. RockOutLoud.Live's patented technology allows your students to download their music lessons in real-time directly to their computer, pc or mobile device. You no longer have to add additional time at the end of your teaching day to do the administrator's work of emailing lessons notes and practice material to your students.

Feature 5: As a paid subscriber you have access to 20 terabytes of sheet music all available for your students to download!

Find out more at:

Ikilledzoom.com

Rockoutloud.live

https://www.facebook.com/ikilledzoom/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/rockoutloudlive

And book your live demo here

GS NoCut & GS Export Semi Solid

Gordon Smith is the UK’s longest running electric guitar manufacturer.  From its ‘open door’ workshop in the heart of Northamptonshire, guitars are made to custom specifications for players all over the world.  

2020 saw the launch of the GS NoCut and the GS Export Semi Solid as well as investment in manufacturing and pick-up making technology.

Gordon Smith is busier than at any time in its 47 year history as more and more players discover that their dream guitar can be built exactly to their specification - and for a price that won’t break the bank.

With workshop visits limited due to current restrictions, Gordon Smith has launched virtual visits and online guitar specifying consultations.  Experts in guitar design can talk you through every aspect of your dream guitar, from specifying tonewoods and hardware through to pick-ups and finish choice.  

Once your design is complete guitar production takes approximately twelve weeks, with every aspect of the build taking place in-house at our Northamptonshire workshop.  Nothing is outsourced.

You can book your virtual visit at gordonsmithguitars.com

Black Series, Maple Series and The York

At home, in the studio or on the road, your guitar travels with you on your journey in music. Finding the right guitar is a milestone in that journey. 

It has to look great, be reliable and be ready for you every time you take it from its case. But more than that – it has to feel right in your hands and project a sound that comes from inside you. It’s a reflection of your moods and your feelings, a friend you turn to in the good times and the bad.

Our journey in creating these guitars has taken us around the world, collecting as we travelled a team of exceptional craftsmen and the very best materials we could find. Luthiers from America, China and the UK take woods from around the world and electronics from Australia to produce outstanding guitars that are exceptional value. 

From our big bodied Grace, Colton and Austin models, our medium sized Chester, Julia and Bowman through to the smaller ‘parlour’ sized Emily Rose, there is a guitar in the range to suit every style of playing.

Every Auden guitar is built from hand selected, solid tonewoods and created in a partnership production model, by highly skilled luthiers in our workshops in Asia and the UK.  

The ground-breaking SuperNatural pick up, designed and manufactured by guitar industry legend Brad Clark features in every guitar we produce.  Recreating the sound, feel and dynamics of a truly acoustic guitar but amplified.

Despite the world being in lockdown 2020 has been a busy year for Auden with new ranges – The Black Series and The Maple Series launching and a brand new instrument  – The York, a nylon stringed crossover guitar.

We are proud to present Auden guitars to you. They are built for your journey.

Find out more at Audenguitars.com

And don't forget to check out our YouTube channel

It's a difficult time for musicians and we are behind every single one of you.

The Musicians’ Union is doing everything we can to help, including advising the Government on behalf of musicians during the pandemic, setting up the Coronavirus Hardship Fund and offering subscription holidays.

If you left the Union five or more years ago, you can rejoin and pay just £1 for 6 months of membership*

The numerous benefits include:

• Instrument and equipment insurance.
• £10m public liability cover
• Legal advice and assistance
• Fee recovery
• Teacher services
• Rights protection
• Collective negotiation with employers
• Contract and partnership advice
• Career development
• Benevolent support

We hope by creating affordable access to the Union, we will provide further support and benefits to even more musicians. 

About the MU

The Musicians’ Union represents thirty-two thousand musicians working in all sectors of the music business and has campaigned on behalf of its members since the organisation was established in 1893. As well as negotiating on behalf of its members with all the major employers in the industry, the MU offers a range of services for self-employed professional and student musicians of all ages.

Find out more at www.theMU.org

And follow us on Twitter or find our more on Facebook

*Pay only £1 for the first six months of your annual membership. Subject to joining for 12 months with the following 6 month period paid at the standard rate of £18.92 per month. The membership cannot be cancelled within 12 months of joining. Available to first-time joiners, former student members, and those who left 5 years or more ago. Students in full-time education pay £20 per year. Full details from theMU.org

Welcome to the first Virtual Guitar Show – a brave new world of great guitar and bass artists and gear from around the world that will be brought to you over the next two days. Hold on to your headstocks as we've got an absolute feast of a festival here!

We're starting our first VGS very strong with a huge selection of players and exclusive interviews, lessons and tips from them. We've also got gear galore from the world's top brands. 

Legends

We'll have two legends of guitar with us; Joe Satriani talks in-depth about his career and gear with us, Kiss legend Ace Frehley fields fans questions unearthing everything from signature Gibsons to the 200 reels of two-inch analogue tape music he has in road cases.

And they're just the tip of a huge iceberg of player goodness. Bass ace Stu Hamm gives us the full rundown on his key gear, Primal Scream's Simone Butler checks in to talk bass too, blues queen Samantha Fish tells all about lockdown creativity and more, while Guns N' Roses tonehound Richard Fortus invites us inside his home studio to show us some jaw-dropping vintage gear.

Blackstar artists Gus G and Jared James Nichols have even taken the time to film rig tours for us, direct from their homes.

Gojira's Joe Duplantier will be talking tone and his new Charvel signature model, while blues players Susan Santos and Erja Lyytinen break down licks and riffs from their back catalogues for us to learn.

School's in

Speaking of learning, we have exclusive lessons for you from Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal and acoustic virtuoso Jon Gomm, and guitar writing tips from the funkmaster Cory Wong. Elsewhere, Australian phenom Plini gives us a chord lesson, amongst other things.

There will be unmissable chats with some of our favourite players as they check in from their homes too; Brian Fallon, Kirk Fletcher, King Crimson's Jakko Jakszyk and King King's Alan Nimmo talk guitar with us, and show us some choice gear from their collections too.

Max Helyer and Chris Miller from You Me At Six will also be previewing their new album and the gear they used for it. 

Gear here

And gear… do we have gear for you! 

Fender, along with its sister brands Charvel, EVH, Jackson and Gretsch are here with a tour de force of tone to demo.

We'll also go in-depth on Fender's new Tone Master Blonde amps, and shine a light on the Broadcaster guitar to celebrate its 70th birthday. 

Yamaha, Ampeg and Line 6 give us an incredible range of performances, tips and behind the scenes footage including Helix, Powercab and classic Yahama guitars, plus a cast including Peter Hook, Chris Buck and Josh Smith.

Acoustic giant Taylor allows you to get up close and as personal as digitally possible with it's wonderful Builder's Edition 816ce, 912ce, 324ce and 652ce acoustics and the more approachable price points and equally sublime sounds of the American Dream series.

Beetronics have made a whole documentary for us with a tour of LA's studios, meeting top producers including Joe Barresi and taking a look at their incredible effects pedal collections. Meanwhile, Walrus goes in-depth on its new pedal, the Juilanna. 

You can also see and hear the latest great offerings from Ibanez, IK Multimedia, Takamine, Vox, Laney, Wolfmeister, and the UK's Crimson Guitars. 

Allianz will be showing us how we can protect our beloved guitar gear too. 

Head to our full VGS Exhibitor A-Z and fill your boots!

More?

Is that enough? Well there's more – LR Baggs' founder Lloyd Baggs gives us the inside story of his journey with the company, British effects pedal icons Adrian Thorpe and Dan Coggins of ThorpyFX answer our pressing pedal questions.

We hope you enjoy the Virtual Guitar Show as much as we have organising it! 

Despite the cancellation of 2020 Summer NAMM, and an optimistic statement in June, the organisers of Winter NAMM 2021 have now officially cancelled next year's show in the wake of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

The late January event in Anaheim, California is the music instrument industry's biggest event, with many new products unveiled for guitar, bass, drums, tech and brass instruments. 

In its place the organisers will hold a virtual Believe in Music week. And NAMM has detailed some of its plans in a press release today (10 August) with extracts as follows:

"In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the health and safety of NAMM members as the first priority, NAMM is reimagining how to connect all facets of the industry while benefiting those most deeply impacted by COVID-19 with the launch of Believe in Music: The global gathering to unify and support the people who bring music to the world.

"Believe in Music, to be held over the week of January 18, 2021, will feature a mix of comprehensive programming and professional education at BelieveinMusic.tv, as well as an interactive marketplace to connect buyers and sellers – all designed to elevate the innovation and inspiration found across the industry while offering support for those most deeply affected by COVID. 

"While not The NAMM Show or a virtual tradeshow, the initiative will meet the immediate business needs of NAMM member companies through thought-leader led education for all segments of the industry, networking and AI matchmaking, and business-to-business-focused opportunities to reaffirm and grow business connections, launch new products, share brand initiatives and engage with customers in real-time.

"Joe Lamond, NAMM President and CEO, says, “While it remains unsafe for us to gather in person in January, Believe in Music week will use new, intuitive technology to connect us all to harness the incredible energy that happens when we come together."

"The weeklong celebration will welcome domestic and international NAMM members from the music instrument, pro audio, live sound and live event industries, artists, media and policymakers, along with participants from GenNext (college music students and faculty), Music Education Days (school music administrators) and Nonprofit Institute (NAMM Foundation grantees and nonprofit affiliates). 

"Emerging and established musicians and fans are invited to connect with brands and in special music-making projects and opportunities to showcase their talents and performances throughout the week, opening the potential to gather music makers in a capacity not restricted by location.

"In his final thoughts, Lamond shares, “If there’s any one common vision, it’s that as a global community, we believe in music. We believe in the future of music and in the future of our industry, and in this moment, we will unite and support music makers around the world.”

More details about Believe in Music events will be released in the coming months.

Yamaha, Sweetwater and Shue have already voiced their support for the new event and you can find out more over at believeinmusic.tv

Blipblox was the kids’ synth that parents secretly wanted to use, so now its creator, Playtime Engineering, is releasing an adult version that’s been redesigned and re-engineered for grown-ups. A bit like when they relaunched the Harry Potter books with ‘serious’ cover artwork so parents wouldn’t feel too embarrassed to read them on the train.

Designed to be “the synth you'll play when the lights go out and the little ones go to sleep,” Blipblox After Dark looks structurally similar to the original version and has the same signal flow. So, you get selectable oscillators, two LFOs, two envelope generators and a 3-by-3 modulation matrix.

There are some key differences, though: the After Dark model promises an advanced multimode filter, a multi-tap delay, new oscillator modulation schemes and more than a hundred new kick and snare samples that can be individually pitched.

All we would say is that, despite the more subdued colour scheme and proper parameter labelling, with its big plastic knobs and levers, Blipblox After Dark does still have a toy-like appearance that not all ‘serious’ producers are going to appreciate. Still, if it sounds good that might not matter.

Blipblox After Dark can be pre-ordered now via an Indiegogo campaign at a special offer price of $179 (regular price will be $199). Shipping is expected to be in November.

Apple has announced that its 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference will be an online-only event, a decision taken in light of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. It’s widely expected that Apple will use the event to launch macOS 10.16, iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7 and tvOS 14.

“We are delivering WWDC 2020 this June in an innovative way to millions of developers around the world, bringing the entire developer community together with a new experience,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

“The current health situation has required that we create a new WWDC 2020 format that delivers a full program with an online keynote and sessions, offering a great learning experience for our entire developer community, all around the world. We will be sharing all of the details in the weeks ahead.” 

“With all of the new products and technologies we’ve been working on, WWDC 2020 is going to be big,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “I look forward to our developers getting their hands on the new code and interacting in entirely new ways with the Apple engineers building the technologies and frameworks that will shape the future across all Apple platforms.”

Frankfurt Musikmesse, the massive Euro gear show scheduled for 1-4 April has been postponed in consultation with local health authorities.

"The ongoing spread of Covid-19 in Europe," reads an official statement, "called for a reassessment of the situation in close cooperation with the public-health authorities in Frankfurt who require that steps be taken to prevent event participants from high-risk regions coming to Frankfurt and visiting the fair when ill."

Sister show Prolight + Sound 2020, which runs concurrently with Musikmesse, has also been postponed with projected new dates of 26-29 May. At the time of writing there is no confirmation of news dates for Musikmesse itself.

The cancellation must also cast doubt on the viabilty of Berlin synth show Superbooth, despite the expo's recent “relax and make music” statement. Superbooth is currently scheduled for 23-25 April.

Full Musikmesse statement
Given the increasing spread of Covid-19 in Europe, Messe Frankfurt has decided to postpone Musikmesse 2020. The health of exhibitors, visitors, contractors and employees has top priority for Messe Frankfurt. 

The new dates will be announced in the near future. Visitor admission tickets continue to be valid. From the current perspective, the ‘Musikmesse Plaza’ pop-up market (3 and 4 April) and the ‘Musikmesse Festival’ (31 March to 4 April 2020) can take place as planned. These events are aimed primarily at a regional audience from the greater Frankfurt area. 

The ongoing spread of Covid-19 in Europe called for a reassessment of the situation in close cooperation with the public-health authorities in Frankfurt who require that steps be taken to prevent event participants from high-risk regions coming to Frankfurt and visiting the fair when ill. 

"Given that these participants could also be infected by Covid-19, it is necessary to conduct a health check to prevent the infection spreading even further. This is an important part of the infectiological risk assessment. Messe Frankfurt is not able to implement such measures. Additional factors behind the decision include the growing number of travel restrictions, which will make it difficult for many potential visitors and exhibitors to get to Frankfurt. 

“The current situation represents a major challenge for fair and exhibition companies from all over the world. We regret that the 40th anniversary edition of Musikmesse cannot open its doors from 1 to 4 April. However, we are looking forward to some great concerts for fans from the region at Musikmesse Festival, which will be held at a variety of venues throughout Frankfurt. 

"Additionally, we continue to extend our invitation to music lovers to visit the ‘Musikmesse Plaza’, where they can not only see and buy instruments, recordings and lifestyle products but also take part in numerous events”, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH. 

Following the Superbooth announcement earlier today regarding its status in light of Europe's coronavirus situation, music trade show Musikmesse has released its own statement regarding its event, due to take place in frankfurt, Germany between 1-4 April:

"There are no plans to postpone Prolight + Sound. We shall continue to be in regular, close touch with the specialists in the relevant authorities and will follow their advice and implement all recommendations in full. 

"As organisers, our top priority is the health of our exhibitors, visitors and staff! Quite apart from the current situation, the safety and security regulations at the Exhibition Centre are of an extremely high standard, and we have extended them even further in the last few weeks. So, for instance, we have increased the cleaning schedules for heavily frequented areas such as entrances, door handles, escalator handrails, etc. still further. 

"Moreover, additional disinfectant dispensers have been distributed across the Exhibition Centre. In spite of all the challenges, we are looking forward to sharing a successful and inspiring show with you, and to celebrating a 25th anniversary for Prolight + Sound in suitable style. Continually updated safety advice relating to Covid-19 can be found at: https://www.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en/company/corporate-social-responsibility/security.html"

MusicRadar is planning to attend Musikmesse this year and we'll keep you updated with any further developments as they happen. 

For more information on Musikmesse head over to the show's site.

NAMM 2020: Amongst the 1000s of attendees at NAMM, our esteemed friends from music gear giant Thomann hit the Anaheim showfloor, to bring you a flavour of the greatest gear show on Earth. Here are there findings from Day 3 - Steve Vai! Explosions! The end!

NAMM 2020: Sanderg has launched a comprehensive update to its 2020 lineup of basses comprising the short-scale Lionel, the California TT4 SuperLight with roasted maple neck, the California VM5 with Aguilar Electronics, and the Nighthawk Plus.

The Lionel features passive split-coil pickups and will be available in matte and aged finishes, but the big selling point is its 30" scale, which might make it it a more manageable and comfortable proposition to those new to the instrument, or players who split their time between guitar and bass. 

The California TT4 SuperLight is another accessible option from Sandberg. It might be full scale but courtesy of its Paulownia body it is incredibly light. As a tonewood, Sandberg says Paulownia is somewhat like swamp ash. The big news here is that it is now available with a roasted maple neck. 

The California VM5 is an all-new model for 2020 and features Aguilar Electronics.  It has an onboard Aguilar OBP-2 preamp to boost/cut bass and treble and is equipped with an AG 5P 60s split-coil pickup in the neck, with a high-output AG 5M in the bridge for added clarity and precision in your low-end. And who wouldn't want that!?

Rounding out the launch is the Nighthawk Plus, which sees Sandberg's Black Label pickups and preamp on hand for "bite and aggressive tones".

The Nighthawk Plus has a blacked-out headstock, black hardware, an anodized aluminium pickguard, and sees a number of all-new metallic finishes make their debut. Choose from Inca Silver, Copper, and Dark Grey – each mixed in-house by Sandberg.

As with all Sandberg basses, the spec is a moveable feast, easily configurable in the Sandberg Configurator and should be online soon. Otherwise, check in with Sandberg to find your nearest dealer. Prices TBC and dependent on spec.

For more gear news, check out our NAMM 2020 hub.

NAMM 2020: Boasting a generous complement of onboard effects, 25 digital preamp models, a compact format and an accessible price, Mooer Audio's SD Amplifier Series offers another option for the bedroom player who prizes a a lot of versatility from their amp.

That's not to say that the SD Series won't prove useful in the studio or at small gigs – the XLR output on the 75-watt SD75 could come in handy there – but at £369.99 for the SD75 and £259 for the 30-watt SD30 these will give you stacks of features for not a lot of dough, and a Jam section that is ideal for long nights honing your chops at home.

The SD Series marries Mooer's digital preamp modelling tech to conventional solid-state Class A/B amplification techniques. The result, says Mooer, is a "tube like" response. With that in mind, you can then dial in one of the 25 digital modelling preamps to find an amp tone you like, then choose from 28 onboard stompbox effects. There are eight drive pedals, nine modulation pedals, five delay pedals with tap-tempo functionality, and six types of reverb. 

Oh, and there is a built-in chromatic tuner.

Once you've got your tone you'll then want to investigate the Jam section of the amp, which really is a great practice tool, with an onboard looper with 150 seconds of recording time, drum machine, aux in or Bluetooth for syncing audio to play along to.

The SD Series being the modern beast that it is, there are up to 40 preset slots so you can save your settings. A wireless footswitch let's you access them on the fly – making the SD Series a one-stop shop for your rig if you wanted. The SD75 ships with the footswitch but is an optional extra for the SD30.

As for hardware, the SD75 houses a Mooer 100-watt 12" speaker, the SD30 an 8" Mooer speaker. 

The SD Amplifier Series is available to order now. See Mooer Audio for more details.

See here for more gear news from NAMM 2020.

• Check out the 11 best guitar amps under 500 bucks here.

NAMM 2020: KV331 was at NAMM, demoing the latest version of its award-winning Synthmaster One, which is now available on iphone, as well as ipad and as a plug-in.

It shares the engine that powers its bigger brother SynthMaster, but adds new features like wavetable synthesis, and comes crammed with over 1000 inspiring factory presets. 

To learn more, watch the video above and head over to KV331.

• Our pick of the best iPhone microphones

NAMM 2020: Amongst the 1000s of attendees at NAMM, our esteemed friends from music gear giant Thomann hit the Anaheim showfloor, to bring you a flavour of the greatest gear show on Earth. Here's what they found.

NAMM 2020: Reversing the received wisdom that says you never ever want to spill a drink on your pedalboard, the Rainger FX Minibar is a stompbox that has an onboard liquid analyser into which you pour a liquid and, depending on what you pour in, the pedal will dial in some gain and bass or treble.

Now, it can be any liquid. The operative phrase here is to "get creative" but do please keep it hygienic and consider the bind you'll find yourself should the Minibar deliver the sweetest gain pedal tone you've ever heard only if filled with your favourite beer. Yup, a lifetime of buying your pedal a beer every night.

How does it work? The Minibar has a plastic water-tight container into which you pour a liquid. The liquid analyser determines the properties of the liquid and accordingly dials in the level of distortion, bass and treble from the effect.

There are few controls to get a hang of, just a volume controls and the liquid container. The science does the rest.

As to that science, Rainger FX says the conductivity of the guitar's AC signal "generally" decides on the amount and the quality of gain, while the opacity of the liquid determines the amount of treble or bass. Rainger FX promises "satisfying ‘band-pass’ tones – nicely uncompressed, and with plenty of satisfying harmonics and plectrum ‘cluck’."

The pedal needs some liquid to run; that's what is carrying the signal, so when the container runs dry the signal cuts out. And if you don't want to share your beer with the Minibar, well, that's OK, it's just a mini-pedal, so it won't take much.

The Minibar Liquid Analyzer is priced £119 ($159).

See Rainger FX for more details.

Check out our NAMM 2020 hub for more gear news.

NAMM 2020: We grabbed the Mooer guys and got the lowdown on its big NAMM reveal, the GE300 Lite, an expression pedal-less, slimmed down little brother to the full GE300 Multi-FX and modelling floorboard.

Watch the video above for a rundown on the unit’s convenient control set-up and still-impressive array of functionality, plus a showcase of some of the tones on offer.

NAMM 2020: Finnish firm Neural DSP has made a name for itself with a series of highly-rated plugins, and worked in collaboration with the likes of Aussie virtuoso Plini and bass effect and amp specialists Darkglass.

Now, it's birthed its first independently produced piece of hardware, the Quad Cortex amp modeller and multi-effects unit - and it's a monster.

Touted as a 'Vulgar Display of Power' and the most powerful unit out there, Quad Cortex boasts an initial 50+ amps, 70+ effects and 1000+ IRs powered by 2GHz of dedicated SHARC and dual ARM DSPs, running the firm's biomimetic "Neural Capture" tech. 

The tech, powered by true machine learning, mimics the way a human ear perceives sound, producing, according to Neural DSP, "the most comprehensive and detailed detection system, and the most accurate and powerful digitized rigs on the market."

"For the past 2 years, the Neural team has been defying what we believed to be possible with not only audio algorithm development, but with mechanical, industrial and user experience design as well,"  says Doug Castro, Neural DSP founder and CEO. 

"Quad Cortex is the most powerful floor modeler unit on the planet, but it's also delivered in an extremely compact format. Fitted with a 7” multi-touch screen, proprietary rotary footswitch controls, and enough processing power to run 4 rigs simultaneously, we've truly put everything we have into making the most flexible, intuitive, and powerful device on the market." 

Quad Cortex will ship through 2020, at $1599/€1599 plus shipping, with 1000 units are available for pre-order at the Neural DSP website. 

NAMM 2020: IK Multimedia has unveiled the iRig Pro Duo I/O, a 2-channel audio/MIDI interface that is neat option for anyone who is looking for a compact, portable recording solution. 

The iRig Pro Duo IO can be partnered with all kinds of inputs – microphones, MIDI controllers, guitars, basses, keyboards, you name it – and can be used on the go with your iPhone, iPad, Android devices and Mac or PC. Alternatively, it can be used as a standalone MIDI interface.

Building on the success of the iRig Pro Duo, the iRig Pro Duo I/O has new and improved mic preamps with more gain, and newly dedicated PC drivers for enhanced performance on laptops and Surface tablets. 

The volume controls have been reworked, too, with level indicators and a rubberised finish for durability. After all, you're going to be carting this about with your and it's inevitably going to take a few hits in the line of duty. 

As far as recording goes, the iRig Pro Duo I/O has two analogue combo Inputs (1/4", XLR) for simultaneous recording of dynamic mics, condenser mics, or instruments. It features Class-A preamps, adjustable gain and 48V of phantom power, and each channel has an independent input gain control.

This is a small device but it has heaps of features. There's even a direct monitor switch for latency-free monitoring.

Run the iRig Pro Duo I/O on USB power, two AA batteries or optional power supply. 

The iRig Pro Duo I/O comes boxed with Lightning, USB-A and USB-C cables and is priced $/€199.99 excluding taxes. With VAT, it ships for €243.99 (£209 approx).

See IK Multimedia for more details.

For more gear news, check out our NAMM 2020 hub.

NAMM 2020: Hands up, we haven't spent enough time looking at the new woodwind instruments and music stands - maybe next year - but from a guitar, hi-tech and drums perspective, we'd like to think we've seen as much as anyone out in Anaheim.

There was certainly plenty to see, too, but which new products won the show? We asked our team of experts to ponder that question and come up with some answers: here are the winners of MusicRadar's hotly contested NAMM 2020 awards.

Best in Guitars

Best electric guitar: PRS McCarty S2 594

PRS's 2020 is so comprehensive it can be easy to overlook the significance of the S2 McCartys. The 594 is our pick because it brings top line design to more players. It exemplifies PRS strengths in building, with its commitment to delivering those qualities at accessible prices for more players than ever.

Read more: PRS adds new McCarty 594 guitars to the S2 Series

Best acoustic guitar: Martin SC-13E

The SC-13E laughs at the idea that Martin are traditionalists with genuine innovation aimed at inspiring players who aren't hung up on heritage. We've never experienced upper fret  access like this on an acoustic, and then there's that offset shape. A genuinely fresh approach to acoustic design.

Read more: Is Martin's new SC-13E acoustic its most progressive guitar ever?

Best bass guitar: Warwick Sadowsky Metro

When the announcement came in December that Warwick and Sadowsky were partnering up for a new European-made instrument line called the Metro, we couldn't wait to get our hands on the new basses. The wait is over and we're delighted to report that the Metro is playable, packed with features and definitely worth investigation.

More info: Warwickbass.com

Best bass amp: Orange Little Bass Thing

Orange's new amp, the Little Bass Thing, wowed us with its features, power and portability. Another winner for the venerable brand.

Read more: Orange goes low with its Bass Butler pedal and Little Bass Thing amp

Best guitar amp: Positive Grid Spark 40

The 16,000 preorders this amp currently has speaks volumes about the reputation of Positive Grid's BIAS modelling. And we can attest this amp sounds as good as we'd hoped when we filmed a demo at the show. 

But it offers more; the ability to transpose chords of streamed audio songs from YouTube, Spotify and more. You can generate your own backing tracks. Then there's the recording potential. We can't wait to get one! 

Read more:  Positive Grid launches the Spark guitar amp for jamming, learning songs and recording

Best guitar effects: Neural Quad Cortex

A genuine surprise from the plugin experts – entering the fierce multi-effects modelling unit market with confidence. Tell Helix and Headrush there's a new player in town, and what we saw and heard on the show floor was compelling…

Read more: Neural DSP's AI-powered floor modeller is 'Vulgar Display of Power'

Guitar innovation award: Gamechanger Light

The effects pedal market has never been more crowded with quality; brands are clamouring for your heard-earned cash and precious 'board real estate. So when we say we were genuinely blown away by the Light, we don't say it…um… lightly. 

The Latvians bring innovation, pizzaz and superlative sonics to an optical spring reverb. See what that means for yourselves…

Read more: NAMM 2020 VIDEO: Gamechanger Audio unveils its Light Pedal, the first ever ‘optical spring reverb’

Best in Music Tech

Best hardware synth: Korg Wavestate

OK, we're cheating slightly here, having already run the review rule over Korg's superbly rebooted Wavestation, but we don't hesitate to salute a faithful tribute to a ’90s classic that still offers cutting-edge sound design tools for the 21st century. 

Read more: Korg Wavestate review

Best music software: Universal Audio LUNA

Universal Audio arguably provided the story of NAMM 2020,  audaciously announced the LUNA Recording System, which is essentially a free DAW for users of the company’s Apollo and Arrow audio interfaces.

Read more: Universal Audio’s LUNA is a free DAW for Apollo audio interface owners

Best music tech innovation: Vochlea Dubler Studio Kit

Voice-to-MIDI is in danger of becoming the in thing, so hats off to Vochlea for providing the most convincing application yet for mouth-controlled percussive sound control, melodic parts and effect manipulation.

Read more: Can the Dubler Studio Kit turn your voice into the ultimate MIDI controller?

Best DJ gear: Pioneer DJ DJM-V10

With its new 6-channel club mixer, Pioneer DJ is taking aim at Allen & Heath's Xone series, offering up a hugely flexible-looking hub that combines an eye-watering amount of connectivity with plenty of hands-on creative tools.

Watch: Pioneer DJ DJM-V10

Best studio gear: SSL audio interfaces

Pro audio specialist Solid State Logic is stepping into the home recording market with two affordable USB audio interfaces: SSL 2 and SSL 2+. SSL quality at these prices is more than enough to get our nod for NAMM 2020.

Read more: SSL’s new budget audio interfaces promise studio quality at affordable prices

Best Eurorack gear: 4MS Ensemble Oscillator

Full bonks from 4MS with the Ensemble Oscillator. 16 interval-bound oscillators crammed into one module? Don't mind if we do.

More info: 4mscompany.com

Best MIDI controller: Arturia KeyStep Pro

Arturia's latest addition to its controller range, the KeyStep Pro - a 37-key MIDI keyboard equipped with a multitrack sequencer and plenty of I/O options, leads this highly competitive field at NAMM 2020.

Read more: Could Arturia’s KeyStep Pro MIDI keyboard be your new studio hub?

Best in Drums

Best drum kit: Yamaha Stage Custom Hip

Yamaha’s Stage Custom has been one of the most successful drum kits in history, and now Yamaha has introduced a desirable new twist on the Stage Custom’s renowned blend of sound quality and affordability with the Stage Custom Hip.

Read more: Yamaha introduces Stage Custom Hip 

Best percussion: Vic Firth RE-MIX Brushes 

Co-designed by top percussionist Pete Lockett, and available in a wide range of natural material from broomcorn to African grass, these RE-MIX brushes aim to provide versatility across a number of genres with everything from trad kits to cajons and more. Job done, we reckon.

More info: Vicfirth.com

Drum innovation award: Roland Acoustic Design Series

Roland continue to innovate in the world of electronic drums. While they continue to build out their 'straight' V-Drums line, they've also revealed this e-wolf in acoustic sheep's clothing. It looks like an acoustic kit - and a rather handsome one at that - but actually it's a fully fledged V-Drums set. Sneaky.

Read more: Roland reveals V-Drums Acoustic Design Series

NAMM 2020: It’s only been available for a short while, but Ashun Sound Machines (ASM) has already announced a significant update to its wave-morphing Hydrasynth. 

Available in keyboard and desktop versions, which come with polyphonic aftertouch keys and pads respectively, this is an eight-voice, three-oscillator polysynth that enables you to morph between waveforms using multiple modulation sources.

Further tone shaping can be achieved using the four mutators; there are two filters that can be configured in parallel or series; and the effects section comprises four independent modules.

The new version 1.3.0 firmware update adds support for the the MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) format, enabling polyphonic pitchbend and new modulation options.

There’s also the Warm mode; designed to emulate the frequency response of vintage synths, this rounds-out the high end of any patch while giving a gentle boost at the low end to add a little extra - you guessed it - warmth to your sound.

The desktop version of Hydrasynth is available now priced at $799/£799, while the keyboard version costs $999/£1,299. Find out more on the ASM website.

NAMM 2020: While the world waits for Isla Instruments’ SP 2400, a reinvigorated reboot of the classic E-mu SP-1200 sampler, E-mu co-founder Dave Rossum has sprung a surprise by announcing that he’s celebrating the 35th anniversary of the instrument by selling a collection of renovated original units.

Each of these - and they will be very limited in number - will be stripped down and rebuilt to create a “better-than-new” SP-1200. Following testing and calibration, Rossum will then guarantee that the unit offers the exact sonic character that the SP sampling drum machines are so famous for.

There will be enhancements, too, including a new 3.5-inch disk drive and SD card floppy emulator, and manual filter cutoff frequency control sliders for the SSM 2044 analogue filters for channels 1 and 2 on the rear panel. Buyers will also get a new metal chassis, a new panel overlay, a restored top shell painted in ‘SP Grey’ and a new power supply with locking connector.

You can also expect new 1/4-inch and MIDI jacks and controls, plus an individualised Dave Rossum signature plate to guarantee authenticity. Oh, and a case.

As you might expect, the price of all this is high: $7,500, to be precise. This is only for SP-1200 diehards with deep pockets, then - if that sounds like you, hit the Rossum Electro-Music website now and you can apply to get on the waiting list.

NAMM 2020:Gretsch has announced a mammoth product launch that sees the extensive updates to its Electromatic and Streamliner Series, and introduces all-new styles that build on the brand's heritage.

That heritage was founded on the rock 'n' roll vibe that is sustained across the Gretsch stable, and this year's new models stay true to that ethos while offering something new for the contemporary player, with super-cool electric guitars for players of all budgets, and a very cool Roots Series Jim Dandy acoustic that's compact, affordable, and looks like it has teleported its way to Anaheim, CA, from the 1940s.

But maybe it's best to go straight to the Limited Edition Penguin. There's no UK RRP for this but in the States it should set you back $2,999.99 (and will probably command a similar figure in sterling or euro), and will reward you with a breath-taking Two-Tone Smoke Gray/Metallic Violet finish. The build is chambered mahogany with an arched maple top. It is fitted with two TV Jones TV Classic pickups – think late-1950s Filter’Tron growl. 

Other details include a a set maple neck with a 12” radius ebony fingerboard, 22 medium jumbo frets for a more contemporary feel, a Bigsby B3C tailpiece, arched rocking bar bridge with pinned ebony base, Grover Imperial tuning machines and a bone nut.

Players Edition

This year sees five new models in the Players Edition. There's the Bigsby-equipped G6129T Jet in Red Sparkle, the G6128T Jet in Roundup Orange, and three G6659T Broadkasters Jr. Center Block singlecuts, each equipped with a Bigsby.

Gretsch have made some player-friendly improvements to the Players Edition Jet FT, with a new rolled cutaway and tapered heel allowing better access to the top end of the fretboard. The Jet FT models have chambered mahogany bodies with maple tops, set mahogany necks with a standard U profile. The 1.85" body depth and chambering promises "a tighter, more controlled attack." 

Elsewhere, there is a pair of High Sensitive Filter’Tron pickups in neck and bridge, while the electronics feature a no-load master tone pot and Squeezebox paper-in-oil capacitor, and a treble bleed circuit on the master volume. Other premium appointments include a set of locking Gotoh tuners, a Bigsby and anchored Adjusto-Matic bridge, and a GraphTech Tusq XL nut. The price is £2,049 ($2,399.99, €2,339).

The G6659T Players Edition Broadkaster Jr. Center Block models share the Player Series Jets' hardware and electronics. Here, Gretsch have gone for Full'Tron pickups. One of the big selling points of the Jr. Center Block bodyshape is that, measuring 14" across its lower bout, there is less guitar to wrap your arm around. 

The eponymous chambered center spruce block should tame feedback. These are priced £2,239 ($2,499.99, €2,549).

Not everything Gretsch is electric as this year's lineup reminds us. And the G9500 Jim Dandy 24" scale flat-top is going to be hard to beat for value and retro styling. 

Finished in 2-Color Sunburst, the Dandy is a parlor-style acoustic from the Gretsch Roots Series and features a basswood top, back and sides. It has a C-profile nato neck, with X-bracing and a top-loaded walnut bridge.

And it's very reasonable, priced £195 ($169, €220).

The new 2020 Streamliner models all feature Broad'Tron BT-2S pickups, laurel fingerboards and medium jumbo frets. The G2210 Junior Jet Club is an all-new model for the series. It is a workhorse singlecut with a solid nato body, bolt-on nato U-profile neck, and a neat looking, anchored, compensated wraparound bridge.

Its laurel 12" fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets should give it something of a contemporary feel that's at odds with its otherwise vintage styling. The Junior Jet Club is priced £305 ($299.99, €350)

The G2420 Streamliner Hollow Body, with its Chromatic II tailpiece, is constructed from laminated maple, and features enlarged f-holes for improved acoustic projection. It is priced £470 ($449.99, €529) and for an extra 100 bucks you can get the Bigsby-equipped G2420T.

Also new for 2020 are the Center Block and Center Block Jr. models, each available with a choice of V-stoptails or Bigsby vibrato units. The Center Block Jr. measures 13.46” at its widest, with the Center Block measuring 16". Build-wise you've got laminated maple bodies, nato U-profile necks and expect to pay between £470 and £529 ($449.99-$549.99, €529-€599).

The 2020 Electromatic Series sees a lot of laurel fingerboards, medium jumbo frets, fingerboards with a 12" radius, and treble bleed circuits are a nice touch at this price.

This year sees the debut of the G5410T "Rat Rod" Hollow Body Singlecut – a mean-looking riff on the classic hollow-bodied Gretsch template. These come fitted with a Bigsby-Licensed B60 Vibrato, and feature oversized bound f-holes and the smaller old-school bound headstocks. The Black Top Filter’Tron humbuckers have red pickup inserts, and it breaks ranks with the laurel to go for a rosewood fingerboard.

With the a svelte 2.25" laminate maple body, it will be interesting to see how these feel. The Rat Rod is priced at £809 ($799.99, €919)

Next up is another new model: the Jet Baritone. Available with a V-stoptail or a Bigsby vibrato, the Jet Baritone has a 29.75" scale and a solid mahogany body with a bolt-on thin U-profile maple neck. Its mini-humbuckers are voiced for the low-end definition. These offer exceptional value at £569 ($549.99, €639). The Bigsby option is an extra 100 bucks or so.

The G5222 Double Jet meanwhile is a neat-looking doublecut with a chambered mahogany body and maple top. It has a pair of Black Top Broad’Tron pickups and priced £495, ( $499.99, €559) the Double Jet is another great value option.

Last but by no means least, we've got the G5655T Electromatic Center Block Jr. Single-Cut. Again, measuring 13.5" across the lower bout, it is a hugely accessible guitar. It has a laminated maple build, with a maple set neck. The Black Top Broad’Tron pickups should give this one plenty of teeth, with the Bigsby on-hand for those wobbles. Price £809 ($$799.99, €919).

See Gretsch for more details.

Check out our NAMM hub for all the latest gear news from Anaheim. 

NAMM 2020: We headed over to pro audio specialist RME's preview booth to get a full rundown of its plans for 2020 and beyond, including the much-fancied Babyface Pro FS.

The future, it seems, is definitely audio network technology. Head over to RME's site for more info on all of their products.

NAMM 2020: Martin saved its biggest announcement of NAMM to the show itself with the SC-13E; its most forward-thinking guitar for decades and with innovative new features to woo a new generation of players.

Two features on the guitar are immediately striking; its offset body shape and an accessible cutaway that's unlike any acoustic guitar we've encountered with remarkable upper fret access for players.

This dramatically enhanced access is created by Martin's innovative new Sure Align Linear Dovetail Neck Joint – pairing dovetail joining with aluminum for glue-less security and stability. 

In its presentation introducing the guitar, the company noted it also enabled the SC-13E's neck to be removed in around three minutes if needed and alluded to the potential of swapping necks in the future. 

The neck itself is High Performance Taper to take full advantage of the upper fret access and through the soundhole and in an another change from tradition, you can also see that the Tore Tension X Brace back bracing now crosses it.

The 25.4" scale length guitar's body features a 000 depth that feels instantly comfortable and less wieldy than a dreadnought. The redesigned curved bridge and low action complements this and our first experiences with the guitar felt electric-like in playability.

On our first impressions, it sounds like a Martin with a full-bodied sound unplugged, but the sense of freedom across the fretboard and ease of action here will open doors for players. 

For plugging in there's a Fishman MX-T system installed with a stealthily-placed tuner placed inside the soundhole too. 

Martin claim the guitar is designed to be played live without the feedback issues that can plague players who use amplification and effects. 

A huge amount of design investment has clearly gone into the SC-13E but as a Road Series model. Martin stated the guitar will have a street price of $1,500. 

For more info visit Martin.com