While our intrepid colleagues rise and shine in sunny California to brave the first day of NAMM 2009, it's a good time to take stock of the gear we're most excited about in the UK.
The hands-on reports and video demos will start pouring in later today, but in the meantime here are a handful of music-making toys we've been privy to so far. Let's call it the tip of a very big, powerful and technological iceberg…
Akai APC40
A dedicated control surface for Ableton Live
Celemony Melodyne Editor
Direct Note Access arrives in a new application
Universal Audio UAD-2/Laptop
Add the power of UAD-2 to your laptop
FXpansion D-CAM Synth Squad
Three synths and a semi-modular layering environment
IK Multimedia AmpliTube Fender
Classic Fender gear in a plug-in
Gretsch Stump-O-Matic guitar
Fall Out Boy Patrick Stump's signature Electromatic Corvette
IK Multimedia StealthPedal
A USB-powered audio interface and floor controller
Peavey 6505 combo and 3120 amplifier
1×12 combo-amp configuration of the popular 6505 and a brand new head
DigiTech TimeBender delay pedal
A stompbox packed with features
Vox Big Bad Wah, AC4TV amp and the Night Train
A Joe Satriani signature pedal, a 50-year-old tube amp with a face-lift and a brand-new head
