The legendary NAMM is coming back for four days (January 25-28) of music gear and tech at the Anaheim Convention Center, with manufacturers big and small launching new products and pushing the boundaries of innovation in music.Â
As always, NAMM 2024 will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting events of the year, and as the makers unveil their latest creations, it’s time to take a look at the hottest releases confirmed so far. Here’s a list of new gear we're most excited about, with products ranging from musical instruments to home music production and effects.
Yamaha Pacifica Standard Plus
Yamaha unveiled an exciting update to its Pacifica series at NAMM 2024 with four high-end models (as opposed to the popular entry-level series we’re all familiar with): the Pacifica Professional PACP12 and PACP12M, as well as the Standard Plus PACS+12 and PACS+12M in rosewood and maple fingerboards, respectively.
The guitars are crafted in Japan by master luthiers and feature innovative Reflectone pickups developed in partnership with Rupert Neve Designs. The pickups offer a wide tonal range with a five-position selector and coil-split capabilities. Each model comes with a slim C-shape neck, medium stainless-steel frets, and Gotoh locking tuners, which makes them durable and easy to play.
The Professional models come with nice touches such as compound-radius fingerboards and custom-tinted neck finishes. You can get these guitars for $3,700.00 (the Professional) and $2,220.00 (the Standard Plus). If that’s above your budget, have a look at our recent article on the Best Beginner Guitars of 2024 to find some great and affordable guitars.
Avid Pro Tools
Avid presented an updated version of the industry standard Pro Tools with enhanced MIDI capabilities, including support for new MIDI effect plugins, improvements in MIDI signal flow, and the introduction of innovative MIDI effects plugins like Audiomodern Riffer 3, Modalics EON-Arp and Pitch Innovations Groove Shaper.Â
The update also features the integration of Celemony ARA 2 technology, which will offer users a seamless connection with advanced tools like iZotope’s RX Spectral Editor, Sound Radix Auto-Align, and SynchoArts RePitch.
Finally, the company also enhanced the interoperability between Pro Tools and Sibelius, which gives users the possibility to transfer music between the two platforms without issues and save time in the composing process.Â
Interested in learning more about digital audio workstations? Check out our list of the best DAWs here.
Audient ORIA
Audient's latest production tool is the ORIA, an audio interface specifically designed for immersive audio setups.Â
One of the most impressive features of ORIA is the wide range of digital and analog inputs and outputs it offers, supporting speaker configurations up to 9.1.6. This makes ORIA a fantastic choice for advanced surround sound systems, giving users the chance to create truly immersive soundscapes. ORIA's onboard room calibration DSP integrates with Sonarworks SoundID Reference so that both the room acoustics and speaker output are optimized for the best possible sound quality.Â
ORIA also comes with two high-quality microphone preamps that deliver clean, uncolored sound, suitable for a wide range of music production applications. Another user-friendly aspect of ORIA is the dual headphone outputs, which allow for simultaneous monitoring by two users, ideal for collaborative projects or sessions that require multiple listeners. The Audient's interface also features remote control capabilities via an iPad, meaning you can adjust settings and control the interface remotely.
Not likely to make it to NAMM this year? Check out our list of the best interfaces here.
Donner/Third Man Hardware Triple Threat
The Donner/Third Man Hardware collaboration brought to life Triple Threat: a 3-in-1 analog multi-effects pedal that offers an affordable, quality, and versatile solution in the world of guitar effects. Envisioned by Jack White, the pedal was designed to create an accessible pedal for novice musicians by offering quality at a reasonable price.Â
The Triple Threat comes with a high-gain distortion, an upgraded classic phaser, and an analog-voiced echo, and the pedal's design is complemented by Third Man Hardware's signature aesthetics, like lightning bolts and sharp stripes. It will launch in two versions: a standard black edition priced at $99 and a limited edition yellow variant, exclusive to Third Man's Reverb store, at $129.
It might be a challenge to get your hands on one of these, but fear not – you can check out a lot more awesome multi-effects pedals here.
Nord Grand 2
The Nord Grand series is a masterpiece of digital piano engineering, combining the authenticity of a grand piano with the versatility of a synthesizer, and the latest product from Nord offers a plethora of enhancements and features that set a new standard for digital grand pianos.Â
The enhanced Kawai Hammer keybed, with its triple sensors, raises the bar of what can be achieved with digital pianos and brings to life an incredibly realistic and responsive playing experience. The Nord Grand 2 has dual layers of piano and synth sounds, with a rich collection of Grands, Uprights, and Electric Pianos carefully sampled to capture the unique characteristics of these instruments.Â
The Sample Synth section features expanded memory and a broad selection of high-quality sounds. I also look forward to checking out the enhanced effects section, which has new types of reverb, delay, amps, and modulation effects that add depth and dimension to the sound. However, if you can’t invest $5K on your next digital piano, make sure you check out our list of Best Digital Pianos Under $500.
Ibanez Fretless Semi-Hollow SR Series
Ibanez has just introduced the new BTB Light Multi-Scale Basses at NAMM. The BTB7MS is the first-ever seven-string multi-scale BTB, featuring a 9-piece neck and reinforced with graphite for added stability and durability. The five-string models include the BTB705LM and the BTB605MLM, featuring the Ibanez's T1 pickups.Â
These basses offer a versatile and dynamic range of tonal possibilities while still being reasonably priced. Once again, Ibanez managed to find the perfect balance between affordability and good-quality production.
Blackstar ID:CORE
The brand-new ID:CORE V4 is an upgraded series of Blackstar’s award-winning ID:CORE amps and comprises three models: 40-watt, 20-watt, and 10-watt.Â
Developed by the same R&D team responsible for Blackstar’s acclaimed valve amps, the V4 amps offer a highly customizable sound experience with Super Wide Stereo sound and Blackstar's speaker simulator, CabRig Lite.
The V4 range features the patented ISF tone control, which gives the ability to transition between USA and UK tones, as well as with six voices and 12 digital effects. The amps also include a power reduction feature, USB-C connectivity, and linear speakers, expanding their utility for those guitarists who also enjoy gaming or movie watching.
For more digital modeling amps, check out our roundup here.
Korg PS-3300
Perhaps the most active company at this year's NAMM, Korg has also just announced the long-awaited comeback of the PS-3300 synthesizer, a rare gem in the synth world with only 50 units ever produced. But don’t be fooled by their limited numbers: this reissue is a celebration of one of the most coveted synthesizers in history.Â
Led by the same team renowned for resurrecting iconic machines like the MS-20 and ARP ODYSSEY, the new semi-modular PS-3300 FS is made of three synthesizer units combined with mixer and utility sections and a 49-note keyboard.Â
The new PS-3300 FS elevates the original design with a 49-voice analog polyphony, compared to the original's 48 voices. Each note on the keyboard is supported by three independent oscillators, as well as with multiple filters, envelopes, and amplifiers, for a total of an impressive 147 analog synth voices. It also introduces a panel memory function with storage for 16 banks of 16 presets, allowing users to save and recall up to 256 sounds.
Luckily, the synthesizer also integrates modern features like USB and MIDI jacks, along with a dedicated librarian app for streamlined preset management. These updates make the PS-3300 FS the perfect connection between analog synthesis and contemporary technological requirements.Â
Want to see more cool synths? Check out our roundup of the 10 best synths here!
Yamaha SEQTRACK
At NAMM 2024, Yamaha just introduced an innovative and incredibly versatile piece of hardware that’ll likely become a must-have for music producers worldwide.
The Yamaha SEQTRACK is designed to provide a comprehensive solution for music producers: it includes a step sequencer, drum machine, sampler, two AWM2 synthesizers, and a reface DX-style FM synthesizer, allowing producers to create complex and rich musical arrangements on the go.
Perhaps the best feature of the SEQTRACK is its straightforward layout, which is divided into three main sections. The left section houses the drum machine, with seven tracks for kick, snare, clap, two hi-hats, and two percussion sounds. The device's extensive 2,000-sound sample library or built-in microphone for recording custom samples provides limitless creative potential.
The central section of the SEQTRACK is dedicated to synth and sample manipulation, and the right section focuses on sound design and effects, including controls for pitch, volume, pan, attack, decay, and filter. The SEQTRACK also has the ability to switch all three sections between mono, poly, and chord modes.
The SEQTRACK comes with a microphone, speaker, rechargeable battery, and an accompanying app. The seven keys can be played in a standard keyboard mode or with an arpeggiator, offering endless creative possibilities.
Interested in producing your own music? Check out our list of the best beat machines here.
Final Thoughts
These are only some of the great products that have been released during this year's NAMM edition! This list is far from comprehensive, so make sure you keep an eye on NAMM’s website and social media output to stay up to date on the conferences and announcements that make it one of the most vibrant music tech events in the world.
Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM
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