NAMM Show 2009 round-up highlights: keytars and more!

The big NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show is going on through this Sunday in Anaheim, California, so we thought we'd bring you a few of the highlights debuting there. Among the beauties on offer is Native Instruments' Maschine Groove Production Studio, a hard / software combo loaded with 5GB of samples, 16 illuminated pads for making beats and patterns, two high resolution displays, and eight rotary encoders. The Stealth Pedal maraudes as a wah, but acts as an assignable expression pedal, with a double footswitch and the option to add a third pedal via USB, with a 24-bit USB audio interface and software. The Akai APC40 is a MIDI control surface designed in conjunction with Ableton to work out of the box with Live on a PC or Mac. Last (but surely not least) Roland's resurrected the AX-7 with the updated and delicious AX-Synth "shoulder keyboard" AKA keytar. This bad boy's got 49 keys, 7 LEDs, tons of control options, and a 128-voice polyphonic sound engine which is editable with included software. Check the gallery of each glorious item -- and yes, we know that Edgar Winter's not playing an actual keytar in the video (it's just a giant keyboard strapped to his insane body), but seriously, who cares?

NAMM Gallery

Read - Maschine Groove Production Studio
Read - The NAMM Show
Read - Stealth Pedal
Read - Akai APC40
Read - Roland AX-Synth

[compwhiz Posted Jan 16th 2009 9:17PM]

Meh. I'll stick with my 8-bit mario theme song...

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 17th 2009 3:06AM]

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2009/01/16/authentic-chiptune-soft-synth-emulation-plogue-chipsounds-scoop-from-namm/

Also announced at NAMM.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 16th 2009 9:20PM]

I think the Miko and Neko by Open Labs are the best thing at the show.


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MiKo LXD (Gen5)
37-key portable keyboard workcenter, designed for today's producers and artists on the go, is encased in an all new Black Onyx chassis. The MiKo LXD has at its core, an Intel Core2 Quad 2.5GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, 1 terabyte of hard drive (with one open bay), 4 ins / 6 outs (with 2 preamps with Phantom power) audio I/O, DVD burner, FireWire, USB 2.0 and an external connector for a secondary monitor.
On the surface, the MiKo LXD has a 15" LCD touch screen, DJ controller, Bump MP, Mix/Edit controller and a track pad with buttons. Rounding out the product is an external, compact, blue back-lit QWERTY keyboard. A comprehensive suite of software including Riff, Mimik, Reaper, Guru, Dimension LE, Windows XP Home and over 25,000 sound presets installed including True Pianos, Sylenth, Digital Sound Factory Proteus 2000, Mophatt, and Virtuoso, Wusik Station and Denaun Porter Master Series sound library, making the MiKo LXD ready for action right out of the box. A complete list of software and plug-ins can be found at: www.openlabs.com. The MiKo LXD is priced at $4,599 (MAP) and will start shipping the end of January 2009.
NeKo LX5 (Gen5)
61-key keyboard production station is the big brother to the MiKo LXD and is designed for use by keyboard players, as well as producers and live performing artists. Also encased in the new Black Onyx chassis, it has at its core the same Intel Core2 Quad 2.5GHz processor and 4GB of RAM, but with an upgraded hard drive system that is 2 terabytes in size. Like its little brother, the NeKo LX5 has a 4 ins / 6 outs (with 2 preamps with Phantom power) audio I/O, DVD burner, FireWire, USB 2.0 and an external connector for a secondary monitor.
The NeKo LX5 has a 15" LCD touch screen, DJ controller, Bump MP, Mix/Edit controller and a track pad with buttons. Rounding out the product is an external, compact, blue back-lit QWERTY keyboard. An upgraded and comprehensive suite of software including Riff, Mimik, Reaper, Guru, Dimension LE, Windows XP Home, and over 25,000 sound presets installed including True Pianos, Sylenth, Digital Sound Factory Proteus 2000, MoPhatt, Virtuoso, Wusik Station and Denaun Porter Master Series sound library. The NeKo LX5 is priced at $5,499 (MAP) and will start shipping the end of January 2009.

I ================


I really want one. I would ditch my pc and every piece of gear I own for this.

[muzik 4 machines Posted Jan 16th 2009 9:30PM]

the apc40 is a dream come true, ive been waiting for this for years (a monome or lemur is WAY ridiculously too expensive and not even midi/USB(OSC is of no use to use soft- and hard-ware))

[Wwhat Posted Jan 17th 2009 6:38PM]

Seems to not designed with much userfeedback, when I see how unclear all those similar buttons are, that you also scroll through, you are quite lost in actual use as to what you are doing I bet, a mouse /screen is easier, and in the video the guy has some trouble rotating the effect knobs because they stick out a lot but are close to eachother and yet all on the same plane, making manipulation a whole lot less convenient than if they had designed it with some back-and-forth between people actually using the device and the engineers, rather than just engineers drawing it in a CAD package not caring about the actual experience of users.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 16th 2009 9:32PM]

Hey, we can't forget about the new version of Live, with a Max integration option (as in Max running natively and in real time within Live).

[DBrim Posted Jan 16th 2009 9:55PM]

Edgar Winter is the Chuck Norris of music.

[Laura June Posted Jan 16th 2009 9:55PM]

Which means he's really awesome right? Right?!

[DBrim Posted Jan 16th 2009 10:17PM]

Yes.

On a side note, does anybody else find it totally ironic that the comment system is so bad that even bloggers can't use it correctly?

Carry on.

[Bandigolo Posted Jan 16th 2009 10:26PM]

I just want to be the first one to say that Engadget really needs to have more keytar coverage moving forward. You really cannot have too much.

[Laura June Posted Jan 16th 2009 10:36PM]

Agreed.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 16th 2009 10:48PM]

Agreed x2.

[zeroprime Posted Jan 16th 2009 11:25PM]

Now all we need is a star of the keytar, a 'keystar' if you will.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 17th 2009 12:30AM]

I can't believe roland's making keytars again, this is a dream come true. more coverage please, engadget. when can i order that baby?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 17th 2009 12:14AM]

the beat thang was best in show

[Sor1 Posted Jan 17th 2009 12:36AM]

i am so going to buy the new AKAI/Ableton controler !! Thanks Engadget :)

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 17th 2009 3:08AM]

70 comments about a touch screen advertisement for Coca Cola.

14 comments about exciting new ways to create and interact with art and multimedia.

Sometimes I wonder where the priorities of the average engadget reader is.
Even if someone doesn't grasp these tools they are just as blinky and cool looking as some new home theatre gizmo.

[jpxdude Posted Jan 17th 2009 4:19AM]

My father-in-law is a keytar player, infact I think he'll be playing his keytar at the upcoming NAMM show! This is great news :)

[IanMcGrady Posted Jan 17th 2009 6:09AM]

congrats, man. That's awesome.

[PEZ Posted Jan 17th 2009 8:28AM]

That NAMM logo makes me want to eat M&M's.

[Sustinance Posted Jan 19th 2009 5:10PM]

Did you see Rane's new product, Mongoose? That was pretty sweet...