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I can't think that they don't. Their money isn't tied up in a lot of admin costs. I don't think they do NAMM booths. They probably don't have an extremely large staff. Think of the users who use it casually will always buy another upgrade.

I'm not as well-versed in this issue, as I only have a couple of outboard processors, so not in danger of running out of sends. But I've seen the plaintive cries over the years and sympathize with having "if they'd only fix this ONE DAMN FEATURE it would be the greatest thing ever" going around in my head. To the extent that the devs have replied, I think they mentioned that mucking about in that area would be opening a can of dusty spaghetti, and they'd likely also want to do it better this time. The current method seemed kind of kluge-y when I tried it. When I've done it in the hardware world, that kind of thing is well-integrated into the mixer itself, not as an add=om. From what I've seen, the devs really have their hands full trying to get the initial release of Sonar ready with the vector UI being the big new feature The silver lining with Sonar going payware is that the development will naturally shift in the direction of features. "Now with!" being a favorite marketing phrase. That could be "now with completely overhauled and expanded support for external rackmount signal processors!" Gotta have the word "rackmount" in there.😄 Payware license-driven software development can hit the pitfall of adding a new feature, then letting it dangle in the wind when the development team is then put on the task of working on the next big set of features before things are fully right with the new feature, and from what I've seen, SONAR, with its various changes in management, may have suffered from that one. At least for the nasty crashy bugs, the current team have been ferociously active about setting that right. There are older features that could get some love, like Matrix view and the Arpeggiator. My understanding is that those were grafted on from Project 5. The Matrix isn't as well-integrated as it could be (right click on clip, Send To Matrix cell, eh?), and there's no way to create and edit arpeggiator patterns. They're both features with more potential, especially for current music styles. The boom in use of external processors is not a thing to discount. People shell out a LOT of money for those little mono 500 rack gadgets. I hope that BandLab goes back to the NAMM Show someday, last time I was there it seemed like half of Hall D was taken up by people peddling 500 rack stuff. I know from personal experience with my boutique pedal company that musicians LOVE using stuff that not everyone can find/afford/figure out how to use. It's a segment of the market that doesn't mind opening their wallets. There's no reason not to treat them with the same importance that compatibility with software processors gets.

I knew their "Wham! Bam! Thank you NAMM!" newsletter implied upcoming expenses!

The groundhog smelled spring but not a lick of these folks. Loose lips sink ships, but after missing the holiday season and NAMM from a June announce, and dropping a prompt to go online and see that there's nothing to see about the new SONAR, I feel they should speak now or risk losing me and others to other DAWs where there is a healthy exchange between users and devs. Kinda like it used to be here...

The Wurly (original trademark spelling) AKA the Wurli AKA the Wurlitzer electric piano is coming back to life in 2024 according to Music Radar. I am surprised that Music Radar's writer couldn't find out if Gibson still owns Wurlitzer or not, especially if they found this news out at NAMM. In any event, it's pretty exciting news to find your favorite electric piano is soon going back into production. EDIT: If you read my later posts, you'll find that I'm longer confident that the party behind this Wurlitzer website is legitimate. https://www.musicradar.com/news/new-wurlitzer-electric-piano?utm_content=keyboard&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR06lTzR7GJExVBLHWY9KTLYd76JSeiZPxI-cAKVUapIP6pS4PnrMc4GYlY

No, and yes. Cubase 13 is more stable than 12, and they cleaned up the interface and allow much color customization. I'm hoping SONAR will look as fresh. btw, Steinberg was at NAMM...

I've never been blown away at NAMM. But I don't go there for the *****. I'll be right there tomorrow at 5AM. I having brekkie with my mate @daryl1968 and driving him to LAX so he can get the 'ell out of this god forsaken country. 🙂

Sounds like Gulfoss with a 4 band eq built into it? And magic dynamic audio dependent frequency things? My Gulfoss use is on the master bus, predictably around Tame 20, Recover 15, so pretty minimal and quick. My Soothe use is never on master bus, probably just vocals, and I agree too many controls that do similar things, taking longer. I wonder if people who go to NAMM are often "blown away" because, they have invested a lot of time and money going to NAMM.

So apparently they're showing this at NAMM and people who got to try it were blown away. It's a more intuitive, intelligent and tweakable Gullfoss, basically. Also, I second the notion this will easily be $180 if not higher.

Great River makes a nice PWM compressor: https://vintageking.com/great-river-pwm-501?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqsitBhDlARIsAGMR1RgXLhPcO6TBqU4N1KjLZ5nksQIrWBDJd2ftpMciuxKJdJniPIqhwUAaAqqnEALw_wcB Dan Kennedy of Great River is a great guy (no pun intended), and he is also known for some really clean mic pres that were awesome for acoustic music. (The original Great River mic pres.) Buzz Audio makes amazing opto compressors that are also really nice on vocals and not intended to be mojo type compressors and very clean. Same with David Hill of blessed memory with his Titan compressor. David Hill at NAMM used his Titan compressor on grand piano and I was amazed at how well it did while still retaining all the grand piano detail - of which I am a fuss nut about. But as Craig indicated (I think), the cleanest is to adjust the envelopes. And I would add - to ride the faders. I am just not that good at it. And I just like equipment - perhaps too much!

NAMM Special – 50% OFF During the NAMM Show you can save 50% on Software, Upgrades (including License SL) and Soundsets. Only until January 28! https://waldorfmusic.com/shop-english/#software

https://kazrog.com/collections/audio-plugins/products/true-iron Kazrog have reduced the price of True Iron for a limited time, now only £30.00, (usually £40.00). True Iron is a NAMM TEC Award nominated plugin made by Kazrog in conjunction with Devin Powers (Powers Music Company). It accurately emulates 6 classic line transformers, known for their use in many of the biggest names in vintage analog outboard sound processing. Models are based on the UTC 108 X, the Malotki E4M – 4001B, the Western Electric 111C, the Haufe V178, the Marinair LO1166/A , and the UTC O-12. True Iron is available to PC and Mac users (VST2, VST3, AU and AAX).

https://www.korg.com/us/ The NTS-3 Kaoss Pad falls under the Nu:Tekt brand, and enables you to tweak up to four effects simultaneously via an XY pad. 35 are supplied, including filters, modulation FX, delays, reverbs, mastering processors and more creative options such as a looper, grainshifter and vinyl break emulator. The effects can be edited, and you can build and add your own thanks to support for Korg’s LogueSDK. https://www.musicradar.com/news/korg-nutekt-nts3-kaoss-pad

https://www.boss.info/global/products/ve-22/ BOSS has released the VE-22 Vocal Performer, their new vocal effects processor. The VE-22 offers singers enhanced live sound control with an XLR microphone preamp and a range of sonic tools. It features basic vocal enhancement and processed effects, including a real-time harmony function, and is suitable for practice, recording, and online streaming The new BOSS VE-22 Vocal Performer and CB-VE22 Carrying Case will be available for purchase at authorized US BOSS retailers in January for $349.99 and $69.99.

https://www.gpu.audio/blog/51-announcing-living-sky-a-cutting-edge-spatial-reverb-that-forges-a-new-partnership-between-gpu-audio-outer-echo-and-mntra-instruments MNTRA, GPU Audio, and Outer Echo have teamed up to introduce 'Living Sky', their new spatial reverb plugin designed to revolutionize three-dimensional spatial audio production. This collaboration combines MNTRA's skill in developing immersive virtual instruments, GPU Audio's advanced audio processing, and Outer Echo's expertise in DSP solutions for spatial applications. Living Sky offers an expansive collection of acoustic spaces, enabling creators to transform sound in imaginative ways. Unlike standard reverb plugins that offer limited motion within a space, Living Sky claims to "brings the space itself to life", creating dynamic and organic audio processing.

https://audient.com/products/monitor-controllers/oria/overview/ Audient has announced ORIA, an all-in-one audio interface and monitor controller designed specifically for multi-speaker arrays ranging from stereo to 9.1.6 setups - and everything in between. ORIA provides 16 outputs via TRS or AES, two dedicated relayed switched stereo outputs, two independent headphone outputs, BNC Word Clock in and out, as well as two Audient Console Mic Preamps, 16 ADAT inputs and an optional 16 input AoIP Dante card, which is ideal for large studio complexes and education facilities ORIA will retail at UK £2520 inc VAT; Euro €2885 and US $2625 MAP. The optional Dante Card is priced at UK £600; Euro €685 and US $625 MAP.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/korg-microkorg-2 microKorg 2 will be released in June of this year. We'll be checking out the synth at NAMM next week the most noticeable upgrade is the synth's 2.8-inch colour display, which offers advanced control of the synth's parameters alongside animated effects and an oscilloscope view that visualizes your patches. Like its predecessor, microKorg 2 is built around a virtual analogue synth engine. The synth's polyphonic architecture can handle up to eight voices, and sounds can be layered in Dual mode to create multi-timbral patches. The synth comes with 512 presets categorized into eight banks labelled by genre, and custom sounds can be saved in its 64-slot patch memory.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/namm-2024-martin-remasters-its-affordable-x-series-acoustic-guitars-available-from-dollar599 https://www.andertons.co.uk/search?search=martin x&tduid The remastering breaks down to what Martin details as a number of improvements in playability and cosmetics. On the latter side, new High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) patterns make for some eye-catching looks with cocobolo, ziricote, and Brazilian rosewood joining mahogany, koa, and all-black. Elsewhere, the remastered X Series guitars also feature headplates that match the model's respective HPL pattern, along with refined rosettes .Specs include satin tuners, Martin E-1 electronics with a built-in chromatic tuner and volume, tone, and phase controls.

https://www.korg.com/in/products/synthesizers/grandstage_x/ The interface on the Grandstage X has been designed with live players in mind, and promises to be very intuitive. You can layer and split at the touch of a button, and there are dedicated level controls for each part. The keyboard has Korg’s RH3 weighted hammer action, and we’re intrigued by the key-touch slider, which promises “instant control over volume and timbre changes with each keystroke”. There are Nutube-powered analogue-style effects, an EQ and multiple delays and reverbs. The Grandstage X also has a slight arranger keyboard vibe with the inclusion of a rhythm and chord progression function, which creates a backing track that’s said to complement your playing. There’s no shortage of competition in the stage piano market, but with its distinctive look and (hopefully) high-quality sounds, the Grandstage X could definitely be a contender. There’s no word on a price yet, but you can expect it to arrive in June.

https://www.korg.com/in/products/synthesizers/kingkorg_neo/ This 2013 61-note keyboard never really seemed to fully capture the public’s imagination, but Korg has now taken the XMT virtual analogue engine that powered it and stuffed it into the more compact KingKorg Neo. The Neo will be available from February priced at £949/£1,099

Last in-person GearFest at Sweetwater (prior to Covid), I was talking to Craig Anterton about this circuit. It was in some of the newer Les Paul guitars... the "Modern" version I believe (which had DIP switches) I really miss being about to meet/talk with folks like Craig, Roger Linn, etc. GearFest was similar to NAMM... but a lot closer. The All-Star concerts each night were also spectacular. You could watch the likes of Steve Vai, Jordan Rudess, Steve Stevens, Adrian Belew, Dweezil Zappa, Andy Timmons, etc.

I wish it were that easy. The problem is that they can all make there own decisions, but then they vary from staying with national standards. 😀 Our customers expect the same experience at NAMM or CES.

We've been hard at work this year putting the finishing touches on some of the plug-ins we've been working on. Fresh on the heels of the release of the Maselec MEA-2, we have two more little surprises for you today... First, after many years of development, we are thrilled to finally announce the QuantX Natural Resonance Reverb. https://relabdevelopment.com/quantx/ QuantX stands as the world's only dual-engine re-creation of a beloved 80’s hardware reverb, celebrated for its exceptionally realistic ambience and extended reverb times. This legendary resonance reverb, a long-adored staple in world-class studios, has been meticulously re-created using our next-generation machine learning and extensive research. Some of the stand-out features include: Unique Dual-Engine Design – Both the Reverb and Enhancement engines run in parallel for some great front-to-back layering. Expanded Bandwidth – We recalculated the behavior of the internal sample rate and analog filters, to give you a highly unique and resonant frequency curve for multiple bandwidth options. 8-Voice Hand-Tuned "ACE" Modulation – We've included not one but TWO 8-voice modulation engines running in series, woven deep into the algorithm for incredibly rich and lush tails. Enhancement Feedback Controls – Where the tail of the enhancement is hard-coded in the original hardware, we’ve opened that up so you can really fine-tune your reverb. And much more... We're confident that once you try QuantX, you’ll instantly feel the essence of this classic room simulator and hear what makes this uniquely natural and realistic reverb so compelling. And if that's not enough, here's our second surprise for you... A special loyalty discount. As a thank you for being a Relab customer, for a limited time, you can get QuantX for only $124 (reg. $199) and save $75 Plus you'll also get a FREE Pulsar "Smasher" plug-in ($49 value) VERY IMPORTANT: In order to take advantage of this exclusive loyalty offer, you MUST log in at checkout and use these special links Start a Free 7-day Trial Here Buy QuantX for only $124 Here Buy QuantX for 3 Easy Payments of $41.33 Here This reverb was a true passion project for us and was years in the making (some of you may remember seeing it for the first time at NAMM 2020) and we spent a lot of time getting it to sound just right. We hope you love it as much as we do!

Do you mean Digital Performer? My understanding is that is much more geared to orchestration. I went to NAMM one year and sat in on a demonstration on the latest features of Digital Performer (v11 IIRC). Can you guess what they used in the demonstration? It was *not* EDM, Trap, R&B, Metal, Rock or K-Pop. It was an orchestration.

I remember when Twelve Tone started the MIDI sequencer (Cakewalk) and would advertise in Modern Musician, Electronic Musician, Mix, and others, and with the introduction of audio editing and Windows 3.0 in '91, stepped up their presence in the trade rags and also at the major trade shows (NAMM & AES). There was still a bit of adverts and show presence, including the time under the Roland umbrella through to the beginning of the Gibson years as "Cakewalk Pro Audio", when Gibson put it on the back shelf to die as SONAR. From about '95 on, there was intense competition from ProTools, Sonic Solutions, and others for market share, and later when PT became native. Add to the mix the plethora of upstarts like Cubase, Nuendo, Studio One, FL, Reaper, et al, and a dwindling desire to market the product, the trade rags (becoming online presence mostly) just forgot about it. Since Bandlab took the reins as a free product, what marketing budget existed outside of forums, word of mouth, and the net, especially when Apple/PT TDM/HD pretty much had the majority market share in the professional realm, and MOBO/CPU's weren't really up to the task of 'unlimited' multitrack sessions until roughly the turn of the century. As for proponents and reviewers, it was out of sight, out of mind pretty much after the Gibson years. And a new paid version of Sonar will have, hopefully, a modicum of marketing budget going forward to increase their market share and improve the product.