Our team is finally settled back into our studios after a whirlwind half-week down in Anaheim for another year of NAMM. This is far from our first rodeo down at the biggest conference and trade show in the music industry, and I think I speak for the whole team when I say that we’re at a point in our editorial careers where it takes a lot to impress us. Some call us seasoned, others call us jaded, but over beers at the Hilton across the street, we decided that we were really just anxious to be truly WOW’d
As always, the reality of NAMM lived up to our expectations. Many brands showed up with more of the same-ol-same-ol, other brands making products nobody asked for, and a select few dropping the stuff that knocked our socks off. So, let’s leave all but the creme of the crop on the cutting room floor and talk about the coolest stuff to have dropped at this year’s NAMM.
Heritage i73 Pro Audio Interface Series
The i73 Pro Edge by Heritage Audio was the bell of the ball regarding audio interfaces at NAMM. This not-so-humble interface combines vintage 73-style preamps and cutting-edge DSP within a USB-C audio interface, offering a warm and characterful sound of old-school recording and bringing it into the modern space. Many interfaces flex that they have old-school drivers and preamps in their build, but mostly this extends to just being buzzwords whose magic you can’t actually hear. That’s not the case with the i73, as the warm and colorful sonics were evident even on the first time booting it up and driving its input.
The i73 Pro Edge impressed me with what’s going on underneath its hood but also with its toolkit of plug-ins, which enhance its flexibility, processing power, and value. Inspired by hard-to-find outboard gear, many of these plug-ins provide a wide range of textures and effects, seamlessly integrating with the interface’s DSP for real-time processing.
Limited Edition CLA Speakers
The new Avantone Pro monitors, in collaboration with Chris Lord-Alge, truly set the bar high with their CLA-10 and CLA-10A line. What was so cool, at least judging a book entirely by its cover, is that these monitors not only revived the iconic “white cone,” but they also introduced a masterstroke with the CLA-10A Limited Edition that looks damn beautiful in North American black walnut veneer,
The fact that these monitors are now active, requiring no separate power amp, alongside Avantone Pro’s devotion to the original drivers, this time with environmentally friendly materials, shows that the AP team looks to the past just as much as the future.
The attention to detail, from choosing a linear power supply to ensure the legacy sound to the higher-grade components for longevity, positions the CLA-10A Limited Edition as a pivotal product at NAMM 2024. The X-factor with this monitor, according to their team of experts, is the distinctive sound profile that, while coloring the signal in what might be perceived as “odd,” is the exact profile CLA uses because if you can get the mix sounding right on these, then it’ll sound amazing anywhere!
Genelec’s 8381A
In celebrating its 45th anniversary, Genelec dropped the 8381A Smart Active Monitoring system, a sizable addition to one of its most iconic line of pro-end monitoring systems. The 8381A is designed to crank out unparalleled precision and flexibility regardless of the studio environment (though I doubt you’ll see these in many bedroom studios), ensuring exceptional audio quality for professional recording, mastering, and audiophile listening. As a part of “The Main Ones” series, it features acoustically coaxial design and leverages technologies from the award-winning “The Ones” and W371A Adaptive Woofer System.
Including some of its more advanced components and Genelec’s proprietary GLM software for optimal room calibration shows their commitment to ensuring you get the best possible sound from their products, even if you’re mixing in an imperfect space.
Solodome Chairs
Solodome was a novel showstopper at NAMM this year. It aims to be the ultimate immersive audio chair that lets you interact with audio in completley new ways. Designed to cater to both pro audio environments and home entertainment, Solodome works just as well as a studio listening environment as it does for home audio, gaming setup, and more.
Solodome’s introduction is timely, aligning with the music industry’s shift towards immersive sound experiences, but offers a unique solution to many of the industry’s common problems by achieving high-quality sound in a constrained space.
Telegrapher Speakers
Telegrapher is a brand making waves with their all-analog studio monitors. Their lineup, including the Gorilla, Fox, and Elephant, promises unparalleled audio fidelity. With endorsements from heavy hitters like deadmau5, these monitors take a different approach than most other companies doing the same thing. It all comes down to the background of the developers and big whigs behind the brand, who got their start in the high-end automotive industry working for some of the biggest luxury-brand car companies in the game.
This level of precision and engineering brings new aesthetics, designs, and levels of performance that slam the basic question of “Do we really need another studio monitor company making products these days?!” out of the park. While designed for pro-grade studio environments, these could easily fit into the setup of audiophiles and other niches of people who love fantastic sound and a timeless look regardless of the color pattern you choose (they had close to 20 options on the NAMM floor).
Barefoot’s New Speakers
At NAMM 2024, I finally met Barefoot Sound’s team, whose HQ isn’t that far away from where I used to live in Portland, and checked out their latest product that they brought to market literally while NAMM was happening: the Footprint 03.
This compact yet robust three-way Tri Amplified system introduces a ported design in their lineup, a strategic move to blend affordability with unmatched audio quality. Their goal was to create the most holistic speaker at its price point without compromising the swift transient response Barefoot is known for but at a dollar amount that would shock those used to seeing $25k+ pricetags on the other units in the series.
Diving deeper into its technical aspects, the Footprint 03 relies on a unique spectrally optimized conversion system, a patented innovation that pre-separates high and low frequencies before conversion. This approach, designed to enhance the clarity and transparency of the sound, uses Barefoot’s internal crossovers to elevate the entire system’s performance. The meticulous design, from its wing radiator tweeter to the aluminum cone drivers, embodies Barefoot’s commitment to delivering unparalleled listening experiences, redefining expectations for both audio professionals and enthusiasts.
Beyerdynamic New Limited Edition Headphone
Beyerdynamic introduction of the DT 770 PRO X Limited Edition was dropped to celebrate its 100th anniversary. This special edition, made in Germany, harkens back to the greatest characteristics of the DT 770 PRO series but also introduces a few cutting-edge features like better driver technology, a pluggable cable (hell ya!), and enhanced comfort.
By maintaining the signature sound profile beloved by professionals worldwide, this model adds new dimensions of flexibility and user comfort. The introduction of the STELLAR.45 driver system and the mindful design enhancements like the fontanel recess in the headband for increased wearing comfort (which was much needed), alongside the practicality of replaceable components, show us that Beyerdynamic is dedicated to matching the evolving needs of musicians, producers, and audiophiles.
Korg’s Made-To-Order-Synth
Korg surprised everyone with a reissue of the PS-3300, a synth so rare that only 50 units were made when it was originally produced in the late ’70s. This reissue, priced at a modest $13,000, reflects its exclusivity and historical value as well as Korg flexing its position in the industry (let’s be honest, this was as much an intentional set piece at NAMM as it was showcasing a consumer product). This latest iteration features more modern tech like USB/MIDI connectivity and a librarian app for preset management, making it a rare gem for collectors and enthusiasts, at least the ones who can shell out the coin for such a massive synth (it’s even bigger in person).
With production set to begin later this year, this limited edition synth represents a unique opportunity to own a piece of synthesizer royalty despite its premium price tag.
Gamechanger MOD Pedals
The MOD Series of guitar pedals is a game changer in terms of guitar and effects pedals, without being too dramatic. I’m a passable guitar player but am obsessed with using and running my synths through pedals like this, and the MOD series brings so much to the table, almost as if they designed these pedals specifically for synth nerds like me.
The two main things that stood out to me are the performance-based modulation controls and the simple fact that they have STEREO INPUTS (a true rarity for guitar pedals). The modulation-based controls allow for way more customization options and the pedals’ ability to interact with each other in crazy and creative ways. The stereo option, well, that speaks for itself, and while I know there are a ton of hardware synths that are mono anyways and don’t really require a stereo effect pedal, synths like my Behringer 2600 or my Uno Synth Pro X are going to love these pedals.
Beats And Faders Clothing
Beats And Faders is an upstart clothing brand that creates community and fashion in the creator community. While they make it no secret that the core market will be aimed at beatmakers, producers, and musicians, they also aim to be a brand for everyone. In the same way that Nike is synonymous with activity, BnF aims to be the same for producer culture.
What’s cool about this brand is that they focus on the creativity behind the scenes, to the creative minds that aren’t always on stage or in the limelight but are the real movers and shakers in the music industry: the producers. To match this mission, the clothing is light, comfortable, and perfectly designed for those long hours in front of Ableton.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
