Was NAMM a total bust this year?

Spaceboy

Spaceboy

Well-known member
I haven't seen much hubbub on NAMM this year. There's some talk about the Two Notes revolt preamp thing, which seems like a cool toy, and AmpX is still causing a commotion although it's still vaporware at this point. I haven't seen much talk at all otherwise. A lot fo big players pulled out of the event, and those who were there have said it was noticeable lighter than in the pre-Covid times. Have companies finally realize that online advertising and networking are more important than trade shows? Is it just companies playing safe when it comes to health risks? What interesting releases did I miss this year?
 
Spaceboy said:
What interesting releases did I miss this year?
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It seems companies release things as soon as they can these days. I don't think they are waiting for an event like NAMM to unveil some new product. And the knowledge of a new product or its release is better communicated thru the internet now anyway. So it seems that a lot of the original utility of trade shows is lost now.

But on the other hand: I used to go to Craft Brewing trade shows and man were they fun. You met all sorts of cool people in the same industry, tons of networking happening and all the chatting with others over beers and dinner and more beers. There were also seminars given by the 'experts' in the field that were valuable. You learned a lot. But the actual new products and merch was almost secondary.
 
I think NAMM has been a bust for at least ten years, maybe fifteen. At least for guitar, can´t speak for the other markets. Feels like releasing product info on the web, which basically is what NAMM is to most people not attending, has been a year-round thing for quite a while.
 
SpiderWars said:
It seems companies release things as soon as they can these days. I don't think they are waiting for an event like NAMM to unveil some new product. And the knowledge of a new product or its release is better communicated thru the internet now anyway. So it seems that a lot of the original utility of trade shows is lost now.

But on the other hand: I used to go to Craft Brewing trade shows and man were they fun. You met all sorts of cool people in the same industry, tons of networking happening and all the chatting with others over beers and dinner and more beers. There were also seminars given by the 'experts' in the field that were valuable. You learned a lot. But the actual new products and merch was almost secondary.
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I had similar experiences with the skateboarding industry and the surf & skate expo’s.
 
Yeah, I´m sure NAMM is fun for the people who are there despite the lack of interesting product releases, but I can definitely see the music industry as a whole pulling the plug on it as a marketing thing. Might of course still serve a purpose in a professional manufacturer and distributor sense, but not really geared to the end user as well.
 
panhead said:
The internet killed namm, just like the music industry.
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It killed itself honestly. It’s antiquated. 15 or so paid advertisers in the music industry on YouTube reviewing the same new product at the same time hasn’t helped of course.

Companies have realized they can capitalize on customer outreach better with online marketing rather than expensive trade show exclusivity which for many turns into an online release anyway.

Also covid still exists and it’s disastrous to employees infecting other employees. Companies want a safer alternative.

I do agree I miss amps cranked wide open in sound rooms and getting to hear talented players rip on them. You don’t get that with today’s marketing unfortunately. It’s every famous reviewer using the same damn cabinet IR telling you it’s wonderful so they can get paid.
 
Did you see all the YouTube videos for the Soldano mini?
There are a BUNCH of them!!! Seems every swinging dick(including some on this forum)got a chance at it right away.
And the second the vids popped online the amps were available at Sweetwater.
Who needs NAMM?!
Is it possible that Comic con is cooler than NAMM now? You can actually buy comics at Comic con and take them home.
And the chicks are hotter.
 
NAMM was pretty much what I expected, from the looks of it.

With Fender breaking sales records during the pandemic I’m totally not surprised they didn’t want to blow millions on renting out their floor for NAMM.

In the last few weeks I’ve heard a bunch of people talking about how much of a PITA/expensive it is to have a booth at NAMM, even the fuckin’ candy they give away has to be bought through NAMM.

I went in 2011 and was thankful I got one in before YouTube took over everything. It was already full of people who didn’t give a fuck about gear then and were just there for autographs/bumping shoulders with celebrities, I can just imagine what it’s turned into in the last decade with so many people talking to a fucking camera the whole time.
 
psychodave said:
…and they mostly shill as well. Almost zero negatives about any product they review. None of them have credibility in my opinion.
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Yep. Sending a few yotubers a product is much easier to do then pack everything and get on a plane to shill your own products
 
Neve M88 is pretty cool. There first stab at an 2 preamp interface with transformers and converters, " master grade" ( whatever that means to them.) 1250$ US. I'm interested, has headphone, monitor outs as well as FX send/receive for each channel which would make it ideal for my 2 bus out of my console. I don't have inserts on my 2 bus on this console so that would check that box rather than my clumsy wiring out from the board to the outboard and then back in on another channel on the board for monitoring or another unit with headphone in. ( not to mention monitors)

https://www.soundonsound.com/news/neve-announce-88m-interface
There were a bunch of mics on display too. Seemed interesting.

The Two Notes I thought would be a cool idea but it has 1 tube. They should have really gone for it and put at least 3 in there.
 
Who in the world would want to release their product in a properly recorded and filmed showcase demo during a time when not much else is going on, as opposed to releasing it at NAMM and having that same gear recorded in a rush though camera microphones in effectively a gymnasium full of background noise, but who cares because the news will immediately get drowned out by a tsunami of equally bad sounding demos of dozens of your competitor's products all released at the same time on youtube.
 
NAMM is dead.
Here is a giant cheeseburger.
20150615_183325.jpg


I blocked 90% of the YouTube shills. Most of them don't know how to use the product. Their playing is mediocre at best. Personality is boring or obnoxious. I find Kanye West less offensive.
 
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