NAMM (The National Association of Music Merchants), is one of the largest annual music industry expos. For those not familiar with NAMM, simply put, it is like sending a child into a candy store with a pocket full of change. This is where musicians, producers, and recording artists discover what’s new in music technology and advancements within their favorite products.
NAMM takes place around the globe, this year it was held in California at the Anaheim Convention Center, from January 21st through the 25th. The show had 1,850 exhibitors representing over 4,400 brands. To give you an idea of the importance of this show, tickets ranged from $150.00 for members to $650.00 for non-members.
This year the Akai MPC music production workstation was a big deal among producers with the release of Beta 3.0. Many were excited to get a new daw (digital audio workstation) that works within the machine. So far, Akai has given us two major updates with the 3.0 being the 3rd and best thus far. The linear functionality the brand provides is a complete game changer. It also gives you the option to reset the daw for those who may not like the changes, this allows you to continue using the reliable workflow you are accustomed to.
It was a surprise to discover that 3.0 is now coupled with Native Instruments (NI). NI which is a different daw, has combined forces with Akai. They took the 3.0 beta and combined the two daws inside of the 3.0, which would seem like a great idea, except for those who don’t care for or primarily use other daws. Not to mention, if you add the cost of add-ons, various vst’s, and expansion kits that NI carries, it can get very pricey.
Pros: The feedback I have been getting from the producer community is mixed. There are a lot of producers who love the new move, myself included. I like the new workflow and look. Also, the popular opinion is it looks fantastic. Those who purchased the later machines like the MPC+0ne or MPC X, were given a few free VST expansion kits, more than others, and are extremely happy. Besides, the few glitches I encountered, the overall product review for the 3.0 is great.
Cons: There can’t be good without the bad. A negative from producer feedback is they removed some favorite functionalities while trying to improve and move to linear. For example: The song mode no longer works as it used to. You must now use your READ/WRITE button to get a recorded song track mute. They have also changed the way that chopped samples are executed to pads. However, there is more than one way to do things on these machines that makes them great to me.
Overall it’s gonna come down to comfort and workflow. Some people don’t want to step outside their box and try new things. As the saying goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. I like to go with sayings like, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again.” Here is a quote from our very own Fleet DJs founder and CEO, KlassicCeo.
“I will say Mpc 3.0 is a mindset. An option put there to use if you want to. No OS will have everything that’s in all of our minds. We have to figure out how to take what they give us to get what is in our minds into reality. @Klassikceo, @Billbiggzfleetdj, & @Tusslenomics we are all beta testers for this hardware and software no matter what version or mode because of our different mindsets, so let’s just keep being dope producers at the end of the day. I’m speaking from my personal experience as a beta tester for multiple companies for hardware and software, love & respect g.”
The only way to get better at something is by using it and practicing. New machines will come out and have us re-evaluating our current equipment. So it’s good to grow with the technology and the brands we love.
Music legends Roger Linn, Just Blaze, Jimmy Jam, Jermaine Dupri, and Brian Michael Cox were guest panel speakers at NAMM. Check out what they had to saw below as well as other scenes from the event.
To register for future NAMM events click here
