The 2013 professional AV trade show calendar begins with the opening of the NAMM Show on January 24 in Anaheim, CA. The three-day NAMM Show gathers 90,000 registered attendees from the music product industry from around the world to preview new product debuts from more than 4,000 brands across every category.

This year, NAMM’s attendees will enjoy the splendors of the Anaheim Convention Center’s new outdoor venue, The Anaheim Grand Plaza. Running between the Hilton and Marriott leading to the main entrance of the center, the plaza features 100,000 square feet of outdoor meeting and event space, and during the NAMM Show an outdoor stage for live performances.

The new plaza, paired with an expansion of the NAMM Show perimeter to the outer glass doors of the convention center will add a significant amount of new space for show attendees to enjoy. An expanded show floor also means fewer badge check points once at the show, in addition to new features including a NAMM Member center, Digital Hub, and First Look product showcases in the lobby.

Educational sessions and professional development courses are abundant at the 2013 NAMM Show. Professionals looking for hands-on training in pro audio, entertainment technologies, music business operations, recording, live sound, DJ, house of worship, commercial systems and integrators, staging and lighting industries can head to the H.O.T. Zone. Live educational sessions lead by Grammy-winning engineers and producers are offered daily, in addition to numerous live sound and acoustics courses.

Mic Check

After their talent and instruments, the next most important tool for musicians is a microphone. What mic trends will we see at the show?

“I think we’re past the point where we can say wireless products are a trend because they’re now a mainstay of pro audio and live touring sound. However, I do think that we’ll see a trend this year where companies introduce wireless products that are tailored to, or optimized for specific applications and users. I think that coming out of this year’s NAMM show, we’ll see wireless systems with better RF performance, better features and better sound.”
Erik Vaveris, Category Director for Wireless Products, Shure

“Any product that offers the consumer more control, such as mics with switches that activate effects, will be a hot product. Additionally, digital wireless. Although the market will see many new products in this area, the uncompressed digital transmission of the Sennheiser Digital 9000 exhibits unparalleled audio opulence.”
Joe Ciaudelli, Director, Advanced Projects & Engineering Services, Sennheiser

“I’m looking forward to seeing digital audio for live sound continue to expand and mature at this year’s NAMM show. I believe we are in the middle of a digital live sound revolution, much like the digital recording revolution that changed the face of our industry forever. With the rise of digital live sound solutions like the Line 6 StageScape M20d and the DSP-packed StageSource PA speakers, musicians and non-technical customers are finally empowered with the tools to deliver professional-quality live sound themselves.”
Marcus Ryle, Chief Strategy Officer, Line 6

I think what we are all seeing is a gradual increase in the demand for quality wireless. The technology has certainly helped make this possible—we’re seeing more digital wireless systems each year. Now since it is realistic for users to expect wired sound quality from their wireless mics, they are demanding it more and more.
Karl Winkler, Director of Business Development, Lectrosonics