What to expect at The NAMM Show 2026Another January, another NAMM Show. This week, NAMM 2026 takes over the Anaheim Convention Center in California to showcase music gear from over 3,500 brands to over 75,000 attendees.
NAMM 2026 comes with the usual promise: an insane amount of new music gear, plenty of noise in the main hall, artist performances across the convention centre, and myriad panels on the future of the music gear industry. You’ll find gems from boutique gear brands to high-profile drops from music technology’s biggest companies.
MusicTech will be on the show floor, covering as much as possible when the show floor opens on 21 January, to when doors close on 24 January. Until then, here’s what to expect at NAMM 2026.
Fender Studio’s debut
Fender is exhibiting at NAMM once again, but this time as Fender Studio. For the first time ever, the legendary guitar brand will be showing off its new range of studio gear which, of course, is courtesy of the recent rebrand from PreSonus to Fender Studio, five years after Fender acquired PreSonus.
It’s not surprising that Fender is choosing to debut its updated range of products at NAMM 2026, from Fender Studio Pro to the new Quantum LT audio interfaces. What is surprising, however, is that Fender’s booth will seemingly be omitting the brand’s coveted guitar collection. We’ll be heading over to the Fender Studio booth early on to see what else might be in store.
Credit: Fender
New Behringer gear?
Uli Behringer’s Music Tribe group is at NAMM for the second year running, after a decade-long break before 2025. Admittedly, the group seems to have a more subtle presence at the show in 2026, with its large booth now in the upper level of the Pro Audio area rather than the main hall.
However, we’re sure that Behringer, TC Electronic, Aston Microphones, Midas, and the other brands in Music Tribe will have some surprises to share at NAMM 2026. Last year, Behringer silently revealed a prototype of the BX1, an FM synth inspired by Yamaha’s DX-1 and CS-80 synths, and of the Pro-16 and JT-16 synths. These are all yet to be released — we’ll see what updates Music Tribe has for synth fans.
Behringer’s JT-16 synth at NAMM Show 2025. Image: Sam Willings for MusicTech
AI, AI and more AI
Artificial Intelligence is firmly in the music production zeitgeist in 2026. There’s a plethora of workshops and sessions to attend at NAMM 2026, from ‘Mastering AI Prompting With ChatGPT and Other AI Tools’ to ‘AI For Music Town Hall: Shaping the Future Together’. Speakers for the various AI-focused panels include producer Peter Malick, Benn Jordan, representatives from Splice, Orange Amps, Berklee College of Music, AutoTune, Voice-Swap and more.
An emphasis on immersive audio
Sony, Avid, L-Acoustics, Dolby, and more are all hosting immersive audio workshops and demonstrations again at this year’s NAMM. These brands naturally have a stake in the format, given their product offering, but the continued presence of such sessions suggests that consumer interest in immersive audio is continuing to grow apace.
Notably, there will also be a handful of sessions on game audio with an acute focus on immersive formats and mixed-reality.

When and where will the NAMM Show 2026 take place?
The NAMM Show 2026 is being held at its usual stomping ground, the Anaheim Convention Center in California. This sprawling complex is the ideal home for the myriad global brands showcasing pro audio gear, synthesizers, guitars, drums, software and everything in between.
The convention officially takes place from Tuesday 20 January to Saturday 24 January, with Tuesday and Wednesday reserved for early access members and media. The show will be open to the public from Thursday 22 January.
Who will be at the NAMM Show 2026?
The NAMM Show 2026 is hosting over 3,500 music brands, over 75,000 attendees, and over 150 live performing bands, all from over 125 countries. It’s a pretty significant event for the music gear industry, to say the least.
Key brands in the music technology space at NAMM will include Korg, InMusic, Fender Studio, Avid, Music Tribe, Yamaha, Audient, AKG, JBL, Sony, Shure, and literally thousands more. The show’s media preview day happens on 21 January, where many major brands will give us a sneak peek at new products.
You can also expect over 200 sessions dedicated to education, from keynote panels to intimate workshops. Speaking about the show, NAMM President and CEO John Mlynczak says: “Each and every year, The NAMM Show delivers the most relevant and game-changing programming to help build a strong future for our music industry.”
You can learn more about the NAMM Show 2026 at namm.org. The MusicTech team will be on the ground in Anaheim next week, bringing you all the latest action from the show floor.
The post What to expect at The NAMM Show 2026 appeared first on MusicTech.

GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Immersive Audio AlbumThe 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Immersive Audio Album category.

Take a listen to the nominated albums below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

All American F—boyAndrew Law, immersive mix engineer (Duckwrth)

ImmersedJustin Gray, immersive mix engineer; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Justin Gray, Drew Jurecka & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Justin Gray)

An Immersive Tribute To Astor Piazzolla — LiveAndrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive mix engineers; Andrés Mayo & Martín Muscatello, immersive producers (Various Artists)

TearjerkersHans-Martin Buff, immersive mix engineer; Hans-Martin Buff, immersive producer (Tearjerkers)

YuleMorten Lindberg, immersive mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive mastering engineer; Arve Henriksen & Morten Lindberg, immersive producers (Trio Mediæval)

Duckwrth photo by Dana GoldsteinThe post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Immersive Audio Album first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

How to use Tiny Open Loop Actuators for a Living MirrorHow do you go about making a mirror with 128 segments, each of which can be independently angled? That was the question that a certain bloke over at [Time Sink Studio] found himself pondering on, to ultimately settle on a whole batch of mini-actuators bought through AliExpress. These stepper-based actuators appear to be akin to those used with certain Oppo smartphones with pop-up camera, costing less than half a dollar for a very compact and quite fast actuator.
The basic design is very much akin to a macro version of a micromirror device, as used in e.g. DLP projectors, which rely on a kinetic mirror mount to enable precise alignment. With the small actuators travelling up to 8 mm each, the mirrors can cover 73 mm at a distance of 4 meters from a wall.
With the required angle of the mirror being effectively just the application of the Pythagorean theorem, the biggest challenge was probably calibrating these linear motors. Since they’re open loop devices, they are zeroed much like the steppers on 3D printers, by finding the end limit and counting steps from that known point. This doesn’t make drift impossible, but for projecting light onto walls it’s clearly more than good enough.

On… Warner’s cutbacks, and the bigger story.The following article originally appeared in Tim Ingham’s latest ‘Tim’s Take’ email, issued exclusively to MBW+ subscribers.
Source

Songs in the Key of Change: a Martin Luther King Jr. PlaylistToday, January 19, 2026, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. From the team here at Hypebot, we're sharing a playlist of tracks that were inspired by or speak to the musical legacy of Dr. King's historic influence on the Civil Rights Movement.
The post Songs in the Key of Change: a Martin Luther King Jr. Playlist appeared first on Hypebot.

Here are the 55 US AI startups that raised $100M or more in 2025Last year was monumental for the AI industry in the U.S. and beyond. How will 2025 compare?

Austrian Audio to launch The Arranger Austrian Audio have announced the launch of a new pair of open-back headphones aimed primarily at home listening duties.

Vicious Antelope Saga Of Dreams - Arturia Pigments PresetsSaga Of Dreams - Arturia Pigments Presets Key Features: 40 presets compatible with Arturia Pigments and Analog Lab V. Sonic identity: ambient pads, evolving textures, experimental atmospheres, and cinematic soundscapes. Musical focus: dreamy, organic, resonant, and slowly evolving sounds. Genres: cinematic, game audio, ambient, sci-fi, progressive rock & metal, experimental music. Saga Of Dreams is a collection of 40 presets designed for the Arturia Pigments and Analog Lab V synthesizers. Rooted primarily in ambient sound design, the pack explores experimental atmospheres and evolving pads, ranging from slow-moving textures to more saturated and expressive tones. Expect a palette that moves between dreamy synth layers, organic motion, and cinematic depth. From the nostalgic character of "Silent Prophecy" to the exploratory spaces of "Stardust Pathways", and from the slow, intense movement of "Silent Guide" to the dreamy presence of "Moons Reflection", Saga Of Dreams focuses on musical storytelling through sound. The organic texture of "Lost Lullaby" contrasts with the resonant, epic tone of "Midnight Key", offering a versatile set of cinematic-flavored pads and evolving soundscapes. This pack is well suited for cinematic composition, game audio scoring, ambient and sci-fi themed music, modern progressive rock and metal styles, as well as other experimental and atmospheric forms of musical expression. Requirements: Pigments 7.0.0.6447 (x64) or newer. Analog Lab edition: Analog Lab V 5.12.2.6463 (x64) or newer. https://youtu.be/rgOxChwrIgs Read More

Australia Will See 38% Increase in Radio Royalty Rates After Copyright Tribunal RulingIn a decision that could reshape how recorded music is valued on airwaves, the Copyright Tribunal of Australia has set a new royalty rate for the broadcast of sound recordings by commercial radio stations.
The post Australia Will See 38% Increase in Radio Royalty Rates After Copyright Tribunal Ruling appeared first on Hypebot.

JUCE launches a FREE audio plugin development course for beginners
JUCE is the industry-standard framework for audio plugin development, used by some of the biggest and best names in the industry. And now, they have launched a free audio plugin development course for beginners. If you have a look at the JUCE website, you’ll find a long list of companies using JUCE, including Arturia, Avid, [...]
View post: JUCE launches a FREE audio plugin development course for beginners

TK Audio introduce the TEQ TK Audio’s latest Baxandall-inspired EQ promises to deliver the smooth and natural sound for which the 1950s circuitry is renowned, but with an wider selection of frequencies and built-in Mid-Side operation.

Get three of Baby Audio’s best plugins and save yourself £140Plugin Boutique is offering an exclusive bundle deal on three of Baby Audio’s most celebrated plugins, saving you £140 when compared to buying them separately.
Included in the bundle is its Crystalline reverb, the Parallel Aggressor processing tool, and its Smooth Operator Pro – the latest version of its spectral balancing plugin launched in April 2025. The offer ends on 25 January, with all three coming to a total of just £89.
[deals ids=”4CKLUhFahs5zYElD0fpssQ”]
Crystalline breaks away from traditional reverb plugin design, and offers a much easier to use system; instead of picking between different shapes of room, plate or spring reverbs, it exposes parameters that allow you to change the underlying reverb characteristics, such as size and reflection.

READ MORE: Baby Audio Tekno 1.0 makes drum synthesis easy, but I’m frustrated by its limitations

We rated it 8/10 following its launch in 2022, and it also comes loaded with more than 300 presets created by Baby Audio and its friends, including Damian Taylor (Bjork, The Prodigy, The Killers, Arcade Fire), Michele Canova (John Legend, Alicia Keys, Olly Murs), Eric J Dubowsky (Flume, St. Vincent, Chet Faker, Kygo), and more.

As for the Parallel Aggressor, this plugin splits your audio into three equal parts: Dry (the original signal), Spank (a heavily compressed duplicate), and Heat (a heavily saturated duplicate). You can then adjust and combine all three signals to add more punch to a mix. This one has 25 presets pre-loaded.
Smooth Operator Pro is probably the most exciting part of this bundle, which we also rated 8/10 in our review. This new version offers an improved core algorithm and more detailed control across the board, all while maintaining the fast workflow that made the original so popular.

To shop this deal and more, head over to Plugin Boutique.
The post Get three of Baby Audio’s best plugins and save yourself £140 appeared first on MusicTech.

How is Tim Exile’s Finalist different from the average instant mastering solution?£99 (£69 introductory price), timexile.com
Since 2009, British electronic musician and software developer Tim Exile has shifted from collaborating with Native Instruments on standout Reaktor projects such as The Finger, The Mouth, and Flesh to building his own brand, offering both creative and functional solutions for independent musicians.

READ MORE: Suno Studio review: Is this AI DAW really the future of music production?

As with many great inventions, necessity was Finalist’s main inspiration. The idea came when an engineer friend of Tim’s expressed a desire for a way to deliver a cohesive mix quickly after a long day of recording. This sparked a journey that would take three years to complete, ironing out the creases and developing a fun and inspiring interface with esteemed user-experience designer, Efflam Le Bivic, known best for his work with Native Instruments.
Finalist allows you to process up to 32 stereo WAV files and sort them into five different categories. This allows you to determine the amount of processing being applied to these different areas of your mix, and there are also global Cleanup and Master processors that shape the entire mix.

Once the Finalist has analyzed your stems, you can then choose between a range of different processing character presets. This easy, one-click step is crucial because you’re matching the mixing style with the music genre you’re working with. You can choose between more neutral or more eccentric processing styles, but you’ll usually end up narrowing it down to two or three presets that help the track come alive in different ways.
When you’ve settled on a sound characteristic, you can make adjustments to the core sectors of your mix by selecting a processing style on each module, increasing or decreasing the amount of processing, and making gain adjustments. Naturally, because all the real magic happens in the backend, there are a few tricks and precautionary measures to take to achieve the best results.
Image: Press
How does Finalist actually work?
While Tim Exile may have created Finalist with the landscape of instant AI mastering tools in the backdrop, there is no sign of AI here. Instead, Finalist gets its bearings by analysing 300 data points, which are then mapped onto the different parts of the mixing engine according to the preset you’ve selected.
In the mixing engine, Finalist applies a range of processes depending on the presets you have active on each module. This includes multiband compression, saturation, and mid-side processing, which are controlled through dynamic rather than static data feedback. That means Finalist is constantly getting readings and readjusting to the different sections of the track.
While this sounds impressive on paper, you really have to hear it to believe it. For me, the immediate ‘wow’ factor can be attributed to the way Finalist instantly handles the core elements of my mix. The kick and bass are locked into place cohesively, vocals are pushed forward, and the levels of the supporting instruments in the reverberant field are balanced astonishingly. These are tasks that beginners tend to struggle with and can even trouble the professionals, depending on the mix. Then, with the ability to change the presets on each of the individual Drums, Bass, Backing, Lead, Aux, and Master modules, you can quickly improve the separation with contrasting shaping and texture.
Image: Press
How do I get the best results with Finalist?
The gain structure of the stems you import plays a big role in the Finalist process. If, for instance, your drum stems are already correctly gained, the engine has no problem prioritising the key elements, even with multiple layers of kick and snare samples. Alternatively, if your stems are all at the same gain level with little headroom, it’ll be more difficult for the engine to build the necessary hierarchy for each group of sounds.
If you really want to get the best from Finalist, then approaching it like an external summing engine would be the best bet. Rather than feeding in 30 stems, by pre-mixing five sets of stems in your DAW and preparing them for the corresponding modules in Finalist, you take out a lot of the guesswork. This frees you up creatively to focus on fine-tuning the mix according to taste rather than fighting with individual instruments in a cycle of soloing and muting.
Although Finalist does run standalone through Reaktor Player, I find the export process clunky compared to working within Cubase. If you have a folder with multiple batches of stems, your workflow can be relatively rapid, especially if the songs are going on the same EP. As you load the next stem set, the modules remain the same, so you can make the individual adjustments you need to each track while maintaining the same aesthetic for that cohesive, album-like sound.
One issue I notice is that if you only have one or two stems running through a particular module, the processing can be too pronounced, which can force certain elements to jump out of the mix in a rather jarring way. This can be countered with some good-ol’ mix engineer’s thinking, by placing the elements within a larger group according to the frequency they occupy. In this new context, the badly behaved sounds are far more predictable and easily controlled.
Image: Press
Is Finalist an essential audio tool?
The one part of music production where Finalist can certainly aid is any process that relies on collaboration. Whether it’s the back and forth of ideas between a recording engineer or producer and a client, or between band members, the ability to have a musical sketch immediately sound more like the finished article could easily become invaluable.
While having to run the plugin inside Reaktor may be a little fiddly at first, any misgivings quickly dissolve as soon as you become immersed in Finalist’s well-designed interface.
While there is still no substitute for manual mixing, Finalist is still an extremely useful shortcut for the uninitiated and experienced alike. In fact, you can even use it as a bus processor for quickly enhancing channel groups such as drums, bass, vocals, guitars, or synths within your usual mixing workflow.

Key features

Stem mixing plugin
Runs within NI Reaktor (VST, AU, AAX, or standalone in Reaktor Player)
Import up to 32 stereo stems
5 processing modules and master bus module
40 processing presets in 5 categories
Cleanup module for mix separation

The post How is Tim Exile’s Finalist different from the average instant mastering solution? appeared first on MusicTech.

Sequoia to invest in Anthropic, breaking VC taboo on backing rivals: FTSequoia Capital is reportedly joining a blockbuster funding round for Anthropic, the AI startup behind Claude, according to the Financial Times. It’s a move sure to turn heads in Silicon Valley. Why? Because venture capital firms have historically avoided backing competing companies in the same sector, preferring to place their bets on a single winner. […]

Accurately Aiming Audio with an Ultrasonic Array
When [Electron Impressions] used a powerful ultrasonic array to project a narrow beam of sound toward a target, he described it as potentially useful in getting someone’s attention from across a crowded room without disturbing other people. This is quite a courteous use compared to some of the ideas that occur to us, and particularly compared to the crowd-control applications that various militaries and police departments put directional speakers to.
Regardless of how one uses it, however, the physics behind such directional speakers is interesting. Normal speakers tend to disperse their sound widely because the size of the diaphragm is small compared to the wavelength of the sound they produce; just like light waves passing through a pinhole or thin slit, the sound waves diffract outwards in all directions from their source. Audible frequencies have wavelengths too long to make a handheld directional speaker, but ultrasonic waves are short enough to work well; [Electron Impressions] used 40 kHz, which has a wavelength of just eight millimeters. To make the output even more directional, he used an array of evenly-spaced parallel emitters, which interfere constructively to the front and destructively to the sides.
Ultrasound shouldn’t be audible, but sound waves travel slightly faster in high-pressure air than in low-pressure air. Since sound waves are just variations in pressure, this means that at high enough amplitudes, they change their own shape as they travel through air, tending to merge together somewhat into lower-frequency waves. When amplitude modulation is applied to the ultrasonic signal, the air itself demodulates it into audible sound (the audio quality isn’t wonderful, but still recognizable). [Electron Impressions] demonstrated the completed device, and it’s possible to hear a clear difference in intensity when it’s pointed at the microphone. It’s also possible to reflect the sound beam off hard surfaces, though multiple reflections tend to decrease the directivity when used indoors.
The circuit itself is very similar to another which we’ve covered before, down to the 555 timer used in the ultrasonic driver, and the overall approach is very reminiscent of this directional ultrasonic array.