Nektar Panorama CS12 gains Cubase & Nuendo support Nektar's Panorama CS12 is no longer reserved for Logic Pro users, and will now happily take control of Steinberg's Cubase and Nuendo DAWs.

What to expect at NAMM 2025The biggest music technology convention on the planet is fast arriving. The NAMM Show 2025 will promise — as it does every year — thousands of product demos, a plethora of performances from acclaimed artists, more talks and panels than you can possibly attend, and a healthy dose of sensory overload.

READ MORE: Will The NAMM Show thrive or barely survive after 2024’s encouraging show?

At the Anaheim Convention Centre in California, you’ll see guitars, synths, drum machines, brass instruments, audio interfaces, monitors, metronomes and more. There are 3,500 music companies exhibiting this year, so there’s plenty of exciting news for all kinds of musicians, DJs, and producers.
The NAMM Show is officially exhibiting on 23 January 2025, with a press preview day on 22 January, but there will be tons of product announcements in the weeks and days leading up to the big day.
MusicTech will be on the show floor when it kicks off, but here’s a glimmer of the major moments we expect to see.
Image: Daniel Knighton/Getty Images
Behringer’s back
Uli Behringer’s audio brand has been a famous absence at previous NAMMs, even parodying the conference with a mock BAMM Show in ‘Banaheim’ in 2020. Now, after 10 years, the company, and other companies in its Music Tribe group, will return to showcase “groundbreaking new products”, plus the chance to chat with founder Uli Behringer and his team.
Behringer’s synth launches are often hot news in the studio world. The German company has become notorious for releasing budget-friendly synthesizers that are heavily inspired by vintage synths that are expensive to pick up second-hand. Though its practices have been touted as controversial, many customers have praised Behringer for offering iterations of coveted synths at a lower price. We’re expecting Behringer to show off a few of its recent synths and perhaps announce some new ones.
“We are back at NAMM after ten years!” said the brand on social media. “Don’t miss the chance to meet Uli and the team, and be among the first to experience our groundbreaking new products!”
Aston Microphones, TC Electronic, Midas, Tannoy and more Music Tribe brands will be exhibiting, too.

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And Fender, too…
Fender took a four-year leave of absence from NAMM, having last exhibited in 2020’s edition. Much has happened since that time — including an acquisition of music tech brand PreSonus. Fender’s CEO Andy Mooney has promised some exciting new drops at NAMM, so we’ll be eager to see whether we’ll see some updates to PreSonus’ gear lineup and its beloved DAW, Studio One.
Stevie Wonder
Almost every year, Stevie Wonder heads to The NAMM Show (and occasionally the AES Show in New York), to scope out the latest innovations in music. Of course, as Mayor of the NAMM Show, it’s only fitting that he checks in to see how his tinker town of music gear is keeping.
Last year, we spotted him checking out new products by Beyerdynamic and Teenage Engineering. We wonder what will pique the music icon’s interest this year?
Stevie Wonder at the Teenage Engineering booth during The NAMM Show 2024. Image: Sam Willings
Artificial Intelligence
The most exhausting and exciting innovation in music production over the past couple of years has been Artificial Intelligence. For better or worse, AI has been cropping up in plugins, DAWs, music distribution services, vocal processing platforms and more. Though hailed by some as a creative boon and by others a creative nuisance, it appears that AI is here to stay, which leaves music makers and manufacturers in the precarious position of navigating this new landscape.
At NAMM 2025, various events challenge the topic of AI, from panels with the likes of Jordan Rudess on Exploring the Potential of AI in Live Music Performances, to workshops with Chris and Tom Lord-Alge on Commanding Your Career in the Age of Atmos, AI and Beyond.
It’s inevitable, too, that you’ll see a whole bunch of new plugins and hardware that come equipped with AI algorithms to enhance whatever task they’re designed to do. And who knows what else? Hell, there was even a smart BBQ with generative AI announced at CES.
Attendees demo the OB-X8 synthesizer at the Oberheim booth during the NAMM Show in 2022. Image: Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Synths, synths and more synths
From bespoke modular synths to futuristic software synths, you can definitely expect a plethora of synth drops at NAMM. We’re yet to hear any rumours from legendary names in the space like Oberheim and Moog — who have previously shown off flagship synths at the show — but we have no doubt that there’ll be some pretty noteworthy unveilings nonetheless.
One area that’s always a blast is the Korg booth; the brand often displays prototypes, reissues of classics, and more wacky designs. We’ll definitely be passing through there.
Spatial audio events
Yep, people are still talking about spatial audio. Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio are still the leading formats in the space (pun intended) and we’ve seen a lot of home audio devices integrate the tech for a novel listening experience. It’s still an area in development and perhaps hasn’t convinced everyone of its prowess yet, but we’re certain that there’ll be a ton of workshops, some new spatial audio plugins, and more audio devices that support the format.
Last year, this writer sat in an egg-shaped chair that had spatial audio… It was actually pretty cool.
Image: Solodome
Innovations in the live sound space
Touring and gigging have always been crucial components of an artist’s success. But with the decline in physical music sales, many artists are relying on live show revenue more than ever. That means more extravagant shows and listening experiences, which consequently puts pressure on live sound teams to build, produce and engineer shows with more precision and versatility. We wager that a few live sound brands will have some slick resolutions to these modern challenges.
Speaking to TPi Magazine, NAMM President and CEO John Mlynczak says: “People want the highest quality at the lowest weight because of the associated cost increases with trucking equipment from gig to gig. There is also a push for safer rigging systems. As a result of these trends, we are seeing a lot more companies showing the innovation that is driving their technology… One of the other aspects we’ve seen in the live industry is the increased pressure professionals are facing to create a perfect listening space. Increasingly, audiences are demanding flawless audio environments in venues that were never designed for live music.”
A-list artist performances
NAMM is always rife with talented artist performances, whether it’s at the Hilton Hotel nearby, at a random gear booth, or on many of the surrounding stages at the Anaheim Convention Center. This year’s show will have over 170 acts play on the stages around the Center, with three particular noteworthy performances.
Jack White, who has been announced as the winner of the NAMM TEC Award, will headline the awards show on 23 January. Meanwhile, Jacob Collier will perform onstage at NAMM’s Grand Rally for Music Education on 25 January, and Peter Frampton will be an integral part of the NAMM Global Media Day.
Jacob Collier. Image: Rob Kim/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
More focus on music marketing than usual
This year, NAMM has expanded to a five-day event rather than its usual four-day format. The first two days (21 and 22 January) will play host to the NAMM Marketing Summit. Here, musicians, manufacturers and other industry professionals can attend workshops on digital marketing, business development and content creation.
Keep up to date with NAMM news and more on MusicTech.
The post What to expect at NAMM 2025 appeared first on MusicTech.

Cody Fry on Leaving a Major Record Label and Finding His Niche Fronting OrchestrasThis week, Ari is joined by Cody Fry, an orchestral arranger of contemporary music, to discuss going indie after his major label deal.

How to make pop music: 3 artist-led tips
Artist, singer-songwriter, and producer Esthy showcases how to make pop music, going from a simple chord progression to a full arrangement.

Frank Black Discusses his 2025 Teenager of the Year Tour and '90s RockSongwriter and Pixies frontman Frank Black spoke with AllMusic shortly before his tour's January 15th launch, and was willing to look back on his early solo years, how the music business has changed, and if there could ever be another alt-rock uprising like there was in the early '90s.

CES 2025 Day 1: Honda, BMW, X’s victory lap, and the first show floor gadget revealsCES 2025 is officially underway in Las Vegas. Monday’s press day saw keynotes from Samsung, Nvidia, Toyota, and Sony, among others, while Tuesday was all about the exciting new gadgets on the show floor. TechCrunch reporters are on the ground giving you the latest reveals at the conference.  Below, you’ll find a list of the […]
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Court stays order in SEC v. Coinbase case pending appealJudge Katherine Failla granted Coinbase’s request for an interlocutory appeal, citing different courts’ interpretations of what constituted a security under the SEC’s purview.

Discovery+ just raised prices in the US. Should Spotify follow suit? This graph tells its own story…See how the likes of Netflix and Disney have upped their prices in the US over the past decade
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Gaze Upon This Omni-directional Treadmill’s Clever LEGO ConstructionWant to see some wildly skillful LEGO construction? Check out [Banana Gear Studios]’ omni-directional treadmill which showcases not only how such a thing works, but demonstrates some pretty impressive problem solving in the process. Construction was far from straightforward!
A 9×9 grid of LEGO shafts all turning in unison is just one of the non-trivial design challenges.
In principle the treadmill works by placing an object on a bed of identical, rotating discs. By tilting the discs, one controls which edge is in contact with the object, which in turn controls the direction the object moves. While the concept is straightforward, the implementation is a wee bit more complex. LEGO pieces offer a rich variety of mechanical functions, but even so, making a 9×9 array of discs all rotate in unison turns out to be a nontrivial problem to solve. Gears alone are not the answer, because the shafts in such a dense array are a bit too close for LEGO gears to play nicely.
The solution? Break it down into 3×3 self-contained chunks, and build out vertically with gimbals to take up the slack for gearing. Use small elastic bands to transfer power between neighbors, then copy and paste the modular 3×3 design a few times to create the full 9×9 grid. After that it’s just a matter of providing a means of tilting the discs — which has its own challenges — and the build is complete.
Check out the video below to see the whole process, which is very nicely narrated and illustrates the design challenges beautifully. You may see some similarities to Disney’s own 360° treadmill, but as [Banana Gear Studios] points out, it is a technically different implementation and therefore not covered by Disney’s patent. In an ideal world no one would worry about getting sued by Disney over an educational LEGO project posted on YouTube, but perhaps one can’t be too careful.

The Helicone: Toy or Mathematical Oddity?We always enjoy videos from the [Mathologer], but we especially liked the recent video on the Helicone, a toy with a surprising connection to mathematics. The toy is cool all by itself, but the video shows how a sufficiently large heliocone models many “natural numbers” and acts, as [Mathologer] puts it, acts as “microscope to probe the nature of numbers.”
The chief number of interest is the so-called golden ratio. A virtual model of the toy allows easy experimentation and even some things that aren’t easily possible in the real world. The virtual helicone also allows you to make a crazy number of layers, which can show certain mathematical ideas that would be hard to do in a 3D print or a wooden toy.
Apparently, the helicone was [John Edmark’s] sculpture inspired by DNA spirals, so it is no surprise it closely models nature. You can 3D print a real one.
Of course, the constant π makes an appearance. Like fractals, you can dive into the math or just enjoy the pretty patterns. We won’t judge either way.
We’ve seen math sequences in clocks that remind us of [Piet Mondrian]. In fact, we’ve seen more than one of those.

Sausalito's 2200 Studios and Damien Lewis Look to the Future with Harrison AudioThe Record Plant’s Sausalito studio complex, where Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac and Sly Stone recorded classic albums, opened on Halloween 1972 but eventually was shuttered in 2009 after several changes of ownership. Relaunched in early 2024 as 2200 Studios, with Damien Lewis now installed as director of operations and chief engineer, the famed facility is working to renovate and fully re-equip its three rooms, recently adding three pairs of Harrison Audio’s new 500 series analog modules — the 32Cpre+, MR3eq and Comp — for use anywhere in the complex.Lewis, a Grammy Award-winning mix engineer and producer whose credits include Justin Timberlake, Lizzo, Rhianna and Beyoncé along with many others, linked each set of three 500 series modules to operate as a channel strip. “It’s awesome and sounds clean, articulate and punchy, like you'd expect,” he reports. “It sounds like a really good, really high-quality piece of gear that you would want in your signal chain.”The Harrison legacy in 500 Series format Harrison consoles have played a pivotal role in shaping some of the most celebrated and influential music in history. Iconic artists such as Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Steely Dan, and many others have relied on Harrison consoles to craft their multi-platinum albums. The Harrison 500 Series brings the essential features of their high-performance studio consoles from the '70s, '80s, and '90s into the compact and versatile 500 Series format.The 32Cpre+, which features Harrison’s renowned high and low pass filters, incorporates the same transformer-coupled microphone preamp as the new 32Classic analog console, which derives its design from the brand’s legendary 32C desk, introduced in 1975. The MR3eq, which includes a high pass filter, is based on the 3-band parametric design originally developed for the Harrison MR3 console, which was introduced in 1981. The Comp compressor owes its design to the company’s decades of experience in signal processing design.[RG1] [RG2] “I configured the modules inside the 500 Series chassis using the dip switches, with the preamp, feeding the EQ, then the compressor,” Lewis continues. “Sometimes I switch those around to preamp, compressor, EQ. I often like having the output gain of the compressor as last in the chain. Then I can push into the compressor or subtract what's hitting the compressor with the EQ.” Typically, Lewis is conservative with his settings, he says: “But I do like a little EQ and compression on the way in; I'm not scared to commit with these units.”Continuing a classic legacyLewis, who has spent many years working in Los Angeles, was living in Sausalito when he realized that the iconic redwood-clad building at 2200 Bridgeway was once again open for business. He scheduled two weeks in Studio B, the famed “psychedelic” room, fell in love with the place and, after speaking with the new owners, philanthropist Chris Skarakis and real estate investor and manager Jim Rees, signed up to help return the studios to their former glory. Five months into his tenure, he is hard at work mixing in Studio B while also handling bookings, client outreach and staffing. “I'm balancing creating the culture, building the studio and getting it back on its feet, and continuing to mix records,” he says. Recently, he reports, he produced an EP for local San Francisco band Stingray. “I used the Harrison 500 series all over that, from vocals to guitars to congas. I was recording a vocal through a vintage U 47. Sometimes I just want to capture the source in a very clean, articulate way, and then I can make the decision on how heavy to color it later, so I just wanted something cleaner and tighter sounding. I think it's important to have these new tools in your toolbox alongside the vintage stuff.”For another project, with the five-piece band Greensky Bluegrass, he continues, engineer Glenn Brown ran acoustic guitar and dobro through the Harrison 500 Series modules. “It's nice to have a clean channel strip that is going to react how you expect it to. But you can also get in there with the EQ and notch out any funky stuff, if you need to do that, take out some of the rumbly stuff, then add some of the glassy air that we like back into the signal.”Sonic versatility in a small packageLewis will typically clean up a signal using EQ and filters when tracking to make mixing a little easier. “I always use a little bit of high pass filter, especially if there's a compressor after it,” he shares. “It lets the compressor react a little more naturally to the signal and not have a lot of low rumbly stuff start to trigger it. If I can clean up the signal a little bit before the compression, then the compressor can grab onto the upper-mid harsh stuff, which is what I want it to react to, almost in the way that a sidechain would. Then I usually pull out a little bit of mid-range and some 250 Hz; I don't typically add a lot of top-end at this phase. I'm just taking away the stuff that I don't want later.”The new Comp module offers all the features that he expects from a compressor, he continues. “I really like VCA compression; I like its speed and transparency, but it can also dig in when needed. I tend to like a medium or slow attack on the way in and a faster release. So I like the kind of compressors where I can dial in the threshold and ratio to even out the performance and not completely smash it, or have nothing happen at all. The Comp module behaves exactly the way I expect it to, based on my experience with other VCA compressors.” Reamping and other creative applicationsLewis often reamps tracks, including vocals, through his pedalboard. “I do crazy effects so it’s useful to come out line level and go through that, then I can do a little bit of eqing and have control over the output side of the pedal board on the way back into Pro Tools. I record a lot of virtual guitar amps, so having a DI on the front of the 32Cpre+ makes it super easy to do that.”The six Harrison modules, linked together as two separate channel strips, are mounted in a rack and available in any room at 2200 Studios. “Pretty much everyone that's used it has said that it sounds great. The fact that it does get a positive reaction is a testament to the sound of it. Everyone who has come through that's gotten their hands on it has really been blown away by it.”Harrison at The NAMM Show 2025 Visit Harrison Audio (booth 18301)1 at the NAMM Show 2025, where they will have the entire range of 500 Series available for demonstration, in addition to Mixbus 10 and LiveTrax software. For those focused on large-format consoles, the 32Classic console will also be in attendance. To book a personalized demonstration, please the Harrison NAMM Show events page: https://harrisonaudio.com/events/namm-show-2025The post Sausalito's 2200 Studios and Damien Lewis Look to the Future with Harrison Audio first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Splice launches new Country genre within its vast sample library – and producers can use AI to source the perfect samplesSplice has launched its new Country music genre, and is enabling country producers to use its Create AI tool to use artificial intelligence to source samples and facilitate creativity.
For the launch, Splice has added tonnes of new country-flavoured samples, for which its team “spent months” in Nashville, Austin and Los Angeles capturing “rich, authentic, human-made country sounds”.

READ MORE: Sample libraries are here to stay – so why do some producers still find their use illegitimate?

Found under a new sample label, Splice Country features performances from some of Nashville’s top musicians, including Devin Malone (Jelly Roll, Carrie Underwood), Trevor Nealon (Willie Nelson, Lee Ann Womack), and Kate L. Malone (Sam Hunt, Emma White).
Splice Country features ten new sample packs with loops and melodies utilising country-defining instruments, like the dobro, pedal steel, lap steel, and banjo.
The launch of Splice Country means Splice now has 29 in-house sample labels spanning more than 130 genres, featuring hundreds of instruments.
“Create is already changing the game for producers across genres whose phones are filled with Stacks and I’m looking forward to seeing how the country community engages with the tool,” says Kenny Ochoa, SVP of Content at Splice.
“Our ability to deliver these beautiful country samples right into studio workflows is going to make such a difference for country producers. It was important to us to get this right, to find the right musicians to play on these sample packs, and get the best recording quality and instrumentation that producers in the country space want to use.”
“Inspiration can be a luxury when you’re always creating,” adds CMA award-winning songwriter Mikey Reaves, producer of the Country Mojo & Spice sound pack. “That’s where Splice Create comes in. With a single click, it generates a full production vibe – again and again – until the right one sparks your next song.”
For more information, head to Splice.
The post Splice launches new Country genre within its vast sample library – and producers can use AI to source the perfect samples appeared first on MusicTech.

RIIZE and Seunghan: When artists take fan feedback too farThe recent RIIZE and Seunghan controversy shows what can happen when artists take fan feedback too far. Discover how catering to superfans sparked debate and what it means for fan-artist. Continue reading
The post RIIZE and Seunghan: When artists take fan feedback too far appeared first on Hypebot.

Make Money on Vinyl record sales: How to recoup your investmentWondering if pressing vinyl is worth the investment? Learn how much you can make back from pressing and selling your records directly to fans, plus key insights on profit margins and sales strategies.
The post Make Money on Vinyl record sales: How to recoup your investment appeared first on Hypebot.

Tycho: “The online world has become this ugly, funhouse mirror of what people are really like”In 2025, it’s never been more important for artists to cultivate a dedicated social media following to maximise their music’s reach. And while the goal is to attract engaged fans, putting yourself out there always comes with a risk of being the target of negativity.
While he admits that the negativity levelled his way has been minimal compared to some artists, producer Scott Hansen – aka Tycho – even set up the Tycho Open Source Community in 2022, as a way to mitigate the negative online experiences on his pages. Here, fans receive exclusive access to new music and content, as well as early ticket and merch sales.

READ MORE: Benn Jordan has made an algorithm that can detect if music has been made by AI or not

“Being an artist and putting yourself out there these days… That’s been an interesting thing to watch shift,” he says in a new interview with MusicTech. “Just to see the dialogue change over time on those platforms.
“I feel like [the Tycho] fan base is so cool and accepting and understanding, and they’re just along for the ride. But on other people’s pages and on YouTube, I see people paring things down, and being so opinionated and so negative. 
“It makes you start to believe that the rest of the world has this negative tone. But then you go into the real world and talk to people, and people are really cool, kind and caring. So [the online world has become] this ugly, funhouse mirror of what people are really like.”
Tycho explains that the nature of the advertising-first business model of the top social media platforms has damaged emerging artists’ ability to access new fans.
“The ability for individuals, especially artists just starting out, to access those audiences is becoming less and less because the platforms are essentially becoming like networks to serve advertisements and boost things that already have legs and not really helping develop new ideas or new artists.
“I’m not saying that’s something they’re supposed to be doing, but that’s what you used to be able to leverage these tools for. I just feel like you can’t do that in the same way you once could.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Tycho reveals what he believes to be “one of the best soft synths ever made”.
The post Tycho: “The online world has become this ugly, funhouse mirror of what people are really like” appeared first on MusicTech.