Creative Edge Music

NAMM as viewed outside the Anaheim Convention Center These patrons are in character and ready for action! The NAMM organization and the Lippin Group have done another knockout job with Winter NAMM 2014. This is the third show I have attended, and I must say it is by far the most lively yet. There is a very positive and collaborative vibe despite a little friendly business competition, and the overall feeling is that the industry is working together towards something bigger each year. There is a definite vibe of energy and progress, and it's contagious. Everyone here is serving a purpose, providing value to their fellow musician, and participating in something extremely special. I have been to tons of trade shows across many industries over the course of my career, and NAMM is certainly one of the most fun and upbeat. Endless booths line the many large halls in the Anaheim convention center, almost impossible to get through in a single day. Thousands of exhibitors, ar...

Will Hagan is a San Diego musician and producer, playing in local bands Mariel and Privet and recording and mixing tracks for other artists in the area. Will and his partner-in-crime Sean Walsh have scored the documentary SWEET, SEXY OCEAN and have done sound design for another movie. Together, they are putting the finishing touches on Privet’s next album. As freelancers, Will and Sean have to maintain quality equipment while also factoring budget and mobility. Will owns several pre-amps, though his go-to for mobility is the discontinued ART Tubefire . Although made to be used in a studio rack, it’s small enough to fit in a bag to take anywhere. When Will is looking for a specific sound, he’ll borrow equipment, usually from Sean, who has some industry-standard hardware that can provide that vintage sound But nowadays, he finds that modest equipment and software plugins provide a decent substitute, increasing his mobility when he records. And with a MacBook running L...

The breakfast sessions at NAMM are amazing NAMM members will have access to the most essential menu of professional enrichment sessions in the NAMM Show’s history when the world’s leading trade event for the music-products industry returns January 23-26, 2014. The Anaheim Convention Center will light up with technological savvy, marketing innovations, and fresh business approaches at Retail Boot Camp, the NAMM Idea Center, the H.O.T. Zone, and iconic Breakfast Sessions. “Our industry is not a ‘one size fits all’ market but rather a complex ecosystem of profitable niches begging to be served,” said NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond. “Members nimble enough to learn how to change, grow and serve these niches will have the best chance for success. NAMM U has the secrets, straight from the industry pros who have figured it out. You’re definitely going to want to be here for this.” Among the many key business issues explored this year will be how to master, understand, and make tech...