NAMM 2023: The biggest microphone, synth and music gear announcements
From new synths and microphones to plugins and more – here’s the latest gear that will soon be shaping how we make music.
Image: Daniel Knighton
The world’s premier instrument and music technology show is back for 2023, and as always, we’ll be reporting on the latest studio equipment, synths, and plugins that will soon be shaping the way we make music.
This year’s edition of the NAMM Show takes place once again in Anaheim, California and will run from 13 to 15 April. Here’s everything you need to know.
IK Multimedia unveils “do-it-all interface” Axe I/O One
IK Multimedia’s Axe I/O One is described as “your gateway to a new world of tone”. It’s a one in, three out audio interface for guitar and bass players that integrates IK’s exclusive Z-TONE impedance control which enhances the true sound of your pickups.
The Axe I/O One is available now for £129. You can find out more and view full specifications at IKMultimedia.com, or check out the video below for a closer look:
Hammond emulates its classic B3 organ with the new XK-4
Hammond has launched the XK-4 organ which packs all the character of its classic B3 organ into a modern, affordable and compact instrument. No official price appears to have been revealed yet, so just how affordable it’s set to be is unclear.
It includes 91 virtual tonewheels, drawbars, touch-response percussion, chorus-vibrato and a newly-designed digital Leslie speaker emulation built-in. The XK-4 will also model some of a vintage Hammond’s imperfections, keeping that old and much-loved character locked into its modernised aesthetic.
Soundtoys returns with plate reverb plugin, the Superplate
Soundtoys has launched the Superplate reverb plugin for macOS and Windows. Described by the brand as the “big brother” of the Little Plate plugin, Superplate features five different algorithms in classic 140, goldfol 240, audicon, echo plate III, and stocktronics rx 4000, and provides various parameters for tweaking the details of the reverb.
Find out more in the video below:
Beyerdynamic – Updated M Series microphones for 2023
Beyerdynamic is giving its M Series microphones a design refresh for 2023 that incorporates “a more streamlined production and build process” that’s supposed to improve logistics and servicing. While the microphones sport a uniform dark grey matte finish – and a new Beyerdynamic logo – they’re said to sound identical to previous iterations.
The updated models include the M88 dynamic; the M160 and M130 ribbons; the M201 dynamic hyper-cardioid; the MC950 super-cardioid and cardioid MC930 true-condensers, and the MM1 condenser measurement microphone.
Amphion – One25A is the brand’s first 3-way active studio monitor
Finnish loudspeaker manufacturer Amphion has unveiled its first 3-way active studio monitor, the One25A, which builds on the 2-way active circuitry of the Amphion Base units. Some key features of these monitors include a high bandwidth, no higher order or cross-over distortion and a high signal-to-noise ratio.
Neumann – KH 120 II monitor speakers
Neumann’s KH 120 II are the follow-up to the pair of studio monitors launched by the brand in 2010, and boast “improvements in all acoustic parameters” for deeper bass signals, higher SPL capability, and better resolution – and there’s some clever use of onboard DSP as well.
