The 2022 NAMM Show took place from June 3rd- June 5th, 2022, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. Once again, the convention center’s floors teemed with merchants, musicians, educators, and techies while the cacophony of musical instruments resounded throughout …
Agenda (Arting Around) made the rounds interviewing merchants and musicians who were thrilled to be back in the business of music.
Sheryl Aronson: I’m so excited to be here with a very dear friend, Mike Martin, from Casio. Mike talk about Casio’s new products that came out this year.
The Casio Booth
Mike Martin: This year we introduced two new products in the Casio line – the CT-S500, as well the CT-S1000V. These can fundamentally change what you think of a portable keyboard. They have 800 studio-quality sounds and are incredibly affordable. Both keyboards have the connectivity that a professional musician would need. For the synthesizer players or those that want to modify sounds on the fly, you have that control.
What separates the CT-S1000V keyboard from everything else is it can speak or sing any words that you provide. A musician can sing through it, but better yet, he can type words into an application and then experiment with those words on the keyboard playing different harmonies while using different vocalist sounds. It’s a unique technology that hasn’t ever been done before.
The Audeze Headphones Booth – The MM-500s feature Audeze’s 90mm planar magnetic drivers and a new chassis that’s designed to ensure comfort during long mixing sessions. The low impedance and high sensitivity, meanwhile, promise to make the headphones suitable for use with any console, interface, or laptop.
Interview with Peter James (Director of Marketing)
Sheryl Aronson: I’m at the Audeze Headphones booth talking with Peter James, Director of Marketing. Please talk about Audeze Headphone’s unique qualities.
Peter James: Our line of magnetic headphones is built in Orange County, just a few minutes South of the Convention Center. Today, we’re demoing this new headphone- the Audeze MM-500 that we made in collaboration with the eleven-time Grammy award-winning engineer, Manny Marroquin. The headphone is the most accurate sounding we’ve ever developed – replicating the quality of sound of a recording studio -that you can take with you and work from anywhere in the world.
Sheryl Aronson: I am honored to be here today with multi-Grammy award-winning mixing engineer Manny Marroquin. Why have you chosen Audeze headphones as your signature equipment?
Manny Marroquin: Working in the studio, I’ve heard every headphone imaginable; however, I haven’t thought about designing a headphone as a special part of my repertoire. Six years ago, when I first heard the quality of the sound of the Audeze headphones, I was very impressed. This was the model, LCDX. At that time, I was working on a big album, and 10 hours later I was still mixing on the headphones. As an engineer, I enjoy using good headphones, but creating my own in collaboration with a company was not on my radar. Surprisingly, for me to consider working with a headphone company as a creator and not as a consumer, floored me.
Audeze headphones are an essential tool for my studio, and I’m pleased that our collaboration has allowed other professionals the opportunity to do the same.
Sheryl Aronson: What specifically do these headphones offer technically?
Manny Marroquin: The sound must replicate the high quality I produce in the studio. Yet the design must be lighter and more comfortable. I wanted the headphones designed for travel because studios today can be portable, and your laptop is the studio. I also wanted light headphones, that sound great, but I can wear them for hours.
I can be in my hotel room or anywhere and be confident to have the creative environment to make the product sound wonderful. I think that we’ve created something special.
