We just got back from the Summer NAMM show in Nashville, and have tons of cool new products to share with you.

PreSonus

Kicking things off is PreSonus, who dropped some pretty big news when they announced their acquisition of Nimbit, and that they’d be integrating the company’s promo tools into their acclaimed Studio One 2 software.

With the addition of Nimbit technology and services, Studio One users can now go from creating the first track to marketing and selling a finished project, all within Studio One and associated Web sites. Studio One Professional users can record, mix, master, digitally release, burn CDs, upload to the Web via SoundCloud, and market and sell through Nimbit without leaving the DAW. 

In short, Studio One has become a complete musician’s solution.

Registered Studio One 2 customers will be able to download the Nimbit Extension free from the PreSonus Exchange. Having installed the Extension, they can sign up for a Nimbit Free or Nimbit Plus account from within Studio One and start selling and promoting their music.

The benefits of Nimbit are not limited to PreSonus Studio One customers. Anyone who would like to sell and promote their music, other audio products, and merchandise can sign up atwww.nimbit.com or can install the free Nimbit store for Facebook.

Harman

Harman was out in full-effect, as well. And one of our favorite pieces of gear was the LSR series of studio monitors. While not technically the new kid on the block, you’d be hard pressed to find a better monitor for your sessions at this price range. The 2300 series comprises three models: the 2325P, a two-way nearfield monitor with a five-inch low-frequency driver; the 2328P, another two-way nearfield with an eight-inch LF driver; and the 2310SP, a subwoofer with a 10-inch driver. All three new products are active, with the nearfields benefitting from a bi-amplified design.

Asterope and Fishman

Fishman Acoustic Amplification dropped a big announcement at Summer NAMM, that they have become the exclusive worldwide distributor of Asterope “Pro Studio” and “Pro Stage” premium instrument and XLR cables. Manufactured in the United States, Asterope’s unique design provides greater clarity, a broader frequency response and more dynamic harmonics than traditional audio cables.

JamHub

The JamHub was created so you could practice silently, anywhere, anytime.

The effects engine in your JamHub silent rehearsal studio allows you to create a “room” inside the studio or you can try one of the pure effects like flanger or phaser for something a little different. Each section, and each remote, can set how much of the effects engine they would like in their mix. It allows each player can decide how much they want to “wet out” the vocals.  The effects engine is connected to the mic inputs only.  We did this because most modeling amps, keyboards and electronic drums have their own built- in effects. If you’ve ever heard one reverb put on top of another reverb, you understand why we avoided mixing the two.

 

Ear Trumpet Labs

Now here’s something cool, a unique set of live mics with awesome retro styling. We’ll let the folks at ETL explain it:

We are a small craft builder. We evolve our designs from common hardware, everyday objects, found things. Sturdy practicality is a paramount design goal – our microphones and other pieces of equipment are always meant to be used by performing musicians.

We strive for a creative, artistic, and DIY sensibility. From cutting our own foam for custom packing in our recycled toolbox cases, to watching the oscilloscope while adjusting component values in each circuit, to casting our own badges for labeling, we love every step of the process.

 

Griffin Technology

Leading the way when it comes to groundbreaking products for mobile devices like iPhones and iPads, Griffin was showing off some really cool stuff this week, including MIDI interfaces, digital connections for iPad and studio setups, and footswitch controllers for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. At a mere $59, and with four assignable foot switches and a 1/4″ effects pedal input jack, StompBox recreates the experience of an actual pedalboard on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. With StompBox, you can control guitar and effects apps like JamUpPro XT and iShred LIVE and your iPad becomes a portable, programmable effects board and practice rig.

The Drumnetics Company

Now here’s something cool for you drummers, bass drum pedals that work using magnets. According to Drumnetics:

What better way to describe a bass drum pedal and to describe one that contains a magnetic center within its complete assembly! Our pedals incorporate this presence and you are the central figure of your performance, completing fills beyond a drive of drum beats. The 3XF Pedal plays what you do.

The Sonic Wind Guitar

Another unique product we got to spend some time with was the Sonic Wind, a guitar with an ultra modern, “hollow form” construction. It features a neck-thru design and is crafted with an open chamber body for max resonance. On their craftsmanship, the company has this to offer:

The Sonic Wind guitar was not designed for the masses, and it is not built “en mass”; Though it is an UN-conventional guitar, it is built conventionally; in small lots, with care and attention to detail. Only the neck is shaped by a CNC machine, all other woodworking operations are done by myself in my Un-automated shop.

Boicebox Pedalboards

Another interestingly constructed product on the show floor was the Boicebox bamboo pedalboard. Three-ply, carbonized bamboo is similar in thinkness to 9-ply birch, but is much tougher, has greater torsional stiffness, requires no exterior laminate, and is a beautiful, sustainable wood. Unlike many pedal boards that require an additional hard case adding many pounds to the rig, this bamboo box is the pedal board, saving you weight and time with an integral design. Meets most airline carry-on overhead luggage requirements.

Rock On Audio

We featured Rock On in one of our builder profiles a few issues back (read it here), so we were excited to see what new products they had for Summer NAMM. We got to check out the Tasty Blender, which follows in the footsteps of its analog predecessor, the RockBox Limiter. According to the guys at Rock On:

It’s very similar to the Rockbox Limiter, but it has 3 channels in, stereo/mono mode, EQ and two adjustable stereo limiters.

Since the beginning of the Rockbox Limiter, customers have been seeing more and more stereo monitor mixes. When we initially designed the Rockbox Limiter, a stereo mix was un-heard of! It is great to see the cost of mixers coming down. Also, mixers seem to have more and more aux mixes. We hope that the new Tasty Blender will compliment all of these various setups and ultimately help musicians get better mixes and better limiting.

 

Sound Enhancer – “The Enhancer”

Something seemingly so simple, yet with an amazing impact on tone. The Enhancer is engineered to horn load your combo amp, greatly improving its efficiency. It also reclaims the secondary sound from the rear of the speaker cab and redirects it forward. The Enhancer also lifts and tilts the amp for better sound projection and monitoring, making it the ultimate amp stand.

Ambrosonics Pickup Director

Now this things is cool! Guitar tone-heads, look at this feature set:

-Allows 20 Pickup Combinations with Standard S/S/S Strat Guitars

-Allows 75+ Pickup Combinations with FAT Type H/S/S Strat Guitars

-Go Crazy with 200+ Pickup Combinations with H/S/H Type Guitars

-Standard Mono Passive Sound Output

- One 9V Battery with approximately 150 hours battery life (Battery & Holder not included)

-Pickup Director Standard, Retails $179.95. Use Your Existing 3 Hole Pickguard

-Replaces the Center Tone Control in Standard Strat Guitars

Mounts onto Pickguard! No Routering Required! Works for Guitar and Bass Pickup Selections!

Airmotiv Monitors by EmotivaPro

All the detail, musical impact, and realism – at half the cost of comparable monitors. That’s Emotiva Pro’s new airmotiv series. Combining our exclusive airmotiv high-frequency driver technology with audiophile-quality bi-amplification, airmotiv delivers the extraordinary accuracy and lifelike performance you need, together with a bottom line that nobody else can match. Take a moment, and browse the line to discover the monitor that’s the perfect choice for your studio.

 

EarBombz by MultiSonus Audio

The EB-Pro in-ear monitors are made of the highest-grade metal and industry-leading components, with critical attention to detail. The unique, acoustic chamber-design generates superlative depth of audio field and note-by-note clarity in your musical experience.

Noise Isolation:
Noise isolating silicone tips are designed to mute the ambient noise of the outside world. Hear the music in your head and get lost in the sound track of your mind.

Microphone Included:
Comes equipped with an in-line cell phone microphone for safety and convenience. Dual action *microphone button allows for hang up and answer features as well as play and pause functionality.

EB-Pro in-ear monitors are optimized for today’s technology:
Tablets, smart phones, iPod, computers, stage and studio in-ear monitor applications. A percentage of profits from this product support conservation of South American rainforests.

Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 18 Head

Getting into the world of small, low-wattage amps, H&K was demoing the TubeMeister 18, and these things sounded amazing. For TubeMeister, Mr. Hughes and Herr Kettner packed all their know-how and over a quarter of a century‘s passion for tube amps into a remarkably compact chassis. Thanks to German engineering, it can go from a roar to a whisper, shaking the boards on stage, tingling spines in the studio, and raising goose-bumps in the still of night – even during silent recording.

Serving up three different sounds at the touch of a footswitch, the soulful Tube-Meister 18 is the go-to guitar amp for gigging. Its four-step power soak brings the sound of the big stage into small clubs and your own four walls. And courtesy of the built-in Red Box and silent recording capability, you can lay down pro-quality tracks at any time day or night.