NAMM 2015: Best Of Show Awards

US We pick our favourites 03/02/15

Buying Choices

Affilliate Links help support the site

Now the jet lag is fading and the feet are coming back to life, we have had time to take stock of what just happened in Anaheim last week. I'd like to give a special thanks to our show team - Edd Butterworth handling the modular sttuf, and guitar channel AMPED had a great crop of vidoes too, thanks to the tireless work of editor Richard Beech and Rob Hick - thanks guys!

A bumper show in many ways and one that's quite difficult to pick winners from. Though of course, we must try - lets start with the Best in Show:

Roland AIRA MX-1

We got a good look at this unit pre-show with the AIRA specialist David Ahlund, and it's a pretty ground breaking concept.

True, it is designed to be a companion to the other AIRA units - which we have covered already here on Sonicstate, but the MX-1 Mix Performer takes things up a notch.

NAMM Best In Show AIRA MX-1 The key for me is the fact that we can attach USB audio/MIDI devices to without the need for a computer. In short USB host mode - something we are seeing more and more of - which is a Good Thing, but nothing quite like this.

Open this up to the world outside AIRA and we're talking a whole bunch of awesomeness - I am taking a bit of a leap of faith, as Roland have only alluded to this, but imagine your iPad hooked up - or indeed any other audio USB-equipped synth with class compliant connection, all then feeding into your host computer via the master USB - yes please - Roland just make it so..

BIG THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!

Presonus, Universal Audio, Line 6, Nord and Cakewalk

NEXT: Best Mono Synth