A Show of Shows - Superbooth, SFF, NAMM - Spring 23

Kodamo will be at SFF at a minimum. They have three products that they have shown :
Infini
Mask 1
Bitmasker

… plus there was talk at one point of an Essence FM Keyboard though that seems gone. ( ? )

So it’s time for them to announce another new product !

ADDED : Mask 1 is available now, see my post on that.

Before the Play was released people at the time (and claiming to be in the know) said Polyend were working on a couple of new boxes.

It would be interesting if they released a second box which was a synth module that you’d sequence from the Play and use it’s 8 midi channels. 8 part multitimbral sounds like a stretch but maybe 4? Could even sample and transfer to Play (although that might cannibalise Tracker).

The Play launch was bungled. They’d teased too long and everyone filled in the gaps with dream product ideas and then ultimately disappointed with the reveal. Perhaps this time they’re keeping quiet and have something up their sleeve…

1 Like

I’ve been considering a field recorder for a while now and I’m hoping for a 32b field recorder in Zoom’s lineup similar to the Tascam Portacapture X6. I couldn’t care less about a fancy color display and would gladly trade that for xlr combo jacks.

1 Like

PWM who currently sells the Malevolent is likely going to show a new DCO based synth at Superbooth. They gave hints about it at SB last year to Nick Batt, playing some sounds from a roughed in prototype. They also have a third synth in mind, so perhaps there could be some word on that to.

1 Like

…elektron are more focussed on the american market lately…their berlin days are over…
until now, no proof of life from sweden when it comes to superbooth…

guess they’re makin’ it a habit to announce and show up late to european parties…
boutique became global brand…

after refreshing/reinventing their dtakt in such an unexpeted fashion and brought it back on the map of products to sell brandnew en masse again for all retailers, least thing we can now hope to come, is some firmware update for the stakt…
i don’t see any signs for a truu new product…
and it would not be clever marketing, if they woud go for that truu new ot must do now, due to the fact, they just pimped the dtakt that close to same terretory…

and let’s not forget…sale shows are a luxury item for all at least halfway established companies these days, in the age of information, where all it needs to announce ur next new product and catch a good amount of attention and tracktion by “just” coordinating to hand it out to the right selction of “influencers” at some certain timeframe…

never the less, see u at superbooth 23…

and hey, @treat …this year u’ll find the time and we finally go together …
and @Dataline …let’s make it first day again…

1 Like

I am curious, why do you think the syntakt needs a new update?

I think it got updated first late of last year… And then the DT got updated… Next in line would be the digitone no?

I thought Elektron still had a foot in Berlin, as the job ads seem to imply. Is it common knowledge that they just skip the European events ?

Digitone never sold like the digitakt. I bet the syntakt didn’t either. Last could updates thru just give the digitone enough to get it back in line with the digitakt, but nothing crazy like that. I’m assuming this will be similar but I’m hoping I’m wrong.

it’s a pity that elektron doesn’t appear to be there. that would have given hope for news. last year they only had a very small stand. That doesn’t really fit with such a popular company.

Instachord

image

This will be at NAMM. ( Booth 10604 ) It’s currently sold in Japan, but it is coming to the rest of the world now too.

Kind of an improved holdable version of the Suzuki Omnichord.

There is a built in speaker and the sounds built in are OK. I like the form factor ( ukulele size) and it has a lot of advanced versatility. I think a small amount of learning, would pay off well, as it can do a wide range of chords with a fixed finger patterns. It’s got wifi, and MIDI too, so it could be a main controller.

I actually could see using this, once i got by seeing it as a toy. They need to improve their videos for the international market.

3 Likes

Elektron does have a booth at NAMM ( 14122 ) but it is by appointment only.

ADDED :

I see that Elektron have just been added to the Superbooth exhibitor list. Maybe they have something to show us !

5 Likes

Freqport

I see they are at both Superbooth and NAMM so they are making a play. This is a tube based analog effects box, with a USB interface. They are based in Australia, so another company in Australia turning things on their head. (Melbourne Instruments NINA being another. )

7 Likes

This looks pretty slick.

1 Like

I see that Groove Synthesis is at NAMM ( Booth 9701 ). It would be enough if they were just showing their incredible synth the 3rd Wave but they are also working on other really innovative products too :

So hopefully they tells us more – and show too hopefully – on some of this new magical stuff as well.

Ohhhh! That got me super hyped, what do you think they will show?

Their “new very different” product. ( The thread ).

At first i thought that thread was baloney, but now i think it is very real. That thread BTW is a good place to speculate, although anyone with a solid lead has every right to post it here.

Right now i haven’t a clue.

1 Like

Interesting. If it is so new and different from their current lineup, it makes sense to have it be by appointment only, so they show it to single people or small groups without some of the interference that comes from a big noisy convention. Also can give the Youtubers and reporters an ample demonstration of it.

2 Likes

I thought precisely the same thing !

The showing at NAMM would be under a non-disclosure, with the “embargo” lift date right before Superbooth three weeks later.

You can also meet with retailers at NAMM to get the retail channels set up.

3 Likes

Exactly. I’m reminded of the time Polyend had a secret demonstration of the Play at Superbooth, or maybe another convention a year before it was announced. Some pics made it out and fueled the speculation.

Like a plumber out of work, I’m hoping for some leaks.

4 Likes

I noticed earlier today that the Roland booth at NAMM is also only by private appointment too. ( post )

There is a hidden secret side to all the big shows, with meetings and deals going all sorts of directions.

For instance there is private communication that goes on among the MIDI association members, particularly at NAMM. So that would be Roland, KORG, and Yamaha in particular, and others too. MIDI 2.0 grinding away.

2 Likes

It’s the dark side of NAMM that no one talks about :laughing:

I will say that my favorite NAMM demonstration was when Dave Smith showed the Pro 3 in a hotel room. It was clear and concise, good demonstrations, and not all the normal noise and distractions of NAMM.

I need to get in on that Midi 2.0 meeting. I imagine it is big shots from all over the industry getting drunk together, going to clubs, and not getting anything done, yet again, with Midi 2.0

2 Likes