1. AKG’s Phil Feinman. 2. InMusic’s Alex Souppa, Chris Roman, Andy Mac and Jack O’Donnell. 3. Zoom’s Samuel Greene and James Holloway 4. Yamaha’s Sean Tokuyama. 5. QSC’s Chris Brouelette. 6. SKB’s Will Steven (left) and Martin Balgach. 7. Beyerdynamic’s Jaime Thompson (left) and Richard Campbell. 7.
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“It [was] an incredible show,” Campbell said. “We had a lot of people come through who wanted to engage with the brand in ways they maybe haven’t before. That was great for us. Our DJ headphones were a big focus at the show, and we had several DJs perform for us, which was phenomenal and brought a whole new energy to the booth. Beyond that, we attended a House of Wor- ship event as part of The NAMM Show, and it was incredible to see the energy in that community. Overall, we made an im- pact in ways we hadn’t previously, and it’s definitely paying dividends.” DESIGNING FOR MUSICIANS Similar to guitar suppliers, many pro-audio manufacturers incorporated the latest tech innovations into their offerings at The 2026 NAMM Show. Lutefish, the ultra-low‑latency platform that lets musicians play together in real time online as if they were in the same room, made its “splash” at The 2025 NAMM Show, but returned to the 2026 show. “Both 2025 and 2026 were fantastic shows for us,” said Rakhi Malik, vice president of marketing for Lutefish and its parent company Wenger Corporation. “The key difference this year was the noticeable increase in brand aware- ness and understanding of our technology. More attendees arrived already knowing who we were, which led to deeper conversations and more meaningful demonstrations. Engage- ment levels were high, and excitement around
the concept of seamless remote collaboration continues to build momentum. The company’s Lutefish Stream interface makes ultra-low latency remote collaboration possible, even if players are up to 500 miles apart, meeting musicians where they’re at — quite literally. “The response to Lutefish Stream [has been] incredibly strong,” Malik said. “During the show, our demo stations in the sound-isolation room were consistently active, and the live demos between [our] main-stage performances drew steady crowds. The overall reception reinforced that the market is quickly under- standing and embracing what Lutefish makes possible for musicians.” Akai Pro’s MPC XL, launched at NAMM, delivers DAW-level processing, expressive per- formance control and deep studio connectivity in a single standalone production workstation. “The MPC XL meets producers with a robust I/O to capture any form of musical creativity, but also an intuitive user experience that sparks creativity, increases productivity, and supplies them with pro-level sounds and tools to enhance their output,” said Josh Claflin, inMusic Brands’ performance marketing director. Fellow inMusic Brands company, Rane, released its new Rane System One, a stand- alone DJ system that helps DJs stay flexible by removing the need for a laptop while pre- serving the familiar feel of motorized platters. “It is the most advanced DJ hardware ever made without the need of a laptop,” said Morgan Donoghue, vice president of market-
ing for DJ brands at inMusic. “It has its own embedded computer and screen with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so you can stream in songs from your favorite streaming service and play them out to a Bluetooth speaker. You can also Bluetooth songs from your phone straight to the hardware. The motorized platters [give you the] feeling you’re playing vinyl.” The 2026 NAMM Show also saw the of- ficial launch of Fender Studio, the integra- tion of PreSonus’ recording technology with Fender’s tone heritage, creating a cohesive ecosystem built for today’s musicians who often capture inspiration on the go away from their setups. “Musicians today create everywhere,” said Max Gutnik, Fender’s chief product officer. “Many are capturing ideas on their phones in the moment, and Fender Studio embraces that reality with a mobile app built for fast, intuitive idea capture. With Fender Studio Pro 8, that same idea can move seamlessly into a professional production environment without breaking the creative flow, allowing players to scale from inspiration to finished track in one connected ecosystem.” Gutnik said retailers should be excited about Fender Studio as it positions them in the fast- growing home and hybrid recording market while leveraging the trusted Fender brand. “Fender Studio is not just another DAW or interface,” Gutnik said. “It’s a connected solution that drives hardware attachments and creates an ongoing relationship with the customer long after the initial sale.” MI
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