Just returned back from the NAMM 2010 show in Anaheim, California.

Manuel and I attended all four days, Thursday through Sunday, and got a chance to cover all the exhibits.

We had the pleasure of meeting Mark Anderson, Director of Marketing at Yamaha, at the Marriot Grand Ballroom. As usual he was very gracious, receptive and listened to all our comments on the current arranger line. Mark is a true gentleman and a helpful friend to all of us at Synthzone.

Martin Harris, developer for the Tyros line at UK, could not make it this year because of a leg injury. We did get to spend some time with Peter Baartmans. He gave us a jaw dropping demo on the new Yamaha CVP-509PM Clavinova. This has the new 5 layer sample from the Yamaha C6 Grand Piano. It sounded stunning.

We also got the pleasure of speaking with George Hamilton, Manager of the Keyboard Division at Yamaha. The entire staff at Yamaha is very friendly and makes you feel like family. This is a company that takes user input very seriously.

This year Roland took up the entire Arena floor at the NAMM Convention Center.

I got a chance to play on the Roland V-Piano based on modeling technology. Each and every note sounded crystal clear, coherent, and full bodied. It sounded like what a Grand Piano would sound with every note tuned to perfection. It was flawless, with no artifacts.

While every note was clear as a whistle, it lacked the warmth and granularity of the IVORY II samples. Everyone planning to buy a $6000 Roland V-Piano would almost certainly want to try out the new 18 layer IVORY II Grand Piano Samples by Synthogy.

I listened to the Steinway, Bosendorfer and Yamaha C7 Piano Samples offered in the $300 IVORY II package. I felt they had more warmth and conveyed a more human feeling compared to the machine like precision and clarity of the V-Piano.

This will be a personal choice. Indeed one must factor in the cost of a Muse Receptor 2 to have a stable host environment for these IVORY samples.

But here is the good news.

Roland released a SuperNATURAL Piano Expansion Board for the RD700GX containing 17 samples based on the V-Piano Technology.

Roland had the V-Piano next to the RD700GX outfitted with this $300 expansion card.
The new SuperNATURAL Grand Piano leaves the stock Expressive Grand Piano of the RD700GX in the dust.

The difference is so remarkable, that buying this $300 expansion board is a no brainer.
I compared each note played with the Expressive Grand against the SuperNATURAL Grand, and in every case, the SuperNATURAL Grand sounded more robust, more articulate, more clean with more depth and authority.

I am getting this board.

The Roland RD700GX 88 key Stage Piano has the best key action with synthetic Ivory tops and key escapement. The SuperNATURAL expansion board now gives it an exquisite Piano Sample to die for.

Roland has hit a home run.

Roland had a demo theater running all day to showcase their new gear. Hector Olivera gave an uplifted demo of the Roland Atelier AT-900 flagship organ. Listening to Hector live is always an unforgettable experience.

Roland also showed their new VP-7 Vocal Processor. While extremely easy to use with just 4 knobs and 9 buttons, it lacked the depth of programming and features offered by TC-Helicon's VoiceLive 2.

I listened extensively to all the VoiceLive 2 presentations at the TC-Helicon booth. I am sold. Even if you are not a singer, this product will pay for itself just for the fun and joy it will bring to a party. TC Helicon has got it just right. This is a must have tool for every Karaoke bar! I hear that our friend Frank Ventresca is a dealer for this product.

Speaking of Frank, we had the pleasure of dining with Frank and his lovely wife Irene at the Bucca di Beppo. They make a great couple and they are so down to earth and friendly.

It is already an open secret that Frank offers the best deals in the nation. It should come as no surprise that he sold 20% of all the Yamaha S910 arrangers in the US last year.

Everything about this trip went smoothly without a hitch. Thanks to a tip from our friend Scott, we got a great room at the Howard Johnson. This is conveniently located next to Mimi’s on South Harbor Boulevard.

Disney operates a free shuttle service for NAMM attendees Wednesday through Sunday from 7am to Midnight. Routes 4 and 5 takes you from the Disneyland Main Gate to the Anaheim Marriot.

We parked for free at the hotel and took this shuttle. This saved us a lot of money in parking at NAMM.

This trip was exciting and educational. We will be attending NAMM2011 next year and staying at the same place.

Here is another tip. Have your Breakfast and Dinner at Mimis next to Howard Johnson. They have the best food at very reasonable prices.

We hope to see Scott next year at NAMM.

I heard rumors about a Tyros 4!


Cheers,

Tapas