NAMM 2014: What to Expect

Tech

If 2013 was the year of the analogue synth, expect 2014 to be... also the year of the analogue synth. Manufacturers seem to have found a way of producing affordable hardware instruments that also sound great, so expect to see more of them at NAMM.

Guitars

If there's one thing that we know we can expect from NAMM 2014, it's the customary avalanche of new guitar gear. Some good, a little great and most either quirky, downright strange or totally impractical.

Broadly speaking, the key trend in the offing is the subtle (very important word for most guitarists, that) integration of newer technologies with old-school looks and playability.

DJ

It's tricky to predict how eventful NAMM 2014 is likely to be for DJs. With big brands including Pioneer, Numark, Native Instruments and Denon having already announced or released major products in the second half of 2013, it's uncertain how many truly new bits of gear we'll see in Anaheim in January. But it's fair to predict we'll see at least a few new controllers, mixers and players at the show.