The NAMM 2026 Show was held during the fourth week of January 2026 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. This was the 125th anniversary show for NAMM, which is the biggest show of the year for all who are concerned with any aspects of the music industry. The five-day show features the latest music technologies, most of the all-new products that are available throughout the industry, and the newest trends that are developing across the global music community.
Let’s take a look at some of the numbers for NAMM 2026. This show is huge, with over 60,000 show attendees from 122 different countries, indicating a truly global membership. It is a “closed show,” meaning that it is not open to the general public (thankfully). The show includes 1,650 exhibitors that represent over 5,400 brands of every kind of musical product or service. The show is also a learning center, offering over 200 educational sessions onsite for NAMM attendees. Approximately 15,000 artists were on hand to demonstrate and endorse a staggering array of products.
Here are some of the new products that made the biggest splash this year.
Ashun Sound Machines (ASM) released the aptly-named Leviasynth synthesizer, available in both keyboard and rackable desktop formats. The Leviasynth is the follow-on product of the Hydrasynth from this same manufacturer, and it shares some of the same design philosophy and look, but departs radically in internal design architecture from the Hydrasynth. This new Leviasynth synthesizer seems to be aimed squarely at the sound designers out there, the people who create the sounds you hear in the cinema, TV series and commercials, but it can also be a heavyweight performance synthesizer for the recording studio or live venues. It has eight algorithmic oscillators for each of its 16 voices with both analog and digital filters available, plus five envelope generators and five low-frequency oscillators for modulation. Rather than having the typical subtractive or wavetable synthesis model that many synthesizers use, it has more of an FM-like architecture (FM is frequency modulation, where one oscillator’s waveform modulates another oscillator’s waveform to create a new, more complex waveform). Using what ASM calls algorithmic morph, the oscillators can be configured in a vast number of configurations, and since each oscillator can have over 300 different waveforms, it becomes easy to see how this synthesizer can create an unlimited number of sounds. The Hydrasynth is a highly popular synthesizer with keyboard players out there right now, and I predict the Leviasynth will also soon be viewed with high regard.
Korg had quite a few new products, one of which is the Phase8. The Korg Phase8 is a very unique instrument; there really isn’t anything else out there like it. It looks like some electrical engineer’s research project with a slick user interface attached. It is an acoustic synthesizer that utilizes eight tuned steel resonators (you can see the note names on the tines in the picture above) that are physically excited via electromagnets, making it something like an electronically-controlled acoustic kalimba instrument. The resonators can be manipulated by touching them physically in any number of ways, and the acoustic audio they produce is picked up by the small black rectangular device underneath (it sticks out in the upper right corner with the yellow circle on it). Korg recommends that you experiment with changing the timbre of the instrument by placing physical objects on it or near it. In the picture, you can see that I placed a stone on the Ab3/Bb3/C4 resonators and also a small circular magnet on the C3 resonator, which produced interesting changes on the sequence that was looping.
Korg also exhibited the new Multi/Poly synthesizer in both keyboard and rackable desktop formats. This synthesizer is the next logical extension of Korg’s original Mono/Poly synthesizer, but this new version makes extensive use of next-generation analog modeling technology. The original Mono/Poly had four oscillators that could be stacked for a fat mono unison sound, or spread out in a polyphonic mode of one oscillator per note played. The new Multi/Poly’s architecture utilizes four Virtual Voice Cards (VVC) whose oscillators, filters, envelopes, LFOs (low-frequency oscillators), and portamento circuits model analog hardware component variations. Therefore, each VVC has a unique character and slightly different sound, and you can dial in as much or as little of this variation as you like.
The oscillator on each VVC can be independently configured to yield classic analog waveforms, over 200 digital wavetables, or 90 different wave shaper-type waveforms. Those waveforms can be shaped and refined with a full collection of linear, resonant 2-pole and 4-pole lowpass, highpass, bandpass, and band reject filters, or with KORG’s unique Multi Filter, which creates modulatable blends of multiple filter modes simultaneously. Then you can add in a noise generator, ring modulator, sync, and “x-mod”; process these through two independent filters, and modulate with four loopable DAHDSR (delay, attack, hold, decay, sustain, release) envelopes, five LFOs, and six od processors; add complex per-voice motion with multi-lane Motion Sequencing 2.0, and polish with three studio-quality insert effects.
That is a huge array of synthesis power, but that just defines one “Program.” You can layer four of those Programs on top of each other or morph among the Programs in a round-robin fashion! After that, you can create fluid, evolving modulation from simple gestures on the Kaoss x/y touch pad. Grab the four Mod knobs for intuitive, hands-on control of multiple low-level parameters. Put on the finishing touches with two more Mod processors, master reverb, and EQ. My prediction is that this will be a very popular synthesizer, especially at its reasonable price point (less than $1k).
The original microKORG was a hugely successful synthesizer with a 20-year legacy, and was used on countless recordings. I suspect Korg had endless requests to bring that old compact synthesizer back into production, so now the microKORG2 has been released. It retains much of the iconic look of the original. The basic design of the chassis, control panel layout, green silkscreened printing, knob shape, and other iconic microKORG features have been retained, but the design has been updated for a modern look. One big change on the front panel is a new 2.8-inch color display.
The microKORG2 is a virtual analog synth that models analog circuitry, similar to the original microKORG. One of the characteristics of a virtual analog synth is that there are no physical restrictions in terms of how the circuitry is laid out, which gives the user a flexible canvas to create their own sounds to go beyond the sounds of classic, modern and future eras. The microKORG2 features virtual patch functionality in a compact form, offering the patch functions that users are already familiar with when creating sounds using analog circuitry.
The new microKORG2 features a loop recorder, which lets the user create backing tracks by looping and overdubbing given parts of music, making it the ideal tool for on-the-go live performances. The three dedicated buttons (record, play/stop and undo/redo) make loop recording super-simple for anyone.
The microKORG2 takes the original vocoder functionality to the next level and features a brand-new powerful vocal processor. In addition to vocoder effects, this new vocal processor features industry-standard hard-tune pitch correction effects, along with a harmonizer that lets you pitch-shift and layer the original vocal sound. You can also apply reverb, delay and other effects to the vocal processor’s signal output. (What is a vocoder? A vocoder takes the frequency and envelope characteristics of one sound source and applies it to modulate a different sound source. The first sound (called the modulator, which is usually a human voice supplied via a microphone) is used to modulate the second sound (called the carrier, which is usually a synthesizer sound).) This should be another highly popular and successful synthesizer for Korg.
Behringer showcased its new JN-80 polyphonic synthesizer. The company has been pumping out low-cost clones of classic synthesizers for years, and this latest one looks to be a clone of the much-revered Roland Juno 60. The original 6-voice Juno 60 was used on many classic 1980s hits. Behringer has recreated that signature sound with emulations of the original oscillator and filter circuits, plus the indispensable lush-sounding analog chorus circuit. This new JN-80 expands upon the original synthesizer by adding two more voices (for a total of 8), additional modulation capabilities, unison/mono/double/poly modes, aftertouch and velocity sensitivity, a sub-oscillator, an arpeggiator, polyphonic portamento, control voltage inputs for connection to other analog gear, pedal inputs, full MIDI implementation, and host of other features that are sure to make this a huge seller. Best of all, the price tag is slated to be under $600. I just checked an online auction site for the original Roland Juno 60, and the prices ranged from $2,000 to over $4,000 depending on the condition, not including shipping costs.
Behringer also previewed their JT-2, a new Euro-format monophonic synth which seems to be based on the sound and look of the old Roland Jupiter-8, a polyphonic synthesizer from the early 1980s. This new JT-2 can be used as a desktop synthesizer or removed from its case and mounted into a Eurorack system. It does have some CV control input jacks such as Gate, Pitch, Filter and Sync. I didn’t get a chance to play this instrument, but since it is 2-voice monophonic instead of being polyphonic like the Jupiter-8 it was modeled after, I’m not sure who this instrument will appeal to. We will see!
Courtesy of Fender.
Fender, previously known mostly for their guitars, amps and guitar and bass-related hardware, has acquired the PreSonus Studio One software (Studio One was a Digital Audio Workstation, or DAW) and improved it with the addition of a new GUI (Graphical User Interface), Fender’s own amplifier models and effects models, and new workflows. The result is the new Fender Studio Pro. According to Fender, the new software now has 39 guitar amp and 20 bass amp models, nine virtual instruments, over 70 effects pedals, 45 native effects, and hundreds of presets to help dial in sounds quickly, providing most everything required for professional studio recording, home recording, music production or beat-making. Making use of the latest AI-type software, Fender Studio Pro can easily un-mix any audio file into four isolated stems, separating the vocals, drums, bass, and instruments, and then bouncing them back into a new file to create new mixes or even new arrangements.
Another excellent addition to this software is their Chord Assistant. This feature allows the software to make next-chord recommendations based upon the current chord progressions in your song, potentially expanding your songwriting options. The new virtual instruments included with Fender Studio Pro are a drag-and-drop sampler/slicer, plus a sub-bass engine, pad synthesizer, “cinematic soundscape” synth for scoring, multichannel drum machine, lead synthesizer, polyphonic virtual analog synthesizer, monophonic subtractive synthesizer, and a sample playback synth. This looks to be a highly capable DAW for musicians.
Brane Audio has developed a unique speaker technology that allows unprecedented low-frequency performance versus size. Shown above is Brane’s new wireless portable (Wi-Fi with battery operation) subwoofer, claimed to be capable of performance down to the bottom octave. According to Brane, all previous low-frequency drivers have had to obey Hoffman’s Iron Law of audio. This longstanding speaker design principle states that speakers must be either large or draw a tremendous amount of electrical power to produce sub-bass. (The rule states that only two out of three speaker design goals, deep bass, small enclosure size, or high efficiency, are possible.) Therefore, if a speaker is both energy-efficient and able to produce sub-bass, it cannot also retain a compact footprint, and vice versa.
Brane goes on to explain that the root cause of the Iron Law is the internal air pressure variation within a sealed speaker cabinet. Deep notes require large excursions of a speaker cone/panel as it moves in and out of its sealed enclosure. These excursions create large variations in internal air pressure that must be overcome with electrical power routed to a voice coil (that moves the speaker cone or diaphragm). If the speaker enclosure is small, the required amount of electrical power is large. To reduce electrical power, the speaker enclosure size must increase to lower internal pressure variations. This power and size tradeoff has limited the performance of speakers for decades, especially for bottom octave performance.
Brane's patented Repel-Attract Driver (RAD) breaks the Iron Law by using a proprietary array of permanent magnets to cancel internal air pressure forces. This novel force cancellation design allows Brane speakers to be compact, efficient and capable of producing deep bass. It is more like sliding the speaker cone on a set of slick frictionless rails than having it work to huff and puff against a wall of air compression. I was impressed after talking to David A. Badger, their vice president of engineering on this technical invention, especially after I saw and listened to their compact BraneX product (shown below).
Courtesy of Brane Audio.
The BraneX is a small, full-range portable wireless speaker system. It is physically about the size of a purse, which is amazing because its specs state that can reproduce bass frequencies down to 27.1 Hz. That little package contains a woofer, two midrange drivers, two tweeters, four microphones (for voice recognition/commands), Wi-Fi circuity, Bluetooth circuitry, four Class D amplifiers with a total output of 200 watts, and online streaming capability from Spotify Connect, Pandora, Prime Music, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, Deezer and Tunein. Its rechargeable battery offers a 12-hour runtime. Impressive? I’d say it definitely is. You can order one at https://www.braneaudio.com/products/brane-x for $499.
This is a computer screenshot I took of Beyerdynamic’s new Headphone Lab software. I installed it on my studio computer after I got home from NAMM. One of the problems with all headphones and earbuds is that audio information from the left transducer does not make it into the right ear, and audio information from the right transducer does not make it into the left ear. This is not what happens when you listen to any sound in real life; the effect of the sound going in one ear and being delayed slightly, changed in level and in frequency equalization before it reaches the other ear allows us to accurately image and pinpoint the location of a sound in the space around us. Even when you listen to a set of stereo speakers, this imaging effect is achieved (technically known as interaural crosstalk), but it does not happen with headphones.
Beyerdynamic has recognized this limitation and developed the Headphone Lab software. This software has two main components: Loudspeaker Emulation (to emulate the effect of listening to loudspeakers in a studio rather than headphones, shown on the right side of the above image) and Headphone Calibration (to provide a reference calibration of the headphones to achieve a mix-ready balanced response, shown on the left side of the above image).
For the Loudspeaker Emulation feature, the Headphone Lab software provides natural loudspeaker-style stereo imaging on headphones through precise crossfeeding (i.e., adding a delay, along with changes in level and equalization and feeding some of that modified right channel information into the left channel and vice-versa). Beyerdynamic explains that spatial localization in the headphones can be individually adjusted; since differences in head shape and ear spacing influence how loudspeaker sound is perceived, these values can be entered manually in the Headphone Lab software. That’s right, you’ll need to measure your head circumference and the distance between your ears for this!
This compensates for time‑of‑arrival differences, resulting in a more realistic and precise loudspeaker representation. The apparent “loudspeaker position” in the headphones can be set to 40°, 60° or 80° to adapt the spatial image to different listening scenarios. An optional room simulation expands the perceived room component continuously and creates a reliable reference space. The ultimate goal here is to be able to create better mixes when using headphones.
For the Headphone Calibration feature, Beyerdynamic provides a factory calibration for all of their supported headphones. Mostly this consists of their DT-XXX series, such as the DT 770 Pro and the DT 990 Pro. The reason you don’t see a correction curve on the left side of my above picture is because I own the Beyerdynamic Amiron headphones, which are not (yet) supported by this software. To be clear, the left side Headphone Calibration feature only works for the Beyerdynamic Pro line of headphones, but the right side Loudspeaker Emulation feature works for all headphones and earbuds.
The great part of all this is that the Headphone Lab software is free! That’s right, you can go to https://global.beyerdynamic.com/headphone-lab#1 and download this software for free. Be advised that this software must work as a plugin to a DAW; it does not operate in a standalone mode.
The original Mellotron was an extremely unique instrument that came on the scene in the 1960s. It looked like an old transistor organ from the 1960s, but each key had a small tape transport connected underneath it. The Mellotron’s tape loops could play back the sounds of a string section, vocal chorus, orchestral sounds, and more. When you pressed a key on the keyboard, a length of magnetic tape was pulled by a capstan across a tape playback head, and when the key was released, a spring pulled the length of tape back to the beginning position. So in effect, the 122-pound M400 Mellotron, for example, was like having 35 little reel to reel tape decks inside, which is absolutely a MTBF (mean time between failures) nightmare. That’s bad enough in a pristine studio, but many bands (especially ’70s progressive rock bands) took these Mellotrons out on the road for world tours. What could possibly go wrong there?
You might have heard a Mellotron and not realized it. The beginning flute sound on The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” song was generated by a Mellotron. The first seven Moody Blues albums have Mellotron sounds throughout for choir, strings and horns. King Crimson, Yes, Gentle Giant, Manfred Mann, Genesis, David Bowie and many other prog groups used the Mellotron extensively. The most common tape libraries for the Mellotron were for strings, choirs and flutes.
With the march of technology, the tape-based Mellotrons were replaced with units containing solid-state memory. That is what you see in the picture above. This unit has the exact same sounds, but will have a reliability factor several orders of magnitude better than the old tape-based units.
One of the biggest and most expensive products at NAMM 2026 was the AFEELA vehicle. Simply put, AFEELA is a 360-degree immersive sound environment contained within a high-tech self-driving electric vehicle. It is a collaborative joint venture between Sony Group Corporation and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Their stated mission is to “redefine mobility as a living, connected experience by blending Sony’s innovation in entertainment and sensing with Honda’s world-class automotive engineering.”
Some of the features in this vehicle are active noise cancellation (ANC), immersive 3D mapping, compatibility with Tesla charging stations, and all wheel drive (AWD) with separate 180kW motors in the front and back delivering a 300-mile driving range. This vehicle has 800 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) of computing power! The Origin model price starts at around $91,000, while the more upscale Signature model starts at around $103,000.
The AFEELA interior sound system has 28 speakers for full spatial audio immersion for the front seats or the back seats.
The front seats have full wrap-around video screens for the ultimate in entertainment viewing, immersive 3D map viewing, or external camera viewing. The back seats have separate video screens in the Signature model.
This vehicle is like taking your finely-appointed living room out for a spin on the town, or more accurately, your living room taking you out for a spin. The first deliveries will start appearing at the end of 2026.
How’s this for a jarring segue? JBL (known as James B. Lansing Sound, Inc. to vintage audio buffs) had an interesting historical display of some of their past products, showing that they really were at the forefront of speaker and monitor technology in the 20th century. According to their display, James B. Lansing launched Lansing Manufacturing in 1927 as a company to design and build loudspeakers for the radio industry. This company eventually became the precursor of today’s JBL company. The audio science behind these products, such as the Jackson-Bell 63 Radio pictured above, created the foundations that would go on to produce JBL’s pro audio sound. That was almost 100 years ago!
This is widely regarded as the world’s first studio monitor. Derived from Lansing’s cinema loudspeaker designs, the Iconic introduced accurate sound reproduction in a smaller form for studios and small venues.
The D-130 was the first mass-produced loudspeaker driver released by JBL after its founding in 1946. Celebrated for its clarity and efficiency, the D-130 was used in cinemas, hi-fi systems, guitar amplifiers, and concert systems, including the Grateful Dead’s legendary “Wall of Sound.”
Developed for Capitol Records in the early 1960s, the 4320 became the global standard monitor for EMI’s network of studios. Its success established JBL as a dominant force in the professional audio market and in recording studios worldwide.
Speaking of the ’60s: “Hold your group together with Rotosound Strings!” If you know, you know.
Let’s take a look at some of the gorgeous instruments on display at NAMM 2026. This is an unbelievable display of a set of guitars with a cohesive wall mount display, six-string guitar with a seven-string guitar next to it. The show was so hectic is was impossible to note or get the names of all the manufacturers.
Many of these instruments were actually for sale, but others were unobtanium.
I’m not too sure about this one. Are those 12 gauge shotgun shells on there? And a syringe? I don’t think I want to be at that particular practice session.
This is the Big Johnson acoustic bass guitar. Seems to be aptly named.
Here is an entirely different looking bass guitar of the electric variety.
Here’s a sweet-looking headless eight-string electric guitar.
This musician is tuning up his electric harp, and getting ready to crank it through an array of guitar effects.
Speaking of guitar effects, Electro-Harmonix was there with an excellent array of tasty guitar effects. Some of these will actually detect the guitar signal and turn it into a synthesizer or keyboard sound.
After all those electrons flying around, let’s take a look at some acoustic instruments that were showcased at NAMM. This gorgeous acoustic guitar is the Martin Grand D-28E JN. The top is spruce, while the back and sides are East Indian rosewood. It is a combination 12-string and 6-string on the same body. This baby will set you back $8,199.99. Oh, plus tax.
This is the African thumb piano by Sonic Energy. It is also known as a kalimba. It’s a percussion instrument consisting of a number of thin metal blades (keys) mounted on a soundbox or soundboard. Some kalimbas have a sound hole in the middle, some are made from solid wood, and some can produce a soothing wah-wah sound.
These are steel tongue drums. They are small drums that consist of a steel resonant body and various tone fields that are harmonious with themselves. Their pentatonic tuning makes it impossible to play wrong-sounding notes. The meditative, soothing sound inspires meditation, and is ideal for sound therapy and percussion fans worldwide.
I’m not sure what this is, but it sure looks impressive. Maybe a drum combined with a bass stringed instrument for a one-man rhythm section.
This woman was demonstrating the soothing sounds of a tuned set of crystal singing bowls. Crystal singing bowls are made of high-purity quartz and create a very pleasant tone with their design and construction. Their long-lasting, spherical tone spreads when the singing bowl is gently tapped or rubbed so that their acoustic energy can be felt all around you. Unfortunately, trying to demonstrate something as delicate as this in the overwhelming din of NAMM was going to be an uphill battle.
Did I say there was an overwhelming din at NAMM? Trust me on that.
Ever hear four drummers playing four drum kits next to each other, but playing four completely different rhythms? Well, if you have, then you know you won’t also be hearing crystal singing bowls anywhere in the same time zone.
OK, now this is something I really wanted to hear: Rachel Flowers playing Keith Emerson solos on the synthesizer. She is totally awesome, and being blind from birth doesn’t seem to be any sort of an impediment for her. Take the time to listen to some of her music on YouTube; it is well worth it.
Here’s another performing musician I wanted to hear at the show. This is Laurence Juber demonstrating an acoustic guitar at the Martin live performance stage. He’s another person you should make an effort to see, especially live. He is definitely no slouch; he was the guitarist for Paul McCartney and Wings from 1978 to 1981. Here, he is playing all the parts for “Strawberry Fields Forever” on one acoustic guitar. It was a real treat for the crowd gathered to hear him. There were no empty seats.
NAMM famously has all sorts of engineers, musicians and producers conducting sessions all day every day and answering questions from the unwashed masses. I thought it was fairly interesting that Jon Castelli, no kidding, looks exactly like the poster they had of him, expression and all.
Quote of the day: As I was walking into one exhibit hall there in Anaheim, some guy came out and walked up to the security guard and asked him, “Where are they selling the marijuana?” I thought it was pretty humorous, and maybe I did locate the booth he was looking for.
No, wait…..maybe it was this one.
About the author: John J. Volanski is an audio engineer, electrical engineer and systems engineer living in Southern California. He is author of the book Sound Recording Advice. He spends many relaxing hours playing around in his home studio…and spent a few non-relaxing hours walking around NAMM 2026.
All photos by John J. Volanski except where noted.
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