Besides all the new equipment and instruments, one of the coolest things about attending a NAMM show is that it seems you can barely walk down one of the massive aisles without tripping over a famous musician. This year was no exception. In addition to music celebrities on the trade show floor, there were many NAMM-related shows and events taking place in the evenings with many great musicians performing. (And we've got pictures!)

Of course, the main focus at NAMM is the gear, and this year's show did not disappoint. Among the scads of new products introduced were effects processors, powered speakers, mics, wireless systems, instruments, amps, and much more. Although there weren't a great deal of groundbreaking new technical innovations (at least among the gear aimed at performing musicians) there were plenty of solid products unveiled. Here's just a sampling.

FBT Maxx 6 and Maxx 6A

One of the busiest product categories at the Winter NAMM show was that of active speakers. Everywhere you looked, it seemed like there was another powered speaker winking its LED at you. Of particular note was FBT's Maxx 6A ($1469.95), which was introduced along with its passive sibling the Maxx 6 ($829.29). Both models feature a polypropylene housing, pole mounts and flying points, a 15" woofer with a neodymium magnet, and a high-frequency compression driver coupled to a 90°x 60° horn.

The Maxx 6A active model offers a whopping 700W power to its woofer and 200W to its horn driver, a Neutrik female combo XLR and a 1/4-inch jack, 3-band EQ, a volume control, and a variable gain control.

FBT/MIPAD; tel; 800 333-9383; email fbtmipad@aol.com; www.fbt.it

Roland V-Bass

Following in the footsteps of Roland’s V-guitar processors, the V-Bass ($1345.00) offers access to a wide variety of bass sounds through any bass with a divided pickup and 13-pin output. Guitarists can also access bass sounds, albeit with a bit of tweaking on the processor. As with the V-guitar series, there is no MIDI involved in tracking your bass.

The V-Bass offers modeling of classic electric and acoustic basses as well as synth bass and fretless types. You can program your own bass sounds with combinations of modeled body types and pickups. Roland’s proprietary COSM amp-modeling algorithms offer additional customizing, as does the selection of models for speaker cabinets, mics, and effects. An onboard expression pedal provides real-time parameter control. The V-Bass has 160 presets and 100 user slots for customized programs.

Roland Corporation U.S.; tel. (323) 890-3700; Web www.rolandus.com.

Presonus Acoustic-Q

Acoustic instrumentalists will appreciate the Acoustic-Q ($299.95) from Presonus. Featuring dual tube preamps, the unit allows for the blending of two signals (such as from a piezo and mic combo pickup) into one, which is then output via an XLR jack. The EQ section includes Brilliance and Bass controls, a sweepable midrange control, and a tunable notch filter to help deal with feedback.

The Acoustic-Q is also equipped with an output level indicator, a phase switch, and an external footswitch input, which allows users to mute the output or change volume by engaging a cut/boost preset. It also features a stereo effects loop for adding outboard processing. This 1/2-rack unit can be rackmounted with an optional rack adapter that's also compatible with the Presonus BlueTube and BlueMax products.

Presonus Audio Electronics; tel. (212) 216-7887; e-mail sales@presonus.com; Web www.presonus.com

Whitney Drums Penguin Series

Penguin Drums offer increased volume in a lighter, smaller package, and are hand-crafted with European Birch collars and American Maple rings. Imbedded metal inserts for drum tension rods eliminate the need for lugs, thereby improving the shell’s resonant qualities. The shell center sections are made of three-ply birch and are two inches larger in diameter than the head, providing more interior volume. The Egg Basket mounting system enables quick setup and breakdown, and drums conveniently stack inside of each other.

Whitney Drums; tel. (805) 452-4163; e-mail JT@whitneydrums.com; Web www.whitneydrums.com

Fender Cyber-Deluxe

In the tradition of the Cyber-Twin, comes Fender's latest digital/analog hybrid amp, the Cyber-Deluxe ($999.99). In addition to vintage-style Fender tone, this 65W combo has MIDI features a digital tuner, built-in DSP, and more. The amp drives a 12-inch Celestion G12T-100 speaker.

You get a total of 32 amp presets; there are an additional user locations for storing your own sounds. Despite its digital signal processing and amp-modeling features, the Cyber Deluxe’s preamp is completely analog, and you can configure the signal flow so that the preamp appears before or after the tone controls.

Fender Musical Instruments; tel. (480) 596-9690; Web www.fender.com.

Akai HV-1 DuoBuddy

Akai’s DuoBuddy ($349) offers a single voice of high-quality vocal-harmony processing in a stomp box-like package. Plug it in between your mic and mixer, using the unit's balanced XLR inputs and outputs, and you’re ready to go. Akai claims no coloration of the sound when the effect is disabled.

The box senses the pitch of the incoming signal and automatically selects one of nine preset harmony styles. You can also adjust and create user presets. A formant Control feature lets you adjust the gender of the harmonizing vocalist. Another feature provides a random delay in the harmony to provide a more natural duo effect.

Akai Musical Instrument Corporation; tel. (800) 433-5627 or (817) 831-9203; e-mail info@akaipro.com; Web www.akaipro.com.

Shure Performance Gear Microphones

Shure’s new Performance Gear series is comprised of six different microphones for vocals and various instruments. All mics in the series come with cable and mounting hardware.

The PG48 ($63) offers a cardioid polar pattern and is tailored for speech and karaoke whereas the PG58 ($102) with its tighter cardioid pattern is intended for lead and backup vocals. The PG57 ($102) is designed for amplified or acoustic instruments. The PG81 ($245) is also suitable for acoustic instruments but is a condenser mic.

Drums are not left out of the party; the PG52 ($245) and PG56 ($143.50) are dynamic mics with built-in swivel mounts for convenient positioning. The PG52 is tuned for kick-drums, whereas the PG56 is optimized for snares and toms.

Shure Incorporated; tel. (800) 25-SHURE or (847) 866-2200; e-mail info@shure.com; Web www.shure.com.

Korg SP-200

The SP-200 ($999.00) is a "slab" style stage piano with hammer action that accurately reproduces an acoustic piano feel. You get four stereo and four mono grand piano sounds. Players can adjust the action and response to taste with three different Velocity curves.

Apart from grand piano sounds, you also receive several vintage electric pianos, an electric grand, harpsichord, clavinet (with and without wah-wah), vibraphone, marimba, acoustic guitar, strings choirs, and organs. You can play sounds individually or stack two timbres. Sounds get extra finish with the keyboard’s built-in digital reverb and chorus effects. The SP-200 has a transposition feature, and offers Kirnberger and Werckmeister tunings. Korg USA, Inc.; tel. (516) 333-9100; Web www.korg.com.

Walker Labs Lunchbox 660

The Lunchbox 660 ($599) is a self-powered mixer that sports an internal rechargeable battery, so you can set up your performance anywhere the law allows. You get four to six hours of battery life, and a four-stage battery level indicator lets you know when to recharge. The unit turns itself off after 15 minutes of inactivity to conserve battery power.

You get four XLR and four 1/4-inch, unbalanced input jacks as well as a 1/4-inch group insert jack for bridging additional lunchbox units. Each input offers 3-band EQ. There are also a pair of 1/4-inch speaker outputs. There's also a jack for recharging the battery that performs double duty as a 12V power supply. The mixer delivers 60 watts RMS at 4 ohms impedance. The Lunchbox 660 is housed in an airtight, waterproof carrying case. You can use it with your own speakers, or purchase Walker's Lunchbox Companion Speakers ($199 each), which feature a 6 1/2-inch woofer and a horn tweeter.

Walker Labs; tel. (909) 866-3420 e-mail info@walker-labs.com; www.walker-labs.com

Electro-Voice RE-1

The RE-1 ($1,490 and up, depending on configuration) is a UHF wireless system intended for pro touring and other situations that require frequency agile operation. The system operates across a 24 MHz bandwidth and offers a total of 950 possible channels. The ClearScan feature is designed to allow users to quickly and easily find open channels. Channels can be programmed in compatible groups to allow simultaneous use of up to 16 systems in one band. According to Electro-Voice, the company's patented PosiPhase diversity system helps provide audio that's clear and free of dropouts.

Systems will be offered with the HT-1000 wireless handheld transmitter, with which users will have a choice of the EV N/DYN767a dynamic mic element or the RE5110 condenser element. Other features include RF and audio level indicators, balanced XLR output, and rack mount hardware.

Electro-Voice /Telex Communications; tel. (800) 392-3497; e-mail prosound@telex.com; www.telex.com