NAMM

[OneRoomStudio]

For anyone wondering about the facial hair, I was on testosterone and lived as a dude for about 4 years. Didn't work out. It still goes after you stop, but it's really slow. Normally I look a bit out there goth but I wasn't sure how to dress for namm so I just picked the least weird clothing I had, which ended up not fitting because it had been ages since I wore it and then I had to wear shirts I meant for pajama use and I ended up looking weird for the whole trip, but it was still fun. Looking at everyone else I probably should have just shown up in the newer goth clothes TBH...

Your appearance never crossed my mind, other than to note that all of you looked happy to be chatting in person. I’ve been to a few NAMMs, and can tell you that you would have to try REALLY hard to stand out in any way. There are some wild fashion senses out there! I still fondly remember Dave Hill (RIP) and his leather hot pants/Hawaiian shirt combos - and he didn’t even stick out that much! We’re all a bunch of nerds anyway.

 

[Marik]

Your appearance never crossed my mind, other than to note that all of you looked happy to be chatting in person. I’ve been to a few NAMMs, and can tell you that you would have to try REALLY hard to stand out in any way. There are some wild fashion senses out there! I still fondly remember Dave Hill (RIP) and his leather hot pants/Hawaiian shirt combos - and he didn’t even stick out that much! We’re all a bunch of nerds anyway.

For sure you can see at NAMM some quite characters. Part of what makes that place fun, diverse, and… beautiful!

 

[ZHOUJUN]

I was surprised that “Soliloqueen”turned out to be a beautiful lady...I always thought he was a bearded gentleman.

 

[McIrish]

Wow, it's great to put faces to some of the names. I've so much respect for all the mic/capsule builders. I really wish I would have gone this year. I was offered tickets and free room but just couldn't swing the time away or the plane fare. Next year for sure!

 

[Riley Casey]

For anyone wondering about the facial hair, I was on testosterone and lived as a dude for about 4 years. Didn't work out. It still goes after you stop, but it's really slow. Normally I look a bit out there goth but I wasn't sure how to dress for namm so I just picked the least weird clothing I had, which ended up not fitting because it had been ages since I wore it and then I had to wear shirts I meant for pajama use and I ended up looking weird for the whole trip, but it was still fun. Looking at everyone else I probably should have just shown up in the newer goth clothes TBH...

The freedom to be who you want to be seems worthwhile.

 

[HerbertR]

Hopefully the connection between Heiserman and Ari will soon bear fruit.... It could be incredibly good....**

 

[noizetoys]

@soliloqueen You looked exactly like I expected you to look....Just like a person.

Granted in my mind everyone on this forum 'looks' like those POV explainer videos on YouTube: a pair of hands at the end of arms gesticulating whatever it is they typed. I'm not entirely convinced that everyone on this forum has a face. I mean they probably do, I just don't care to try to imagine what they look like. This is a place of like minded people come together not like faced or bodied. That's what Facebook and Instagram are for.

I do imagine what people's voices sound like but only because the voices in my head like to play pretend and make up silly voices. Surprisingly, most people on this forum sound like characters from The Simpsons or South Park. Strange.....

 

[terry setter]

Doh...!

 

[ccaudle]

Your appearance never crossed my mind

I have to admit my first thought was "Ari isn't older?! How doe she know so much stuff already?"

 

[museric]

Oh! So great to see this - it’s been a long time since I’ve been at/presented at a NAMM show. Perhaps again. Great to see everyone!

Oh, and ‘Hi’ @terry setter!

 

[Tim Campbell]

Hr. Erland

 

[Marik]

Hr. Erland

Ahaha! I know that nordic stern look of Jakob pretty well. But deep inside he is nice and fuzzy

 

[Marik]

With Herr Erland last NAMM, 2024

 

[VanguardAudioLabs]

was nice to see everyone at the show. Ben @ BeesNeez, Eric/Dave @ Heiserman, Andrew Myburgh, finally met @soliloqueen and we chatted for probably a good 30 minutes (and the bourbon was pretty good too!), got to hang with @Marik and @bockaudio as well.

Ari was a pleasure to finally meet in person! Always happy to nerd out about capsules any old time. And thanks for helping me kill that bourbon, i couldn't carry it on so it just HAD to go on Saturday.

I fixed one of Dave's ifet7s a month or so ago for a client and we talked about the stupidity that is the original U47fet XLR connector build. Also had a fantastic evening at Mercado Gonzalez with the fellows from Rodec. all in all very enjoyable.

I was mostly trapped in the booth (and a recent hockey knee injury had me hobbling around the show when i needed to move).

FWIW here's the NAMM attendance by year:

2020 115K
2022 47K
2023 47K
2024 62K
2025 63K

Anyone who thinks NAMM is back to normal is fooling themselves. it is nice to see folks, but i don't find it worth having my own booth anymore. Not that i had the physical capability of setup/teardown this year anyways. But it's less and less business every year and more just seeing old friends and occasionally making new ones. Fortunately my parents live about 40 minutes south of Anaheim and i can keep my expenses down. if i was having to pay for the hotel, etc. I probably wouldn't go anymore, at least not as an exhibitor.

 

[ubxf]

yes I've been going for 30+ years and the last 5 were not what it used to be. I thought I was just getting old and blasé ., may be both

 

[VanguardAudioLabs]

yes I've been going for 30+ years and the last 5 were not what it used to be. I thought I was just getting old and blasé ., may be both

Someone (I can't remember who, NAMM is always a blur) said this and it resonated:

"If the pro audio industry just popped into existence from nowhere today, then NAMM would never exist."

I think international-style in-person trade shows in general are a dying breed. Local ones like the Atlanta VO, etc. seem to be faring ok. the pandemic only accelerated the demise.

Package that with NAMM being managed by musicians (in my experience, never a good thing) and i can see them mismanaging it into MusikMesse's fate very quickly.

They were selling badges to anyone with a credit card and a pulse for $150(!) for 2025. Absolutely no pretense about it being an industry show anymore, and yet floor sales are still taboo. The cynical side of me sees NAMM just vampirizing what's left of it because they know it's not long for this world.

 

[VanguardAudioLabs]

Package that with NAMM being managed by musicians (in my experience, never a good thing) and i can see them mismanaging it into MusikMesse's fate very quickly.

And lest anyone think i'm being harsh - i have a music degree and i'm a musician struggling to run a company, so this is the pot speaking to the kettle with a full dose of self-awareness.

 

[ubxf]

It might also be because the music industry is completely different.

 

[VanguardAudioLabs]

It might also be because the music industry is completely different.

maybe. i'm a bit of a subscriber to causal holism, but the results in terms of attendance speak for themselves.

Also of note is NAMM is charging more than ever to exhibitors for a show that is 1 day shorter ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ when i brought this up to the rep who was trying to get me to buy into a booth, they didn't really have a good answer for that.

EDIT: unless you're referring to me poorly running a business. That's just me being an engineer/musician. Intelligence and skill are specialized and I know where my specialties lay, and they are decidedly NOT in accounting, or logistics, or marketing, or sales, or strategic planning, or [ad infinitum]

 

[ubxf]

Sunday was always a half day mostly for packing and had lower attendance even a long time ago so I see why they would do away with that. That was my favorite day though because I used to purchase floor models