COMMUNITY SONUS
Designedfor the working musician, SONUS iincludes four full-range models and two subs. All full-range models can be switched between active bi-amped and passive single-amped operation to accommodate user needs and feature Dyna-Tech dynamic driver protection circuitry. Price: $599 to $1,399. NAMM booth #7113.
www.louspeakers.net

AKG C 5 VOCAL MIC
Handheld condenser mic with cardioid pickup pattern optimized for use with in-ear monitors. Capsule is encapsulated in 24-carat gold for protection against humidity and moisture. The C 5 includes AKG's PB1000 presence boost adapter for singers who want additional midrange detail. Price: $299. NAMM booth #7800.
www.akgusa.com

YAMAHA UPDATES MG SERIES MIXERS
Yamaha revamps its lineup of small-format analog mixers for production and live sound. The four redesigned models-MG102C, MG82CX, MG124C and MG124CX-offer feature single-knob compression on two inputs and switchable monitor mix routings. The two "CX" models also include SPX-quality digital effects, and the MG102C and MG82CX are mic stand-mountable. Prices: MG124CX, $379; MG124C, $299; MG82CX, $219; and MG102C, $149. NAMM booth #100.
www.yamaha.com/livesound

WALDORF BLOFELD SYNTH
The Blofeld desktop synthesizer module features Waldorf's legendary analog modeling technology and is loaded with 1,000 classic Waldorf sounds. A USB interface allows for advanced sound editing and preset management. As an added bonus, it can load/play Waldorf MicroQ sounds. Shipping Q2/07. Price: TBA. Dist. by QuireTec, NAMM booth: #1105.
www.quiretec.com

CAD TRION 7000
This figure-8 ribbon mic incorporates a sophisticated, precision-machined, hand-assembled dual-element aluminum ribbon capsule, offering the rich, classic ribbon sound. Accurate transient response, high-SPL capability and warm ribbon performance make this the choice in many live and recording applications. Retail is $479, including shockmount and aluminum carrying case. NAMM booth #6226.
www.cadmics.com

Roland Offers New Product Theater
At booth #2652, Roland's New Product Theater will host Don Lewis (working the vocal performer keyboard), Tony Fenelon (Atellier Organ), David Benoit (Grand Piano) and others on Thursday, January 18. The following day will see Rosemary Bailey, Brian Culbertson, Paul Hanson and others. Saturday and Sunday are both filled with such guests as Hector Olivera, Scott Tibbs and Omar Hakim, Lincoln Brewster and Marcus Cole.

Aviom Giveaway
Aviom (Hall E, Booth #1297) is offering a grand-prize drawing for a free Aviom Personal Mixing Pack taht will include four A-16II personal mixers, an A-16D distributor, an in-ear monitoring system courtesy of Westone and all necessary accessories. NAMM attendees need to go the company's booth and pick up an entry postcard for the giveaway. Completed postcards can be stamped at Westone's booth in Hall A, #6993, and returned back to Aviom's booth for official entry into the prize drawing. The winner will be selected and announced at Aviom's booth on Sunday, January 21 at 12 p.m.

Anyway, here are some of the industry's most memorable NAMM moments uncut and (mostly) uncensored, and now made public for the first time, and offered for your entertainment. These are listed in no particular order, but I'll get the ball rolling with one of my faves. Interestingly, most of the people we contacted had tons of great stories, but on second thought felt some should remain "private." However, it you have a NAMM tale to add, send it to gpetersen@mixonline.com.

Take It to "11"
Back when I worked at Shure, I was the organizer of one of the most legendary NAMM concerts, the free Spinal Tap concert at the Hilton in 2001. From the hiring of the little people to backstage amenities, the entire experience was so appropriately surreal that it's difficult to pick just one memory to share. The thing I most remember was soundcheck. We had the full-blown California Ballroom, a shiny new line array system and a band that really does turn everything up to "11." Several of us Shure folk were watching the rehearsal, which just got louder and louder until we noticed a couple heavy, 5-inch-long crystals from the massive chandelier 30 feet above had been shaken from their moorings and had fallen directly into the seating area. Suddenly, we were faced with the possibility of actually doing bodily harm to the audience, giving new meaning to the phrase "killer sound." Thankfully, the 3,000 attendees that night absorbed enough SPL to keep everything under control, and the show was everything we could have asked for.
-- Jack Kontney
Kontney Communications Inc.

The Show Must Go On
Once, Taylor clinician Dan Crary and Piedmont blues master John Cephas were onstage in the Taylor booth, and Cephas took a cell-phone call. He didn't realize that the soundcheck had ended 10 minutes earlier and that his mic was live, and he began negotiating his fee for another gig, right in front of the audience in the middle of their set! Then there was the Dan Crary-on-the-Titanic moment, when Dan was playing solo and the convention center fire alarm went off. Lights were flashing, horns were horning, people were confused and pouring out of the convention center...Crary looked up for a second but never stopped playing, saying something like, "The hell with it, I'm playing through..."
-- John D'Agostino
Taylor Guitars

Bathroom Tales
We walked into a bathroom at the Marriott to find two extremely inebriated famous session drummers, lit up and trading studio stories of the hit records they had played on. One was leaning against the wall holding his stomach because the other was making him laugh so hard. They were trashing artists and commenting on how bad the songs were. One went on to tell us mere mortals how he put the 'backbone' in [a hit record by a very popular artist] and without his drumming the record would never have made it because the songs had 'zero substance, and were total !*^$+!$!!@'! I hung out in that bathroom for about 20 minutes. It was a great 'fly on the wall' moment.
-- Andy Lund
Taylor Guitars