Many will argue that smaller manufacturers wouldn’t have been able to afford as large a budget as Fender undoubtedly had, and will suggest we should have taken this into account before deciding on the grand winner. And perhaps they have a point.

But by Bejebus, that Fender stand was cool.

Cool guitars, cool decoration, cool music, cool lighting (although our cameras didn’t like it much), more cool guitars… there was even a pickup truck the size of a small elephant loaded with Fender gear!

Allow us to highlight some of our highlights for you with the aid of a few photos from the show:

(Above) The ’stand’ itself, crammed wall-to-wall with instruments from Fender’s umbrella of brands: Gretsch, EVH, Jackson, Charvel, Guild, Squier, Fender (obviously) and more.

(Above) The Fender Custom Shop section was velvet-roped-off with – rather than a velvet rope – a chain with posts made of a cam shaft and wheel rim off some gargantuan American truck. It’s details like this that make all the difference – take note, ‘less cool’ manufacturers: you’ll need a large welding budget.

(Above) Fender kept up the retro American theme with a 50s-style gas pump and a three-piece suite made of old Grease-style car seats. Oh, and a Custom Shop Tele.

(Above) Now onto the guitars. David Gilmour’s new signature Strat was very impressive in the flesh…

(Above) …as was Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy’s new Gretsch Stump-o-matic.

(Above) More guitars. There are few companies that can take what’s essential a big slab of wood and make it look so cool (Gibson, of course, but Fender does it just as well). This Fender Custom Shop Esquire/Tele-type thing is a fine example of how it’s done.

(Above). Fender impressed in the bass department, too. It’s Custom Shop again, but we had to show you this Telecaster Bass/P-Bass hybrid. As if the block inlays and chrome pickup covers weren’t cool enough, the bass is topped off with a Tele-type headstock (just out of shot).

(Above). Finally, amps. If you like Fender amps (and we do, a lot), then the Fender stand was the place to be. Specifically, the Fender amps section of the Fender stand was the place to be, which was kitted out with an excellent demo guy who wouldn’t be out of place playing in a cool cocktail bar. If we remember correctly, he was even dressed black tie…

So, congratulations to Fender for really pushing the boat out this year, and apologies to every stand that we haven’t mentioned. Seriously, we saw cool stuff left, right and centre at this year’s NAMM, and it’s encouraging to see manufacturers putting in so much effort in presenting their products. Sure, there’s financial incentive to do so – but giving that little bit extra makes all the difference.

MusicRadar is looking forward to next year’s show already. We’ll bring a camera with a better flash…

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1. Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive bass pedal

Pearl’s Demon Drive pedal got a lot of love this year: Rhythm magazine dug its ‘eight adjustable configurations’ and MusicRadar’s own Joe Bosso got stuck in with a video demo. Good job too, that ‘skateboard technology’ is hard to explain…

2. ddrum Vinnie Paul signature drum, snare and pedal line

When Vinnie defected from Pearl to ddrum, it was kind of a big deal. But one look at the shining results from the new partnership and we’re inclined to forget about it. New kits, snares and pedals all emblazed with Vinnie’s familiar silhouette…

3. Roland TD-4K V-Drums

A brand new edition to the brilliant V-Drums range and a predecessor to the TD3. Roland’s TD-4K is an all-round improvement: stronger, sturdier and better looking…

4. Ludwig Element Series

Available in walnut, poplar, birch and maple combinations, this brand new line is sure to impress in 2009. Rhythm magazine particularly liked this Epic kit in Natural Black burst finish…

5. Craviotto Diamond snares

Craviotto’s uber-expensive Diamond Series earned a place in MusicRadar’s best drum gear of 2008. Unsurprisingly, the two new solid copper-shelled models caught our eye immediately at NAMM 09. Choose between 14”x6.5” and 14”x5.5” sizes, if you can afford one…

6. Mapex Meridian Series

A brand-new line of drums featuring Mapex’s all-new 700 Series hardware is always going to impress on paper. Seeing it in action courtesy of Spinal Tap’s Gregg Bissonette simply seals the deal.

7. Ludwig 24K gold-plated brass shell Triumphal snare

To celebrate its centenary, Ludwig made only 100 of these bad boys. They’re individually numbered from 1909 to 2009. Genius…

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We posted the original press release last week, but at the time, there were no images of this ExpressCard-based powered plug-in system.

We’ve got some now, though – check them out below.

Shipping with the 1176SE Compressor/Limiter, Pultec EQP-1A Equalizer, RealVerb Pro Room Modeler, and CS-1 Channel Strip plug-ins, the UAD-2 Solo/Laptop is expected to cost around $500.

There are no further details on the Universal Audio website yet, but we’re guessing there will be soon.

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The first product of its kind, Volta receives conventional virtual instrument input such as MIDI notes, MIDI controller data or even high-resolution audio track ramp automation and then responds by outputting a corresponding control voltage signal, which the host software then routes to the outputs of any DC-coupled audio interface connected to the computer. The resulting DC voltage can then drive a standard CV input, such as those found on classic modular synthesizers, modern analog mono synths and even popular effects processors such as Moogerfoogers^TM.

“If you have CV-controlled analog gear that you’ve been dying to incorporate into your computer-based studio, it’s time plug it in and let it rip because now you can use it with same level of convenience and control as a virtual instrument,” said Jim Cooper, Director of Marketing at MOTU. “Volta represents a major breakthrough in operating CV gear from Digital Performer, Logic, Live, Reason or any other Audio Unit host software.”

MIDI sequencing

Volta allows users to play CV-controlled oscillators with MIDI notes by simply “playing” Volta as they would any other virtual instrument via either MIDI track data or live input from their MIDI controller.
Volta converts the MIDI note data to control voltage signals, which then trigger the external hardware. Because host software can pre- buffer MIDI data during playback, the timing between the external hardware audio output and the host software timeline can be sample- accurate (with hosts that support sample-level precision).

Instant tuning and calibration

Analog oscillators are notorious for being difficult to get in tune and keep in tune. In addition, not all oscillators adhere to the tuning standard of 1 volt per octave. But if the oscillator has a CV output, Volta can take care of these issues with one click of its Calibration button. By sending voltages and measuring the pitch response, Volta automatically creates a complete profile that addresses any non-linearities in both the audio interface voltage output and the oscillator. Volta can even tune self-oscillating filters using this closed-loop system. Users can click the calibration button at any time to instantly bring all external gear back in tune.

Virtual instrument operation

As an instrument plug-in, Volta produces mono or stereo audio output to the host software, just like any other virtual instrument plug-in.
Volta’s output consists of the audio signal returned from the external hardware synth. This means that external hardware, which is already sample-accurate with (and tempo-synced to) the host software timeline, can then be mixed and processed with all of the powerful features of the host software’s mixing and effects environment. For example, the host software could be used to arpeggiate the MIDI notes going to Volta (and the external oscillator), and then Volta’s resulting audio output could be processed with the host’s tempo- synced delay, phaser and reverb effects.

Track freezing

Because Volta operates as a standard virtual instrument plug-in, all external hardware oscillator output playing through Volta can be bounced to disk using the host software’s track freezing features.
This means you can conveniently “print” external synth audio output at any time for archiving, mastering or future reference.

Complete automation

Volta allows users to automate continuously variable, CV-controlled parameters on their analog hardware (such as filter cutoff frequency, filter resonance or envelope depth) using MIDI CC data (sequenced in a MIDI track or played live from their MIDI controller). If users wish to achieve much higher resolution to avoid possible “zipper noise” and other pitfalls of MIDI resolution, they can instead control Volta using the audio track automation features in their host software. Audio track ramp automation can generate smooth, precise voltage changes at the resolution of digital audio.

In addition to these external automation sources, the Volta plug-in itself provides LFOs, a pattern sequencer, a trigger sequencer and even MIDI beat clocks. These automation sources can be freely applied to any Volta CV outputs, and they can of course be synced to the host tempo and timeline.

A simple user interface

The Volta plug-in window displays 24 sockets at the top of the window that represent audio outputs on the audio interface(s). Control sources (MIDI notes, MIDI CC’s, ramp automation, LFOs, etc.) are displayed as icons across the bottom of the window. Users then drag any desired control source icon onto any output socket they wish to control with it. Users can access settings for each control source simply by clicking it.

Each instance of Volta supports up to 24 output slots, and users can invoke as many instances of Volta as their hardware allows. For example, a MOTU PCI-424 system with four 24io interfaces provides 96 channels of output.

Summary of advantages

Volta now makes it easy to use CV-controlled analog gear in today’s computer-based studio. Volta provides:

Familiar virtual instrument operation – Volta operates within the host software as a standard Audio Unit (AU) plug-in.

Total recall – all Volta-controlled parameters are saved with the host session.

Automated tuning and pitch calibration – Volta tunes and calibrates the pitch of external hardware oscillators at any time with the click of a button.

Sample-accurate precision – the timing between the external hardware and the host timeline can be sample-accurate (with a supporting host).

Tempo sync – all parameters such as LFOs, etc. can be tempo-synced to the host software.

Track freezing – through Volta, external hardware oscillator output can be captured as digital audio using the host software’s standard track freezing features.

MIDI CC control and automation – play or sequence MIDI CC data to control your external hardware.

Very high resolution automation – use host ramp automation for smooth changes without “zipper noise”.

Built-in control sources – the Volta plug-in itself provides tempo- synced LFOs, pattern sequencers, trigger sequencers and even MIDI clock as control sources.

Compatibility and availability

Volta will ship as an Audio Unit plug-in instrument compatible with any AU host on Mac OS X.

Volta can be used with any MOTU audio interface with quarter-inch outputs, as all MOTU quarter-inch outputs are DC-coupled. This includes MOTU’s PCI-424, Firewire and USB audio interfaces.
Compatibility with third-party DC-coupled audio interfaces is also planned.

Volta is expected to ship Q1 of 2009. Pricing has not yet been announced.

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We caught up with Chinese Democracy star Ron Thal – aka Bumblefoot – at the Vigier stand at NAMM 09. In the following video, he plays and talks us through a new Vigier GV series electric alongside his own signature guitar.

Visit the official Vigier Guitars website for more.

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Perhaps the global economic situation can be blamed for the show seeming a little lower on genuine weirdness compared to last year, but there’s still been an abundance of great new gear.

Indeed, if you eat bowls of credit crunch for breakfast, perhaps the Martin D-100 Deluxe could be the guitar for you. At just $109,999 RRP, we’ll take three please.

The D-100 Deluxe's intricate inlay work

All that remains now is for us to get on an aeroplane and try our very best to sleep in order to help our bodies compute being out of synch by eight hours. Can we have an aisle seat please?

Does anyone know where we can get a cab from?

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We’ve compiled five of the best clips from the show floor for you to watch from the comfort of this very page.

1. Paul Gilbert talks about his new Ibanez guitars
Guitar maestro Gilbert had two new Ibanez models on display at NAMM, and he was kind enough to tell our US Editor Joe Bosso all about them. He also revealed that he may soon be embarking on a career as a Pete Townshend impersonator.

2. Metronomica
Back when we were kids, we only used a metronome to help us play in time when we were learning the piano, but 2009 could be the year that the device breaks out of its rhythmically rigid box and becomes an instrument in its own right. Hit play to find out why.

3. Mapex Chris Adler Black Panther Signature Snare
The Lamb Of God drummer is the endorsee of Mapex’s first signature snare drum. Joe Hibbs tells you all about it – the role of Chris Adler, meanwhile, is played by a cardboard-backed photo of him stuck on a stand.

4. AmpliTube Fender in action
IK Multimedia’s Fender-authorised software has got a lot of people talking, but does it really sound as good as the hardware it emulates? Listen to MusicRadar’s Chris Vinnicombe putting it through its paces and decide for yourself.

5. Celemony’s Melodyne editor tackling wah-wah guitar
Celemony’s Direct Note Access technology has found its home in the new Melodyne editor application. Below, you can discover how it can be used to tweak a guitar recording – there’s some serious software sorcery going on here.

6. Isiah Ulysses blitzes the Evans drum stand
He might only be 10, but Isiah Ulysses already knows his way around a drum kit. The sound you can hear in the background is Joe Bosso crying as he realises that this kid can play him off the stage.

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Zildjian now offers a new K Custom Hybrid Ride and two brand new special effect cymbals.

The new 21-inch K Custom Hybrid Ride offers much of the same versatility found with the original 20-inch version but also adds a greater breadth of sound and a fuller body of overtones. This new medium-heavy weighted Hybrid Ride model continues to combine the unlathed, Brilliant Finish on its inner portion with Traditional Finish lathing on the outer half of the cymbal. This provides superior stick definition and the strong bell dynamic of the K Custom Ride with the Crash-ability and increased spread of overtones you would expect from a thinner, lathed cymbal. All of these elements help to produce one of the world’s most versatile Ride cymbals.

The new 13-inch K Custom Hybrid Trash Splash and the 15-inch K Custom Hybrid Trash Crash offer two brand new thin special effect options that can be used within any percussion setup. Each of these new Hybrid Trash designs starts with a brand new cone shaped bell that along with the entire center portion of the cymbal is unlathed and with a Brilliant Finish. As with all other K Custom Hybrid instruments, the outer area of the each cymbal is finished with traditional lathing but with a very thin taper. These cymbals are randomly hammered very heavily throughout with additional “under-hammering” near the outer edge to establish an increased “bend” for the final one inch of the cymbal’s bow. All of these elements work together to help create a dirty and trashy body of overtones that has an extremely fast response and quick decay time.

Commenting on the K Custom Hybrid line, Akira Jimbo said, “They have the power to fly across the borders of musical categories.”

For more information, visit Zildjian’s official site.

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Other features include electronically balanced XLR DI outputs for pre-EQ and post-preamp left and right outputs, left and right line outputs and two valve/tube driver stages for signal pre-conditioning before the power stage.

The AH600-7 includes four footswitchable features: Pre-Shape, the famous Trace Elliot tone-shaping tool; a seven-band Trace Elliot graphic equalizer; output mute; and a soft-knee, single-band compressor with unique adaptive attack and release times designed specifically to work well with the full bandwidth of bass guitar, regardless of playing style. Additional features include an electronically balanced XLR DI output (switchable between pre-EQ and post-preamp), line out and a series effects loop for easy connection to external effect units that is designed to work with both floor pedals or rack mounted equipment.

IMAGES AVAILABLE SOON

AH1200-12 and AH600-12 spec

• 2 x 600 watts at 4 ohms (1 x 600 watts on AH600-12 model)
• Signature Trace Elliot Pre-Shape tone circuitry
• Dual-band Compressor with separate controls for high and low bands
• Effects Loop with hi-pass/lo-pass/full-range outputs, left/right/mono returns, series/parallel switch and level control
• Valve driver with 12AX7/ECC83 tube
• 12-band classic graphic EQ
• Output Mute switch, active on all outputs except Tuner Out
• Electronically balanced XLR DI outputs for pre-EQ and post-preamp left and right
• Left and right line outputs
• Footswitch controls Pre-Shape, Valve Drive, Graphic EQ, Compressor, Effects Loop and Output Mute
• Designed in the U.K. and made in the U.S.A.

AH600-7 spec

• 600 watts at 4 ohms
• Signature Trace Elliot Pre-Shape tone circuitry
• Unique soft-knee Compressor with adaptive attack and release times
• Effects Loop
• 7-band classic graphic EQ
• Output Mute switch, active on all outputs except Tuner Out
• Electronically balanced XLR DI output, switchable between pre-EQ and post-preamp
• Footswitch controls Pre-Shape, Graphic EQ, Compressor and Output Mute
• Designed in the U.K. and made in the U.S.A.

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Celebrating a relationship that has thrived for more than 30 years, Peavey and Rossington teamed to create his ultimate amplifier, a 140-watt beast that is actually five amps in one. Rossington has employed a range of Peavey amplifiers over the years to obtain his signature sound, including a pair of original Peavey Mace amps that have been in constant service since the mid-1970s. The new Penta Rossington Edition is the ultimate expression of his signature style.

Combining four matched EL34 tubes with four 12AX7 tubes fitted into ceramic tube sockets, the Penta Rossington Edition uses a 100% analog design to create five individual amplifiers on a single amp channel. The exclusive Pentatone control allows players to select among five preamp settings that reconfigure the amplifier’s components into five completely different amps with their own EQ voicings and gain structures.

Penta Rossington Edition Head spec

• 140 watts RMS into 16, 8 or 4 ohms
• Four matched EL34 tubes and four 12AX7 tubes
• DC-powered preamp tube heaters
• Pentatone selects between five EQ/gain voicings
• Gain control
• Three-band passive EQ
• Master volume
• Presence control
• Ceramic tube sockets
• Custom USA-made transformers
• Single-button footswitch included for switching between two preamps
• Wine Taurus covering
• Made in the U.S.A.

Penta Rossington Edition 412 cabinet

• Specially voiced for use with the Penta amp head
• 11-ply birch baffle
• 1/2″ poplar sides
• Four 12″ rear-mounted speakers
• Wine Taurus covering
• Made in the U.S.A.

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