Sennheiser introduces Evolution Wireless G4 Roland Canada ’ s Dealer Reception high-profile Canadian ex-pats with impressive musical pedigrees that come together to perform classic Canadian rock covers from staples like Rush , Loverboy , and Platinum Blonde in addition to deeper but no less rocking cuts by Streetheart , Queen City Kids , Aldo Nova , and Sweeney Todd . Just hearing their sound check got my blood pumping and reminded me how badass Kim Mitchell ’ s “ Go for a Soda ” actually is .
Between sound check and the actual party , I had a pair of events to check out . Both were on patios and both had a Canadian connection . First was Roland Canada ’ s annual dealer event , which switched from the Friday morning breakfasts in previous years to a new evening reception on the upper balcony of the ACC North . I quite enjoyed the new format , especially considering it was a rare chance to actually enjoy the California weather while catching up with friends new and old .
After that , I headed over to the Hilton for a reception and informal demo from Adamson Systems Engineering . The Ontario-based high-end loudspeaker manufacturer was a first-time NAMM Show exhibitor thanks to the expanded pro audio component , and also took part in the AES @ NAMM programming with training sessions on line array technology . They had an S-Series array set up on the Lanai deck at the Hilton , giving attendees a taste of what made-in-Canada sounds like .
After that , it was back to the Sheraton for the NWC NAMM Canadian Reception . There
seemed to be some additional hype surrounding the party this year , thanks in no small part to Toque ’ s reputation , and man , did they ever deliver . The band was welcomed with open arms by what was undoubtedly our biggest crowd of Canadian NAMM attendees to date . Let ’ s just say that , in the interest of not praising our own event too much , it was a great time and one of many highlights of the show for yours truly . Thanks to all of our sponsors and those that came out even for a short visit . Toque , man .
We started Friday morning with a team breakfast – a welcome boost after a relatively late night . I had to bolt a bit early for my first appointment , and on my way into the hall , caught the much-talkedabout performance by Hollywood U2 on the upper balcony of the convention centre . They were pretty convincing – so much so that I saw dozens of posts by NAMM attendees believing it to be the actual rock icons . Cool idea .
My first meeting was with the team at SFM , who had a nice exhibit showcasing the brands they distribute into the U . S . market like AER amplification and Outlaw effects . Of course , we also got caught up on their Canadian catalogue , including Alvarez , QSC , Shure , and K & M . Seems like they were having a good show .
Mike and I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon at ACC North with our Professional Sound mag caps on , meeting with the likes of Digico , L-Acoustics , and PMC , plus the roundthe-world tour with our friends at D . Pagan public relations that included visits to DPA , Nugen , and RapcoHorizon .
Later in the afternoon , I popped in to the shared Radial Engineering and Ultimate Support Systems booth . Quite the whirlwind for team Radial , who had to be pretty nimble in adjusting their NAMM plans following the big announcement of the purchase . They seemed optimistic about what ’ s to come , noting that it ’ ll be business as usual for the two companies for the time being despite the ownership change . In addition to all of the products , a cool component of the booth was the virtual reality presentation showcasing how Ultimate Support solutions can be put to use in the studio and on the stage .
To end the day , I headed over to the nearby Marriott to check out Yamaha ’ s expansive exhibit and catch up with as many Canadian product marketing managers as I could . There ’ s always cool stuff to see and hear with Yamaha , though taking the cake this year was the EAD10 Electronic Acoustic Drum Module , which , with minimal hardware can turn an acoustic drum kit into an electric / acoustic hybrid by taking advantage of sampled sounds and digital effects . Definitely something to check out . Also , big Revstar guitars fanboy here , so it was good to see the new finishes and features ; that said , I ' m still awaiting the announcement that they ' ll be releasing some left-handed options .
26 • CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE