I of course was most interested in finding some new Bass maker but was unsuccessful. I did however see some funky Bootsy Collins Signature basses, a 12 string bass, and THE BASS player Victor Wooten:
There were all sorts of custom Pedal and Guitar Makers but none really were standouts compared to what I am already familiar with. We did however find the most annoying sounding and looking guitar every built:
Warrior Guitars were there and they are exploring a new DeathMetalWorship line of guitars. This one is called "Crown of Thorns":
Enough of the odd and silly stuff. Here is the gear I found most interesting:
1. Mono Cases "Fly By" : Mono has always made great guitar, bass, and DJ cases but this new backpack is designed for the mobile studio. It has a detachable section for your laptop (great for flights) and plenty of room for all those cables and interfaces you need to cart with you.
2. Burriss Amps "Dirty Red" : This Lexington based company has built a really sweet little head. It really sang at low volumes and had a really smooth breakup as it was cranked up. Not sure about the lunch pail design of the case but you can get past that as soon as you hear it.
3. Sensaphonics Ears "3D Active Ambient System" : I have been a faithful user of a certain IEM company for almost a decade but these Ears are making me think about switching. The folks at Sensaphonics have added ambient mics into their Ears and allow you to dial in (in 4db intervals) how much stage volume you want. They also have a switch for full ambience at a moments notice. Incredible advancement in the realm of personal monitoring.
4. Eden Electronics EGRW264 "gig rig" : This little package is AMAZING. The wtx-264 bass head weighs less than 5 pounds and can be dropped into any decent sized gig bag. Add to that the full range punch and drive of the ex110 bass cabinet and you can drop into any small-medium sized gig at the last minute, set-up and hold down the low end without issue. This rig is perfect for those of us using ears and wanting some stage presence with that classic punchy/full Eden sound.
5. Telefunkens ELA m 260 microphone : One of the great things about these shows is all the Mic companies setup their product in a way that you can quickly compare. There were all sorts of great mics but this mic caught my attention the most. Its tight pattern (it barely picked up the show floor noise), warmth, and clarity were second to none. I am anxious to hear this in a studio application but I have no doubt it would carve out its own niche on the spectrum of sounds.
There of course was all sorts of other cool stuff but these were the 5 that made me stop back by the booth at least twice!
