Aviate Audio
Live from Summer NAMM, Lightning 100 sat down with Aviate Audio from Buffalo, New York to showcase their new invention. The Airpatch is a wireless effects controller for pedalboards that fits conveniently on your guitar, seamlessly activate and deactivate your effects at the touch of a button. The possibilities of what you can do with the device are virtually endless. If you are looking for a sleek new product to enhance your unique style of playing look no further. Shipping this fall, the Airpatch is officially available for pre-order online through Aviate Audio’s website. If you log on now, you can save $15 on your order through their special online deal. Don’t miss your chance to get the next big electric guitar product fresh on the market!
Photo By: Matthew Khan
Vince Gill
During our first day at Summer NAMM, we ran into Vince Gill who was excited to do a surprise interview with us. Vince attended his first NAMM at 19 years old while living in LA. He shared with us that being apart of his first NAMM felt as if he had entered the “Disney World for guitar strings.” When asked which of his guitars are his favorite to play, Vince shared that the relics are by far his most treasured. As much as Vince adores his classic guitars, he loves to support different local luthiers when on the market for something new. According to Vince, there is nothing more peaceful than having an instrument in his hands. Being a supporter of Lightning 100 for several years, Vince mentioned that he appreciates what we do for the city by not always playing mainstream music but instead supporting local artists in town. We are very touched by the compliment and hope to see him around Nashville soon!
Casio
Our close, old friend Mike Martin, from Casio, came by the Lightning 100 booth at NAMM to give us the inside on all the new Privia keyboards. The Privia keyboards are now the world’s lightest, and smallest 88 note digital pianos on the market! They also took the elegance of the product to a whole new level. Casio’s booth also featured hybrid grand pianos that they created with Beckstein. Premiering at this Summer NAMM they launched the reboot of their Casio tone line with a fresh and modern touch. We are very grateful to have our very own Privia keyboard that was gifted to us by Casio, and Mike years ago. All of the artists that come in for in-studio performances love playing the Privia. We cherish our relationship with Mike and Casio we can not wait to see him next year!
IK Multimedia
Dan and Ryan from IK Multimedia gave us the inside scoop on all the new products they just launched from studio monitors to software. IK Multimedia is all about supporting musicians by making studio technology accessible to everybody. Lightning 100 has been using IK Multimedia’s iRig for years. We keep one in the studio and with our live broadcast equipment. The iRig interface makes it easy to take high-quality audio and connecting it to your iPhone. Dan and Ryan brought over the Uno Drum for the interview. The Uno drum is an analog and digital that is portable and simple to use. I was able to visit the IK Multimedia booth on Saturday to test out the Uno Drum for myself, and it was amazing!
Yamaha
Tom Sumner, Andy Winston, and Shannon McKee all of which join us from Yamaha. Starting off with a few technical difficulties, we finally get into the swing of things with Yamaha. No matter what their background is, everyone at Yamaha can relate to each other due to the similar language of music they speak. Getting a first-hand look at the new Storia line of guitars Yamaha is unveiling here at NAMM. This new line focuses on an aesthetically pleasing, easy to play guitar that appeals to a generation of guitar players who haven’t quite picked up a guitar yet but are looking to do so. Each purchase of a Storia guitar comes with a one-month subscription to Fourchords, a service that gives guitar lessons via the app. Their display at NAMM they showcase this new line of guitars as well as bass, amps, and other playable instruments and gear. Also highlighting the Transacoustic guitar that has reverb and chorus built into the guitar to showcase that studio sound without plugging it in. It was such a pleasure to hear all about Tom, Andy, and Shannon’s past experiences at NAMM and all the things they look forward to this year.
Written By: Matthew Khan, Ruben Franco, and Chloe Hopper
