The Future of Audio At The 2018 NAMM Show

A3E, the Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange, will present a series of discussions on The Future of Audio at the 2018 NAMM Show (January 25-28).

“The 2018 A3E Summit will showcase an array of companies, services, and products in the emerging fields of sensors, touchscreens, cloud, DSP, rapid prototyping, machine learning, wearable technology, and more,” explains Doug DeAngelis, A3E conference chair. “Expect a think-tank environment, where R&D executives and audio developers from the NAMM community can explore the next generation of tools and services to enhance their product lines.”

Highlights from A3E’s schedule include:

  • The Future of Sensor Technology for Musical Instruments: Sensor technology offers an array of capabilities for all types of musical instruments. From traditional orchestral stringed instruments to DJ tech gadgets, the future of sensor technology opens the door to advancements in performance, education, collaboration and creativity.
  • The Future of MIDI has Arrived: MIDI is one of the longest-running and most critical communication protocols for musicians. This year, MIDI unveils a major upgrade, unlocking an array of new capabilities that will open the door to radical leaps in both innovation and product implementation.
  • Artificial Intelligence: Will Machines Replace Human Musicians?: A3E dares to ask the question: Who will be leading the band in 2025? There are so many reasons to think that music may be so abstract that only the human mind can master its nuance as a language, but musical machines are emerging on the horizon.
  • VR and AR for Musicians and Audio Developers: Today’s technology giants and cutting-edge startups are all making huge strides toward bringing virtual reality and augmented reality to the mainstream. A3E explores the most recent advancements in the development of VR and AR for implementation in musical products and mobile applications.
  • Designing Custom Plug-ins for Your Production Workflow: Plug-ins and virtual instruments have become part of the primary building blocks of computer-based production. An exciting trend is the emergence of design-your-own personalized plug-ins and soft synths. A3E explores the innovative companies that are providing this new method of sonic creativity for musicians, engineers and producers.

The 2018 NAMM Show will be held in Anaheim, California January 25-28. You can view the complete A3E schedule at the NAMM Show site.

6 thoughts on “The Future of Audio At The 2018 NAMM Show

  1. I agree. MPE just seems like the stupidly awkward workaround for the biggest shortcoming of the original MIDI spec (lack of per-note, realtime control).

    The spec needs are the option for 14-bit (and higher) CCs, and multiple per-note high-res streams (like multiple high-res poly AT streams per note).

    Sadly, we’ve seen that many synth and controller developers avoid even providing the functions that are part of the original spec (like Poly AT, or release velocity).

  2. I think the music industry will follow others in selling more and more services to customer like Roland is doing with their subscription models. High performance cloud computing will be the next big thing. Companies like Rescale are not booming without reason.

  3. The feature of some new MIDI spec being able to handshake to detect different MIDI versions– and adapt seems useful. But that would mean transitional gear would need to run in two paradigms: old school and new school– and for how long. Or I guess manufacturers could just decide to move to the new spec and tell all the legacy gear users to F off. (That’s kind of Apple’s thing).

    I really hate that question, “Will Machines Replace Humans?” It’s kind of click-bait, but a sort of silly way to look at technology. I’m looking forward to the day when I can buy a machine that will actually enjoy things for me; so I can get on with being miserable all the time.

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