The shape of things to come just may be at Xcel Drumsticks. The company has three lines of sticks, each with unique physical characteristics. For example, the Xcel Powersticks sport an oval handgrip that the company says reduces strain and slippage, especially for players with hand and wrist problems. Also available are the Xcel Drumsticks with a secondary striker below the tip for less wear, and Xcel Speedsticks with a weighted end that puts the center of balance in the drummer’s hand.
Players looking for a more virtual approach to their music can look to new innovations from companies like Yamaha and PCDJ. The PCDJ Reflex is a real-time performance software solution designed for digital DJs using both PC and Mac. Users can mix, scratch, remix and use VST plug-ins in real time. It’s got three players with waveform display. Other features include full vinyl control, beat syncing, centralized tempo management, and an intelligent track database. Reflex can even be used on acapella tracks.

Yamaha offers lots of new sounds and creative tools, all with a redesigned user interface, as part of its Motif XS. Its integrated sampling sequencer offers up to 1GB of memory for saving MIDI/audio work. Plus the user gets Xpanded Articulation sounds with 355 MB of wave ROM, four intelligent arpeggiators, and more than 6,000 phrases.
Pro Audio dealers too have new products to look forward to, among them Community Professional Loudspeakers’ Sonus line of portable linear-response loudspeaker systems. It was launched on the first day of the show and it includes four full-range models and two subwoofers. Community used its Carbon Ring Cone Technology for the first time with this line. That means the company stiffened the cone material with a radial carbon ring so that it wouldn’t add mass. As a result, Community says the user gets lower distortion and improved sensitivity and bass response.
Finally, QSC showed its new SC28 System Controller. With FIR (Finite Impulse Response) filtering, the product offers intrinsic correction by providing a drive signal to amps and loudspeakers. According to QSC, the product also provides thermal and excursion loudspeaker protection. Once it’s configured to the system, the user can add six-band parametric equalization, high and low shelving features, and signal delay.
These are just some of the new companies and products that made a splash at Winter NAMM. It’s anybody’s guess just who will make it to the head of the class, and there are sure to be even more heating up the industry in the months to come.
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Editor’s note: This story is in no way meant to be a comprehensive list.