NAMM 2008 Coverage: 106th NAMM Show Opens

With 1,559 of the world's best music technology companies showcasing their best and brightest, this year's NAMM Show is guaranteed to be a hit -- as is the amazing weather for those of us from colder climates have been saying!

Filling the Anaheim Convention Center (and spilling over into adjacent hotels), the 106th NAMM Show showcases the absolute best music technology has to offer. With worldwide media and music professionals from all sectors of the business converging on the industry-only trade show, there's plenty of excitement. Industry heavyweights -- including Apple, Digidesign, and Shure -- exhibit alongside the newest and the coolest boutique gear producers. Independent musicians browse gear alongside major-label stars. And the media -- despite working hard to share space and claim a much-coveted network connection -- are extremely excited about this year's prospects.

This year's theme is "Define Your Future", and never before has a more fitting title been bestowed on the show; it's no secret that music technology -- from the instruments we play to the devices we use to record our best work -- has gotten amazingly complex in the last few years, and the price points of those pieces of gear has plummeted to where the absolute best is now within reach of just about anyone. That's what NAMM is all about, aside from the intense and coveted networking opportunities between industry pros. While last year's attendance was a new record for the show's history -- 84,695 -- this year will more than likely meet and exceed that number.

So what can we expect? First of all, the best recording gear keeps getting cheaper -- and this year will be no exception. Expect the best quality to continuously get cheaper -- and the gap between home recording and major studios will get smaller.

The NAMM Show runs through January 20th, and is open to NAMM member companies, accredited press, and industry professionals only -- but tune in to About.com's live coverage from Anaheim, CA, and you won't miss a single note!