Winter NAMM 2009 Opens in Anaheim, CA

Filling the Anaheim Convention Center (and spilling over into adjacent hotels), the 108th NAMM Show showcases the absolute best gear that today's 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 Focusrite, Digidesign, and Shure -- exhibit alongside the newest and the coolest boutique gear producers.

This year's theme is "Come Together", and coming together at NAMM is a unique cross-section of the music community. 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.

So what can we expect? First of all, the best recording and live sound 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 19th, 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!