NAMM 2025 live report: rolling news from the world's biggest music-making gear show - as it happens

“With hardware this tough, you have a companion for life”: Bitwig enters the hardware world with the Bitwig Connect 4/12

Speculated on for some time, and finally confirmed to us a few days ago, German DAW-maker Bitwig has today revealed its very first hardware product - Bitwig Connect 4/12. Ostensibly a 4-in and 12-out CV and MIDI-enabled audio interface, Bitwig states that its debut hardware product is 'far more than just an audio interface'…

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"This is the beginning of a really long journey": Native Instruments teams up with Akai, Korg, Novation and more to "empower millions of music creators"

Native Instruments is expanding NKS integration to its competitors' controllers and making its software and sounds available on the Akai MPC platform

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Here's what we already know...

NAMM 2025: Confirmed product news

• Joe Satriani teams up with IK Multimedia for Tonex One preloaded with 20 of his presets
• Come for the organs, stay for the pianos and synths - Viscount unveils its Legend One stage keyboard
• Orange launches Baby series, solid-state amp heads that weigh 3kg but pack a 100W punch

• Polyend Step is “the first fully programmable drum machine in guitar pedal form”
• AmpRx launches Brownie, a “voltage optimising” power supply for tube amps
• “An outstanding selection of chorus tones” – Nobels unveils $99 CHO-mini stereo chorus
• Novation collaborates with GForce Software on the ultimate software version of the Bass Station
• Roland makes a cheeky bid for performance keyboard supremacy with the new V-Stage 76 and 88
• The Roland Jazz Chorus and its "king of clean" guitar tone is coming to a DAW near you
• Roland's new VMH-S100 studio headphones have double-sided connectivity and come with a 3-month subscription to the Roland Cloud
• Universal Audio delivers a big update to Luna - its free DAW just got even better
• Stylophone’s CPM DP-8 is a ‘beauty and the beast’ filter that can purr or squeal

• Eastman unveils FullerTone series: electrics with retro vibes, innovative bolt-on builds
• ESP unveils signature models for Mick Thomson, Will Adler and more in epic launch
• Melbourne Instruments teases new MIDI controller with motorized knobs
• Nord’s Piano 6 promises “greater flexibility for performance and sound creation”
• Offering both digital and analogue control, Flock Audio’s Switch takes takes audio routing to the next level
• PRS unveils “roadworthy workhorse,” a Swamp Ash comeback and new core series electronics
• Walrus Audio unveils its Qi Etherealizer guitar pedal, but you might want to use it with any instrument
• Korg gets into the turntable game with its Vestax-inspired Handytraxx range
• Pigtronix unveils Cosmosis I, shrinking its ambient reverb into a compact single-footswitch pedal
• Audient unveils iD48, a flagship 8-channel 24x32 audio interface that makes integrating outboard gear quick and easy
• Has Mooer captured the amp profiler market with the feature-packed GS1000?
• Have all your keyboards always connected with Heritage Audio's Synth Buddy, a 10 to 1 reversible and fully passive stereo switch
• It’s a Stylophone, but not as we know it - CPM DS-2 is a compact, portable analogue drone synth that's now available to order
• Boss unveils Waza Tube Amp Expander Core, a home recording powerhouse for tube amp owners
• IK Multimedia unveils the Tonex Cab, a state-of-the-art FRFR speaker for your digital guitar rig that is designed for “muscle, articulation and a rich multi-dimensional sound”
• You (probably) can't afford them, but Focal's $50k Utopia Mains might be your new dream monitors
• Scaler 3 promises to widen the feature set of one of our favourite songwriting tools
• Boss launches V-800 V-Guitar Processor and promises to “completely transform” your sound

• The MiniKorg 700S finally lives up to its name as Korg releases a downsized version
• The Multi/Poly returns in module form - it’s still great, and we still think Korg is underselling it
• Korg’s revived Kronos promises faster operation and fresh sounds
• Make a pro-quality mix anywhere with Mackie’s new battery-powered ProFX10 GO
• Musik Hack to showcase its sound-enhancing plugin Fuel at this year's show
• XILS-lab promises "virtual Vangelis" with its new Yamaha CS-80 emulation
• Verso unveils Sine, a totally unique electric guitar with three-dimensional pickup movement for “a new layer of expressiveness”
• Reloop's Keypad Pro is a portable, wireless MIDI controller that'll play nice with Bitwig Studio
• Walrus Audio expands utility stompbox range with the Canvas Rehearsal
• “Mesa/Boogie has faithfully recreated the original formula – complete with ominous low end, harmonically rich top end, and that unmistakable midrange scoop”: The ‘90s spec two-channel Dual Rectifier is officially back
• Nord unveils Organ 3 with improved organ engine, new modulation effects and rotary speaker emulation
• New MIDI-integrated Rhodes pianos merge old-school craft with extended expression via polyphonic aftertouch

NAMM 2025: Key exhibitors and rumours

Fender

Having previously suggested that Fender would be unlikely to return to NAMM “in its current format”, CEO Andy Mooney U-turned last summer and confirmed that it’s returning to the show floor for the first time since 2020.

“We sadly missed actually having a physical presence at NAMM; that high-touch in-person long form interaction is vitally important for the industry,” he said. “Going forward, [Fender] will have more and exciting new products to intro at NAMM and then in the fall, we will revert back to our online dealer events… we’re thrilled to be back, we missed being there, and I’m excited to see everyone again back in Anaheim.”

Gibson

Yep, Gibson is back at NAMM, too, albeit in a slightly understated way. The company has hired a big meeting room space for appointment-only visits from dealers and the media - we’ll tell you as much as we’ve paid CEO Cesar Gueikian’s team a visit.

Ibanez

Ibanez never fails to push the boat out for NAMM, so we’re expecting a motherload of new stuff once again.

Roland

Another big hitter that’s been away for a while, Roland is coming back to Anaheim, too. This also means that its other brands will be present and correct: Boss, Drum Workshop (DW), PDP and Latin Percussion (LP).

For those not at the show, there’s the ‘All Access from the Roland Studio’, an online service that will keep you up to speed with everything being announced. You can sign up now to stay in the loop.

Behringer

As music technology brands go, Behringer has long been something of an outsider. For better or worse, the company tends not to follow industry norms, releasing products – often inspired by existing gear – that can be mindblowingly cheap but can also ruffle a few feathers along the way. That outsider approach follows through to the company’s promotional strategy; the company largely refuses to loan gear for reviews, rarely sends out press releases and tends to have little-to-no presence at trade shows, opting instead to communicate via the controlled safety of its own social media channels.

Given this, it’s a potentially exciting surprise to see Behringer booked into a substantially-sized booth at NAMM 2025 – the first time the company has attended the show in 10 years. Alongside gear released under the Behringer name, the booth will also showcase gear from other Music Tribe brands, including Aston Mics, TC Electronic and Midas. What we can expect from the brand’s NAMM showing remains to be seen, but in an announcement post the company promised “the chance to meet Uli and the team, and be among the first to experience our groundbreaking new products”.

Akai Pro

Trawl internet forums and you’ll find no end of NAMM ‘predictions’, although more often than not these tend to be user wishlists as much as real educated guesses. Of those we’ve seen this year, possibly the most plausible are those speculating on whether Akai may be preparing to announce a new MPC.

The fact that the current-gen MPC Live II and MPC One+ are currently out of stock at some retailers may just be coincidence. Given the general lifespan of Akai product generations though, and the fact the MPC software has just received a major update, it certainly seems plausible that 2025 might be the right time for some new hardware. Aside from special edition updates, the top-end MPC X hasn’t had a proper refresh since its launch back in 2017.

Korg

When it comes to synth brands at NAMM, Korg is usually fairly reliable for a few interesting announcements. NAMM 2024, for example, gave us our first glimpse of the microKorg 2 and King Korg Neo, amongst a glut of other announcements.

What’s more, alongside the proper launches, the Japanese brand has a habit of sneaking unannounced Easter eggs onto its booth. Back in 2020, for example, we caught our first glimpse of a prototype Opsix when it appeared unannounced on Korg’s NAMM stand. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for anything unexpected this year.

Studio gear over synths

While, as we’ve already alluded to, we hold out hope for some exciting new music tech instruments at NAMM, in general the show isn’t the synth-afficianado’s paradise it once was. Many synth brands have moved to showcasing new hardware online or shifted emphasis to Europe’s Superbooth trade show.

From a music technology point of view, many of the most interesting new releases at NAMM these days tend to come from studio gear and pro audio brands. We expect to see interesting developments in areas like monitors, mics, headphones and interfaces, and perhaps a few completely unexpected gadgets we didn’t even know we needed.