Musikmesse 2008: The countdown begins

As you may be aware, the start of the 2008 Musikmesse - which takes place in Frankfurt, Germany - is just a week away (it runs from March 12-15). This is the second big trade show on the calendar (the first being the Winter NAMM show) and is frequently the place where manufacturers reveal their latest gear.

So, what can we expect to see in Frankfurt this year? Well, we´ve already told you that Steinberg has a press conference planned for the first day of the show, so we´re confident that it´ll have something new on display. Ditto Celemony Software, which is set to showcase the latest version of its Melodyne software.

Another software developer that we think will make a headline or two is Antares. The company is famous for its vocal processing plug-ins, and our sources tell us that it´ll definitely have something new in this area.

One notable absentee from the show floor will be Native Instruments. The German developer has chosen not to exhibit this year - so don´t expect and major announcements from it - though it is thought that it´ll be briefing journalists on some of its future plans. Whether we´ll be allowed to make these public, though, is another matter.

On the hardware side, we´re looking forward to checking out EKS´s potent-looking Otus DJing controller. The design of this was revealed at NAMM, but Musikmesse will give us the chance to see Otus in the flesh.

Clavia may also have a treat or two in store, as it´s revealed that there will be a “minor update” to its website on Thursday March 13.

Elsewhere, we´re sure to see a toy or two from the likes of Roland, Korg and Yamaha, while it´s rare for M-Audio to let a show go by without revealing at least a couple of new things.

Whatever happens, MusicRadar will be there to report on it, delivering news of the hottest products and giving you a taste of the Musikmesse 2008 experience from the comfort of your browser. Keep it right here.