The 2019 NAMM Show was a step in the right direction for musicians and educators looking for fresh new products and services to help them ring in the new year in musical innovations. For the steelpan community, seeing pan or pan-centric products on the show floor is a rare feat, but this year we found a few things that can help people in the steelpan community prepare for the year ahead.
Here are four products from NAMM you might not have heard about that work for steelpan musicians:
1. Onstage All-Terrain Cart – A new player has emerged in the field of utility carts. With its own All-Terrain Utility Cart, selling for about $120, this sturdy challenger to the market has 8-inch rear wheels to help any musician carry their gear safely over bumpy terrain.
2. Lauten audio Synergy Series LS-308 – For $499, the LS-308 is a large condenser mic that is noise-rejecting, has high dynamic range and is designed to problem-solve scenarios where isolation is desired but not possible. The mic has independent multi-stage low and highpass filters to help balance recordings and capture purity of performance without the need for lots of EQ. Pannist and percussionist Tyler Hunt, known to steelpan enthusiasts for playing pan on the soundtrack for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, performed a duet at NAMM for Lauten, using the LS-308.
3. Eargasm Earplugs – These nifty clear earplugs offer users the ability to protect their hearing from still being able to listen to music and people talking with clarity. There are two shell sizes in every order to fit every ear and are discreet enough not to be noticed by others. Pull tabs make the plugs easy to insert and remove. The earplugs are made with hypo-allergic soft silicone to allow users to wear comfortably for several hours and come with a lightweight aluminum case for easy transport. The versatility of these earplugs make them an enticing option for steelpan players and band directors everywhere.
4. Line 6 Helix HX effects board – With last year’s release of the Pan Pickup, effects boards are now a viable option for pan players. This board from Line 6 is one such option, featuring over 160 different effects that can be programmed into different presets so you can have multiple options. Some effects that work well on pan include Kinky Boost, delay, Vibe Rotary, Bubble Vibrato and Plate reverb, among others.
Left to right: Tracy Thornton of Pan Rocks poses with pannists Amanda Duncan and Bryan Garbe.
If you want to learn more about how to make a living playing pan, check out our On the Gig section.
