The NAMM show brought a cluster of new soft synths from some beloved synth makers. The interfaces are noticeably conventional, but there are some tasty sonic features in store. Most of these are promised as “coming soon,” not available now, but here’s a quick look at what to expect.

By the way, if you’re one the people complaining that you’re sick of everyone talking about Ableton and want something else to be excited about, I have one word for you:

D.CAM.

Let me sum it up in one line first:

minimoog V 2.0: Rewired circuitry, automation recording vocal filtering, and weird 3D preset browsing mean if you like minimoog, you’ll like it more.

Brass 2.0: physically-modeled brass stuff you can play more easily with controllers, now with a sax model and fully spatialized and harmonized.

Trilian: Even more of the synth that gives you more bass than you need – and now your Intel Mac can run it in place of Trilogy, for free.

Largo: It’s a Waldorf synthesizer, but it’s software. You can’t afford a Blofeld, but you can afford this, and then use it in a coffee shop.

D.CAM: Synth wishes granted: thick parallel-waveform performance synth plus vintage-style string synth plus big, modern FM plus and environment to put them all together.

(added!) impOSCar 2: Features aren’t confirmed yet, but an early look at the OSCar emulation suggest a very big sequel indeed.

Waldorf’s Zarenbourg electric piano was on display at their NAMM booth. Beholding its grand, future-retro design, you’ll immediately wonder: are there tines and pickups under the Zarenbourg’s hood, or a digital sound engine?

The answer, alas, is the latter, which will be appreciated by keyboardists who value the ability to use multiple built-in sounds and effects along with an editor librarian in VST and Audio Units.

There are also several bold color schemes for the Zarenbourg’s shell, including a huge Union Jack flag, so you can keep your Zarenbourg coordinated with your Mini. The large, flat top also lends itself nicely to holding another keyboard and/or computer setup.

The Zarenbourg is scheduled to ship in May for around $5k MSRP.

Waldorf Music (en)

Ed.: It’s a tough NAMM show for the Zarenbourg: Waldorf’s electric piano has to face up to the real Rhodes moniker. Odds are, I think, the new Waldorf synths may fare better buzz-wise. I see an electromechanical vs. simulated electric piano smackdown in the future. The winners: lovers of electric pianos. The losers: anyone wanting an electric piano with the Canadian flag will need to get a custom paint job. Though I betcha you’ll be one-of-a-kind. -PK

The NAMM of the DJ? Don’t worry, synth lovers: beloved, long-lost synth maker Waldorf are back in a big way with a lineup of new synth hardware products. Drool over them in a gorgeous PDF brochure filled with mock-ups, but here’s the full lineup. (As reported by Sequencer.de and Music thing, but now publicly confirmed by Waldorf; we should have live photos from the show if they’re on display.)

The limited-edition exterior visuals are the work of Axel Hartmann, the talented designer of the (unfortunately failed) Neuron Synth, and Waldorf promises the new products are “handcrafted in Germany.” Here’s the lineup:

Adrian Anders sends along his top picks from the Messe show in Frankfurt that might be under everyone else’s radar. First up: the long-awaited Terratec Producer Komplexer is now finally on its way. This monster soft synth combines virtual analog and wavetable synthesis in a monster of a plug-in. Vocoder? Check. Tons of modulation? Yup. Arpeggiator? You got it. And to top it all off, you can control this beast with some eight “macro controllers” that are supposed to appeal to newcomers and advanced users alike. (Because you know there’s no better way to appeal to newbies than to call something “Komplexer.”) Waldorf fans will recognize features from the now-defunct but beloved MicroQ synth, and sure enough the Terratec software will import your MicroQ presets. I’m pretty sure it also makes espresso. The one thing it doesn’t do: run on Mac.

Compatibility: Windows 2000/XP, VST

Pricing/Availability: EUR199; released

CDM Messe Outlook: Superb, if this thing is as good in use as it is on paper. I just hope it’s not too “Komplexer.”