Whether it’s concert audio, house of worship sound, installation, event audio or something else that involves a crowd of people all hearing the same thing at once, the 2024 NAMM Show has it covered when it comes to live sound. You’ll find exhibitors showing the latest and greatest gear available, seasoned engineers sharing their expertise in TEC Tracks and other educational sessions, and serious P.A. systems shaking a few ceiling tiles loose in the demo rooms. In short, there’s a lot in store for emerging and veteran live sound pros alike at this year’s event, which is right around the corner—January 25-28, 2024 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA.
You’ll find live sound exhibitors in many of the convention center’s halls, but the biggest concentration of them is inside the ACC North building, which is essentially dedicated to pro audio. Both floors inside ACC North feature manufacturers whose sound equipment you use every day, and attending the show means you have the chance to not only kick tires and discover the latest products, but also talk face-to-face with the people behind that gear.
While both floors feature an intriguing mix of companies, the lower floor tends to have mostly brands focused on recording gear or which straddle the line between studio and stage. The upper floor leans more towards live sound—in part because there’s well over a dozen demo rooms, many of them used by the likes of Meyer Sound, RCF, d&b audiotechnik, DAS Audio, Adam Hall North America, EAW, dBTechnologies, QSC, Alcons Audio, Electro-Voice and ACT Entertainment/PK Sound to put their P.A. systems through the paces.
The NAMM Show 2024 is Ready to Roll
There’s more to live sound than loudspeakers, of course, and whatever your interest, you’ll find it—mics, outboard gear, connectors, plug-ins, IEMs, amplifiers, mixers of all sizes, and much more. That said, all the gear in the world is useless if you don’t know how to make the most of it, which is why there are also myriad educational opportunities at NAMM—especially in regard to live audio.
If you’re looking for live sound insights shared by experts who’ve seen, faced and conquered virtually everything, there’s no better TEC Track session to check out than “Do You Hear What I Hear?” on Saturday, January 27 at 10 AM, featuring the audio team behind stadium-packing country superstar Kenny Chesney. Veteran FOH engineer Robert Scovill (who’s also mixed Tom Petty, Rush, Def Leppard and other household names) and monitor engineers Bryan Baxley and Phill Robinson will be joined by Chesney’s bassist, Harmoni Kelley, to share wisdom, hard-won knowledge and probably a favorite road tale or two. [For a taste of what’s in store, check out our extensive 2022 interview with Chesney’s live sound team.]
Other prime live-sound TEC Track events include the “Sound, Teamwork and Stagecraft for House of Worship” panel on January 27, and for those who want a bit more edge, Sean Beavan—FOH engineer for now-legendary ‘90s-era Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson tours—will share his insights on both live and studio work the following day.
The Entertainment Services and Technology Association will be holding educational sessions for much of NAMM, each worth ETCP credits for those who need them. Among the offerings are a number of powerful sessions on, well, power. Speaker Richard Cadena will host “Keeping It Clean: Clean Power for Audio, Video and Lighting Systems” on January 25 and “On the Road: Portable Power for Audio” the following day. For more information on ESTA’s sessions, check the NAMM Show website.
And after a day of hearing all about audio, take some time to actually hear some audio itself! Make sure to catch some of the fantastic live performances happening all over the Anaheim Convention Center campus, from the bands playing at the Arena Plaza to the exciting Yamaha Grand Plaza Stage. No visit to the NAMM Show is complete without hearing incredibly talented musicians giving it their all for crowds full of their peers. If you haven’t made plans to attend yet, get to it—The NAMM Show takes place January 25-28, 2024 at the Anaheim Convention Center, and you can register for it here.
