The sun sets on Anaheim, Calif. as the teamsters load up the last crates full of trade show booth parts and the leather-clad aging 80′s rockers slink back to whatever coke-fueled nightmare they came from. Another NAMM Show is concluded.

Business was done, products were announced, Stevie Wonder played some new keyboards and many new friends and connections were made. The NAMM Show is a hotbed of activity and can drive a lot of change and innovation in the industry. So what’s the next big thing? Where is this crazy world of music technology headed? I can’t really say, only time will tell.

But we did see a lot of cool stuff at NAMM, all sorts of exciting new products from all your favorite manufacturers. Here’s a quick roundup. Let us know what you think.

Akai MAX49

The Akai MAX49 features CV and Gate outputs to control analog gear

Akai has a pretty exciting new keyboard. Semi-weighted keys with after touch, built in arpeggiator, step sequencer, touch strips with LED feedback and velocity sensitive pads all make this a pretty killer box. But the most interesting feature, to me, is the analog CV and gate outputs. This thing is essentially a MIDI to CV converter, giving you control over your software DAW and your vintage analog gear. Hello eBay, time to pick up that old Juno 106! If you play keyboard, the MAX49 will definitely be a powerful tool.

Totally amazing piece of controller!

Keith McMillen QuNeo

The QuNeo is pretty much the only truly innovative piece of controller gear I saw at NAMM. I’ve been waiting for a chance to play with this thing ever since the Kick Starter was launched, and it has definitely delivered. The QueNeo has so many different layers of control on each pad – velocity, pressure, position, etc. – I can’t even visualize how to play it yet. And the fact that they managed to fit all of those features into such a small, bus-powered package is simply mind boggling! I can’t wait to spend some more time with this controller.