Day One at NAMM Show 2026

Conversations, craft, and why this still matters

If Day One at NAMM tells you anything about the state of our industry, it is this. The gear is impressive, the ideas are ambitious, however the real story is still the people. The conversations in the aisles, the history baked into the hardware, and the shared belief that human interaction remains irreplaceable.
Paul Wolff, legacy done properly

One of the first stops was with Paul Wolff, and it immediately set the tone for the day. There was plenty of humour, plenty of honesty, and some genuinely important news. The acquisition of Pultec has been handled with the kind of care you hope for and rarely see. Same facility, same people, same point to point construction in Fort Collins, Colorado. Nothing “improved” for the sake of marketing. Just preserved, respected, and allowed to continue.
What stood out was the philosophy. Build them as they were when new, not as fifty year old survivors with drift and wear. Say that out loud, make it a feature, and suddenly everyone understands why these units sound the way they do. Hearing Paul talk through bass inserts, API tone, transient behaviour, and why certain solid state circuits simply do something special in the low end was a reminder that experience still counts.

Thoughtful innovation, not novelty

From there the conversation moved naturally into new mic pre designs. Lower gain structures, unity at zero, pads used creatively rather than defensively, and transformers designed from the ground up for a specific purpose. Nothing felt rushed. Everything felt like it had been lived with.
The reference pre concept was particularly smart. A way to let ribbon microphones be themselves without heavy handed coloration, while still giving you gain, impedance optimisation, and control. It is that kind of problem solving that separates thoughtful engineering from feature chasing.

Routing, control, and modern studios

The patching and routing systems on display were quietly jaw dropping. Massive relay based systems designed to keep audio paths clean while giving total recall and flexibility. Hundreds of relays per unit, no electronics in the signal path, and the ability to integrate conversion directly into the routing ecosystem. This is not about convenience replacing quality. It is about removing friction without touching the sound.
It was impossible not to imagine large hybrid studios finally having everything online, accessible, and recallable without compromising what made analogue desirable in the first place.

Monitoring that actually helps you work

A long and genuinely useful discussion followed around monitoring, subs, and room correction with IK Multimedia. The iLoud sub is one of those products that solves real problems rather than creating new ones. Built in ARC calibration, seamless integration with any nearfields, sensible crossover decisions made by measurement rather than guesswork, and the simple truth that most studios set subs wrong.

What I appreciated most was how practical the conversation was. This is not about chasing perfection for its own sake. It is about translation, confidence, and being able to enjoy the process without second guessing every low end decision.

The same applied to their headphone correction system. Flat when you need it, enjoyable when you want it, portable, and smart enough to acknowledge that we all forget to bypass things at three in the morning.

Community still beats algorithms

One of the most uplifting moments of the day came away from product launches altogether. Hearing about new studios being built around access, education, and community was a reminder that despite all the talk of automation and AI, music is still made by people in rooms together. That does not get replaced by software.
The idea that post pandemic, creators actively want to be in the same space again felt deeply true. That energy was everywhere on the floor.

Solid State Logic: the 4K lineage, evolved

At Solid State Logic, a question that has followed SSL for decades was finally answered in full. ORIGIN EVO does not merely reference the 4000 Series. It builds directly on its foundations.

ORIGIN reignited the 4K lineage. ORIGIN EVO takes it further, delivering a true in-line console that carries the unmistakable SSL sound engineers grew up with, while embracing modern hybrid workflows without compromise. At its heart are PureDrive mic preamps, an authentic E Series dynamics section, and the iconic 242 ‘Black Knob’ EQ, complete with both high and low-pass filters.

This is not a nostalgic reissue. It is a forward-facing evolution of the E Series philosophy.

ORIGIN EVO’s high-headroom mix bus, paired with the enhanced SSL Bus Compressor and redesigned routing architecture, delivers mixes with analogue weight, creative aggression, and the glue and punch that defined so many classic records. The console is available in both 16 and 32-channel configurations, offering up to 84 inputs at mixdown, and features an expanded modular centre section designed specifically for hybrid studios.

One of the smartest design choices is the 19-inch rack-based centre tile. It allows engineers to integrate a UF8 or UF1 DAW controller, or traditional outboard processors, directly into the console layout. The stereo group fader tile can be repositioned, the meter bridge relocated, and the entire working environment adapted so that workstation control and analogue processing remain exactly where you need them, right in the sweet spot.

Authentic E Series dynamics, properly done

Every channel on ORIGIN EVO features true E Series dynamics, one of the defining sounds of the original 4000 E consoles. This is not a reinterpretation. The dynamics section uses original-spec circuitry, including a true RMS sidechain detector and an all-discrete gain reduction stage identical to the Class-A VCA used in the originals.

Each compressor includes a LINK function, allowing adjacent channels to share sidechain control for stereo or multi-channel sources. Engineers can bypass the soft-knee curve, engage fast attack, and switch between logarithmic and linear release characteristics, delivering three distinct compression behaviours that shaped countless records in the ’80s and beyond. Punchy compression, lightning-fast gating, and unmistakable attitude are all here.

The Black Knob EQ, unchanged where it matters

Every channel strip also carries the most sought-after EQ in SSL history, the E Series 242 ‘Black Knob’ EQ.
Originally developed in collaboration with Sir George Martin for the SL 4000 E, this four-band parametric EQ remains one of the most musical and instinctive tools ever put on a console. With switchable bell or shelf curves on the high and low bands, dedicated Q controls for the mid bands, and true circuit bypass, it behaves exactly as engineers expect, fast, forgiving, and musical.

Filters that work like an SSL should

ORIGIN EVO expands on the original ORIGIN design by adding a 12dB per octave low-pass filter alongside the existing 18dB per octave high-pass filter. Both filters can be routed flexibly within the signal path or switched directly into the dynamics sidechain. This makes tasks like tightening drum gates or frequency-conscious compression feel effortless, exactly the way an in-line SSL console should behave.

PureDrive mic preamps: clean to characterful

The PureDrive mic preamps provide up to +70 dB of gain and offer two distinct personalities within a single design. At their core is an ultra-clean, low-noise discrete transistor topology for high-resolution capture. Engage DRIVE, an evolution of SSL’s VHD technology, and the preamp transitions into harmonically rich saturation, allowing engineers to shape tone at the point of capture rather than reaching for processing later.

Whether tracking, printing stems, or driving signals into the channel strip, PureDrive delivers unmistakably SSL results.

Hybrid workflows without compromise

ORIGIN EVO is unapologetically designed for modern hybrid production. Each channel features 0 dB fader bypass for easy stem printing, direct outputs, and insert points on both the Large and Small faders. Routing has been rethought using electronic switching, improving reliability while eliminating the constant reach to the top of the channel strip.

A single ROUTE select button, combined with intelligent multi-select presses, makes complex routing faster, cleaner, and less error-prone than traditional switch matrices.

The centre section introduces features such as Auto Sleep, which places the console into standby after prolonged inactivity, dramatically reducing power consumption compared to legacy SSL desks. Solo-in-Front, Solo-in-Place, comprehensive monitoring control, and flexible return routing round out a centre tile designed for speed, sustainability, and clarity.

Upgrade path, not obsolescence

Crucially, existing ORIGIN owners are not left behind. ORIGIN EVO channels can be retrofitted to existing consoles via 8-channel upgrade kits, allowing studios to evolve their desks in manageable stages rather than forcing a complete replacement.
The result is a console that faithfully recreates the character that defined the E Series, while evolving it for how records are actually made today.
It feels familiar. It sounds right. And for the first time in a long time, it feels like the missing chapter in the SSL story has finally been written.

Fender thinking beyond guitars

The conversations with Fender were fascinating. Fender Studio is about ecosystem rather than product silos. From first guitar to first serious recording setup, the idea is to remove barriers rather than create them. Interfaces, software, amps, modelling, and DAW integration that feels musician first.
The Tone Master Pro integration, audio to MIDI workflows, and seamless idea capture all point in one direction. Make creativity frictionless, then let people grow at their own pace.

Analogue with recall and without apology

Elsewhere, companies like Elysia continued to push the idea that analogue survives by evolving. Full channel strips with digital recall, dynamic EQ, flexible routing, and hardware that behaves like hardware while remembering where it was last time. Not simplified, not compromised, just smarter.

That same philosophy carried through conversations with Manley Labs and Apogee Electronics. Respect the craft, build properly, and find ways to make world class tools accessible without turning them into watered down versions of themselves.

Day one, and it already feels full

By the end of Day One, very little of this felt like a trade show checklist. It felt like a reunion, a workshop, and a reality check all at once. Yes, there is extraordinary technology on display. However what stood out most was how many people are still thinking deeply about how we actually work.
NAMM 2026 opened with a strong reminder. The future of audio is not about replacing people. It is about giving them better tools, better spaces, and better reasons to keep showing up.

And honestly, that is a very good place to start.

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