Today was full of DJ news, as many companies scramble for a stake in the growing digital DJ market. This podcast covers Numark’s latets DJ controllers, Native Instruments’ new DJ timecode software and audio interface and M-Audio’s new flagship MIDI/audio interface for it’s Torq software. To skip to Native Instruments, go to the 16:15 mark, and to skip to M-Audio, go to the 22:20 mark. And here is the Remix NAMM 2007 podcast day 1.

The EM podcast from day 1 of NAMM features product coverage of the Frontier Design AlphaTrack (which will be shipping in a couple of weeks), the Roland VG Stratocaster (which was announced today), and an interview with progressive rock keyboardist Erik Norlander. Click here to listen.

Day one at Winter NAMM proved to be very exciting with the word “Native” looming large at the show. Be sure to read our full blog and text coverage at mixonline.com for details. To sum it up, this is becoming more and more of a show for pro audio and production every year. We’ve got some great interviews today with a new product from Apogee (1:07), a great round-robin with composer/engineer/musicians John Van Tongeren, Steve Porcaro and Mark Cross (4:05), and some great products from M-Audio (6:30), TC Electronic (10:13) and Sony (15:40). Check out today’s Podcast and be sure to listen over the next two days as we do more interviews. Enjoy!

Jonesie here, with the early rock star sightings. Granted, we’re across from the Dean Markley booth so we have an advantage…so far, we’ve spotted Michael Anthony, C.C. DeVille, TM Stevens, the guys from Los Lobos, plus Dick Dale, Alan Parsons, Craig Dalton and perennial NAMM favorite Bootsy Collins. Speaking of the rubber band man, don’t miss our “Where’s Bootsy?” video coverage, coming soon to our site. (p.s. If you see him, grab Electronic Musician editor Gino Robair-he’s the guy with a spotting ’scope and videocamera)

Nobody better be dissing on Duran Duran. Nick Rhodes rules! Certainly Arturia must know that, and certainly that was at least part of the reason for coming up with Jupiter-8V, Arturia’s new Roland Jupiter 8 clone software synthesizer. Like all of Arturia’s tribute synths, it remains true to the original while adding many modern features for convenience. For example, 32 voices of polyphany and 400 presets. From the demo I watched, the sound recreation is stellar, matching all the luscious synth brass goodness and airy pads of the original. The PC/Mac virtual instrument works as stand-alone, VST, Audio Units and RTAS. Pricing and availabililty were not yet announced. SeeArturia’s site for more.

It’s great to be here back at the Mix booth for NAMM 2007, what a great show so far! No Nation has begun work on the second of three projects that will eventually be a trilogy of Rock Operas.

Their first effort No Nation “Illumine” was released late in 2006 and had an impressive list of guest artists including Ross Valory of JOURNEY, Jon Anderson from YES, Mike Pinder of THE MOODY BLUES, Stef Burns from HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS, Y&T.

No Nation is Stevie “Keys” Roseman, John Hernandez and Ed Ulibarri. Watch closely for this new CD to be released sometime in 2007.

Just announced! As of Thursday, January 18, No Nation has been signed to the Renaissance Entertainment Group for a three-year contract!!

Sometimes the simplest thing can float your product boat. Wayne Freeman at MXL mics has a very cool little accessory coming out in March that will let you plug any mic, dynamic or condenser, into a computer’s USB port. I’m still unclear on the concept of who would buy a USB mic anyway, but Wayne set me straight. Students, anyone recording into a computer on the go and Podcasters are the target audience. MXL has patents pending on the technology that will provide clean phantom power to a mic in such a portable situation.

Another cool accessory came out of the M-Audio booth. They have three new bags, one for the Microtrack that will let you hook up an external mic and leave the recorder out of harm’s way. Speaking of which, Sony has a new attachment for the PCM-D1 that will let you use any mic with the mighty-mite of portable recorders. By the way, it’s the same recorder I’m using for the Mix NAMM 07 Podcasts. I’ll be putting Day 1 up online tonight after tonite’s show, so be sure to check it out.

Our longtime friend and colleague Mel Lambert just did a drive-by, so we asked him to blog, as he has every blog we’ve put out here. Mel…editor of RE/P at the birth of this modern recording industry and now on top of every new technology you throw at him. Mel?

Thanks, Tom - groovy shoes - and they match. Ah, Anaheim again, and the Winter NAMM gathering. Lots of loud-making booths and funky-looking sales people; some of whom might be carbon-based. (Just joking.) Been playing catch-up with the DAW companies - hello to my pals at Digidesign, Apple, Steinberg, MOTU, Propellerhead, Cakewalk, Sony and anybody else who might come after me with cudgel for missing their names. Cannot believe how affordable gear has gotten; this morning at a Harman ProPress briefing - “Hi!” and a big welcome back to the affable Michael Macdonald, newly named EVP of Something Important at the company - I was stunned at the tumbling prices of a number of important lines, including I/O peripherals from Lexicon, which have shed a significant percent in MAP costs. Okay, these vendors have recovered R&D costs, but when was the last time we heard about significant lowering of prices for must-have products. It will herald the end of capitalism - and you heard it here first. For those of us who have been following high-tech development for more that five minutes, the price:performance ratios I’m seeing here are silly - you can set up a righteous project facility using a credit card - preferably somebody else‘s - and have fun with some extremely creative - and frighteningly elegant - computer-based systems. But I was also heartened to see within the basement Hall E that this NAMM Show has attracted a number of vendors of wood planking - that tree stuff from which we still fabricate guitars, violins and other music-making impedimenta. If you have time, go stroke a piece of exotic ash from Ceylon; you will come away with a better understanding of the God in His Heaven Thing - and few splinters, so you have been warned. If you have been, thanks for listening. I‘m gone. Mel Lambert.

We’re here with Jonathan Clark, musical director of 9ManVan, who popped over with Erika. Jonathan, what are you looking for this weekend?

Well, I’m here to gig tonight for your party! While I’m here, though, I plan to say hi to my endorsers, catch up with some people I don’t get to see a lot. I also want to check out any new guitars, mics and recording gear. My brother Daniel and I are finishing up my first record. Should be out by the end of March on Perspective Records. We got some good buddies helping out on the record, guys like Christopher Cross, and believe it or not Gary Oldman. He sings his ass off! Not just one of those actors-wannabe-rock stars. We need to meet some mixers while we’re here, and what better place than a Mix blog. Anyone out there have Mike Shipley’s cell? Thanks all. See you at the party tonight! There’s gonna be some special guests sitting in, so come on by. Thanks to Mix, EM and Remix, especially Erika. See ya!

Get your nominations in for the 2007 TEC Awards, to be held October 8, 2007 (the Saturday eve during AES) in New York City. For the first time ever, an award will be presented for Creative Achievement in Sound Production for Interactive Entertainment. The criteria for the new award, and the job specialties of the individuals and companies to receive it, are being developed by a blue-ribbon panel of accomplished videogame audio veterans. The Foundation is also accepting nominations for the Technical categories and Creative categories. Visit www.mixfoundation.org for a full list of categories available. For Outstanding Studio Design Project, entries must be new studios or rooms, or major renovations completed and in use during the eligibility year of April 1, 2006, to March 31, 2007. All entries must be returned by Wednesday, February 28, 2007. Send all information to TEC Awards, 1547 Palos Verdes Mall #294, Walnut Creek, CA 94597. Forms can also be downloaded from www.mixfoundation.org.

If you‘re at NAMM, make sure you stop by booth #5715 to pick up nomination forms. Stay tuned each month in Mix for additional information on the coolest award show every year!