You walk into NAMM 2026 thinking you will just wander and see what grabs you. You leave reminded that wandering works best when paired with a plan and a willingness to torch a few sacred cows along the way. This episode is a fast-moving field report from the floor, where the real takeaway is not just gear but mindset. You hear why talking with people matters more than chasing booths, why listening beats pitching, and how staying flexible turns a chaotic show into a productive one. NAMM rewards curiosity, but only if you stay intentional and remember that Always Be Performing is not about being loud, it is about being present.
From there,...
You walk into NAMM 2026 thinking you will just wander and see what grabs you. You leave reminded that wandering works best when paired with a plan and a willingness to torch a few sacred cows along the way. This episode is a fast-moving field report from the floor, where the real takeaway is not just gear but mindset. You hear why talking with people matters more than chasing booths, why listening beats pitching, and how staying flexible turns a chaotic show into a productive one. NAMM rewards curiosity, but only if you stay intentional and remember that Always Be Performing is not about being loud, it is about being present.
From there, you get a tight rundown of what actually stood out. You hear about clever mic and monitoring solutions, portable PA ideas that punch above their weight, smart tools for managing stage volume and feedback, and electronic drums and keyboards that feel less like compromises and more like real instruments. There is a clear throughline here: gear is getting smaller, smarter, and more musician-centric, solving real problems instead of adding features for the spec sheet. By the end, you are not just caught up on what Dave saw at NAMM 2026, you are thinking differently about how to approach shows, stages, and decisions long after the badges come off.
- 00:00:00 Gig Gab 519 – Monday, February 2nd, 2026
- February 2nd: National Tater Tot Day
- NAMM Coverage Sponsors
- Ultimate Ears Pro
- Earthworks Audio
- Rock-N-Roller Carts
- 00:02:23 NAMM Guidance
- Wandering is fun. But have a plan also.
- Be ready to abandon sacred cows
- Talk with people… share and listen
- 00:05:11 DPA Microphones on the Yamaha Stage
- 00:13:12 JBL BANDBOX Solo ($250) and BANDBOX Trio ($600)
- 00:18:37 D’Addario IR Mic Mute
- 00:21:05 Card Chords
- 00:24:55 UE 350 from Ultimate Ears
- 00:27:57 Sensaphonics IEM dB Check Pro
- 00:35:27 Efnote Electronic Drums Efnote 3 (with optical hi-hats) – $2,499
- 00:36:52 KickPort KickTone Pro microphone
- 00:40:12 Alpha Labs De-Feedback in action
- 00:43:57 Nord Electro 7
- 00:46:27 Allen & Heath Qu-5
- 00:49:49 iCON P1-M (on Amazon)
- 00:52:31 QSC CB10
- 00:55:21 Gig Gab 519 Outtro
- Thanks to Parthenon Huxley for today’s outro song. And thanks, Hux, for everything you gave us all while you were here on this earth!
- Contact Gig Gab!
- @GigGabPodcast on Instagram
- feedback@giggabpodcast.com
- Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List
The post Gear, Gimmicks, and the Good Stuff at NAMM 2026 – Gig Gab 519 appeared first on Gig Gab.
View more
