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.

The accelerometer equipped Alesis Vortex.

Alesis Vortex

The keytar never seems to go away. I’m not a keyboard player, but I guess sometimes you just need to bring the keyboard out to the front of the stage to properly shred. The vortex seems like a pretty cool axe. I only played with the prototype, so I can’t really speak to the final build quality, but it does have some pretty cool features. The accelerometer in the neck is the most notable, and it has the obligatory set of pads and assignable knobs. Alesis products are generally pretty affordable, so this could be a pretty fun controller if you perform on keyboard.

Nonagon demonstrates the VCI-400 at the Vestax booth at NAMM 2012.

Vestax VCI-400

There were more DJ controllers at NAMM than I could count, but the VCI400 was by far the best. All of the controllers I saw had some combination of the same features, but the solid metal construction, excellent audio interface and compatibility with just about every piece of DJ software out there make Vestax’s solution a serious contender in this category. And, of course, our very own Nonagon proved this controller can be used for much more than just a standard DJ setup.

Modular controllers allow you to mix and match.

Behringer

I’m generally not a fan of Behringer products, but they did have a somewhat original idea with their modular DJ controllers. I wasn’t too excited about the toggle style buttons instead of pads, but I imagine they are intended for launching tracks. If you like to mix and match, these controllers could be useful.

Behringer also had an iPod dock that was the size of a small car. I guess there’s something to be said about building the worlds largest iPod dock.

I also saw speakers shaped like a flower vases, a giant tower of cymbals and dozens of other wacky and amazing things, but that was just a taste of the madness that was NAMM 2012. I’m excited to see what the next year brings us, so stay tuned for the latest controllerism news and culture and let us know what you think about the future of controllerism.