Although the NAMM Show may not be known primarily as an audio show, there were several pro audio companies displaying on the show floor. For Purple Audio’s (purpleaudio.com) Owner, Andrew Roberts, this reflects a change in the show since the last time he attended, which was on behalf of the distribution company he worked for at the time. “I haven’t been to this show for 15 years, and the last time was my first time ever,” said Roberts. “It’s just a different show in terms of the vibe and what’s going on. There’s a lot more pro audio than there was in ’99. Back then, it was way more focused on musical instruments, and a little less on pro audio and recording, especially.” Nearly 300 audio companies were exhibiting at NAMM this year, and Roberts felt right at home in Hall A, where the show’s increased pro audio presence was readily apparent.
Purple Audio offers several innovative products that are the result of Roberts’ years of experience in audio equipment repairs. “I had been doing music recording and got into repair and electronics, and then started designing from there,” he explained. “I was doing repair work in midtown Manhattan and saw a lot of old gear coming through, a lot of 1176s. I decided I could make a better device, more cost effectively, and more robust than the ones I was seeing for repair.” Roberts’ company got its start in 1997, and has been gradually adding more products over time. “Right now we make eight different 500 modules, three different EQs, two mic preamps, a compressor module, a headphone module and a mixer module,” he offered. “We make our own 500 rack. And we have our MT77 compressor we’ve been making since ’97.” The company was displaying its latest innovation for the first time at NAMM. “We have a new product, the MFTWENTY5 system. It’s a dual 10-input console in a one-rack-space box that lets you make your own 500 mixers or sidecar consoles out of modules in any configuration you like,” explained Roberts.
Roberts said he plans on returning to NAMM next year, and hinted at some exciting developments for Purple Audio in the near future. “We’re trying to start a destination live recording venue next to our office location,” he elaborated. “We’re in an old firehouse next to a 400-seat opera house: Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe PA. We’re tied in with them, trying to turn it into a destination live recording venue, which means I get to use all the gear every weekend, record live music and design from that perspective.”
Check out more standouts from NAMM 2015’s freshman class at the links below: