PASIC 2003
Select your interest:
Page One: Health and Wellness; playing posture.
Page Two: Best of Show.
Page Three: New developments in mallet instruments.
Page Four: Miscellaneous instrument photos.
The pictures from the 2002 PASIC (posted
here) give you a good sense
for what's on the scene. This year, I'll only show off what's new.
As before, you can click any photo for a larger view.
Wernick Xylosynth
As luck would have it, I shared a hotel with Will Wernick, the man behind
the Xylosynth. It was fun speaking with him through the course of the
event, and his instrument is truly gorgeous. I'm glad to see that there's
an alternative to the Kat--it shows that this is indeed a healthy market.
(By the way, I own a Kat, and I love it.) Here are some photos. Be
sure to check out the gorgeous, matching foot pedals.
Four-octave (more expensive) model:
Three-octave (less expensive) model:
Control area:
VanderPlas Percussion
If there were any doubts last year that Nico VanderPlas is making some of
the best vibraphones in the world, they must have been dashed this year.
(I only wish that Doug DeMorrow had appeared this year. Many of us would
love to know the progress he's making.)
The bars sound great. The frames and mounting mechanisms are solid. Nico's new, touchscreen, infrared, highly configurable motor control is elegantly mounted into the wood ends of his instruments. Here are some photos of the standard vibraphones he brought:
Additionally, Nico was showing off a prototype of his new "eVibe," which is designed for both amplification and MIDI control. In these photos, Lalo Friedman is playing it. (Check out this great new player at www.LaloVibe.com). This instrument is sort of the long-overdue replacement for Deagan's Electravibe. I wish Nico luck with it.
Planet Marimba
Planet Marimba brought along an audacious instrument that we could probably
best call a "contrabass marimba." It extends two and a third octaves below
the lowest note of a five-octave instrument. Notice that the player in the
photo is standing on a small stool.
I was too shy to ask about pricing!
Premier
Premier had a new frame style for its vibraphones and marimbas. Here
they are:
For all you unrepentant gear sluts out there, this year's final page captures
all sorts of instruments that I didn't get around to last year.
Page Four: Miscellaneous instrument photos.