NAMM 2015: 30th annual TEC Awards winners revealed

Recording, audio and music industry professionals from all over the world geathered to honour excellence in sound technology and creativity on Saturday (24 January) at the 30th Annual NAMM TEC Awards.

Featuring 30 creative and technical achievement categories, the awards are held each year during the NAMM Show.

“The people and products that were nominated at this year’s TEC Awards, especially on this milestone 30th anniversary, deserve our respect and admiration,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM. “And those select few who have gone home with a coveted TEC Award have set a high bar for the industry. These are the tools and sounds that will shape the music we will be listening to for years to come.”

Everything from wireless technology to software was recognised in the evening’s technical achievement categories. Native Instruments’ Razor 1.5 instrument software nabbed the top spot for Musical Instrument Software, while Shure’s GLXD6 guitar pedal receiver with Tuner edged out competitors in Wireless Technology. Other winners in technical achievement include DPA Microphones’ d:screet Necklace, honoured for Sound Reinforcement.

Bassist Nathan East and engineer Ed Cherney were inducted into the NAMM TEC Awards Hall of Fame, while iconic guitarist Slash received the evening’s highest honour, the Les Paul Award. The award recognises individuals or institutions that have set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of audio and music technology. 

Technical Achievement

Ancillary Equipment – API 505 DI 500-Series DI Module

Audio Apps for Smartphones and Tablets – PreSonus Capture for iPad

Hardware/Peripherals for Smartphones and Tablets – Apogee MiC 96k

Microphone Preamplifiers – Rupert Neve Designs Shelford 5052

Studio Monitors – Genelec 8010

Recording Devices – Zoom H5 Handy Recorder

Musical Instrument Amplification and Effects – Line 6 POD HD Pro X

Amplification Hardware – Studio and Sound Reinforcement – Grace Design m920 Monitoring System

Computer Audio Hardware – Universal Audio Apollo Twin

Musical Instrument Hardware – Nord Lead A1

Musical Instrument Software – Native Instruments Razor 1.5

Signal Processing Hardware – Dangerous Music ‘The Dangerous Compressor’

Signal Processing Hardware (500-Series modules) – Rupert Neve Designs 551 EQ

Signal Processing Software – iZotope RX3 Audio Repair Suite

Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers – Meyer Sound LYON

Microphones – Sound Reinforcement – DPA Microphones d:screet Necklace

Microphones – Recording – Neumann TLM 107

Headphone/Earpiece Technology – AKG K812 Headphones

Wireless Technology – Shure GLXD6 Guitar Pedal Receiver with Tuner

Workstation Technology – Steinberg Cubase 7.5

Small Format Console Technology – Solid State Logic Matrix 2

Large Format Console Technology – API ‘The Box’

Creative Achievement

Record Production – Single or TrackHappy, Pharrell Williams

Record Production – AlbumLazaretto, Jack White

Tour – Event Sound ProductionSting and Paul Simon: On Stage Tour

Remote Production – Recording or Broadcast – 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards

Film Sound ProductionGravity

Television Sound ProductionGame of Thrones

Interactive Entertainment Sound Production – Call of Duty: Ghosts

Studio Design Project – Berklee College of Music, 160 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA

Picture: Meyer Sound’s LYON system

www.tecawards.org