Peter Asher performs at NAMM TEC Awards as Austrian Audio, Presonus, AMS Neve and Audient win

The 37th Annual TEC Awards at NAMM 2022 showcased some surprise wins and moving tributes to both Rupert Neve and Sequential’s Dave Smith.

The full ceremony saw Austrian Audio triumph over Apple, Presonus take home two awards and Peter Asher (above) inducted into the hall of fame alongside Carol Kaye being awarded the Les Paul Innovation Award. Asher spoke of the great innovations in sound and noted that the innovations he saw at the show are all paving the way for future artists to create music before saying that the winners were creating technology that would have been considered “pure sciene fiction” in the 1960s.

Genelec won the Studio Design Project Award, Meyer Sound won the Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers award and Telefunken took home the Microphones – Recording award for their TF11 FET microphone. AMS Neve won the Large Format Console Technology award for the 8424.

David Gibbons of Sequential, picking up an award for the Prophet 5, said “Life is a series of wins and losses. And the world of MI spent a huge loss this week. Dave Smith, founder of Sequential, creator of the Prophet 5, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday. He was more than just the founder, he was an innovator, a mentor, and friend. His passing broke our hearts. And in so many ways, his life’s work broke the mold for synthesizer design. The Prophet 5 is a recreation of a 40-year synth design. And many people say the appeal comes from how alive it sounds. Did you ever think that perhaps, inventors breed some of their own lifeforce into their best designs? If that’s the case, then Dave’s spirit lives on in his remarkable body of work.”

Host Fred Armisen (below) played comedic guitar strumming styles from around the world from Brazil to the UK, spoke about his love of Guitar Center and suggested a Roland acoustic drum was designed to look like an electronic drum kit…

On the Pro Audio Design table, Dave Malekpour and team were joined by PR agency Starscream Communications and special guests Mirek Stiles and Dominika Dronska from Abbey Road Studios, below.

The full list of winners can be seen below.

Audio Apps & Hardware/Peripherals for Smartphones & TabletsShure – Wireless Workbench 6.14.1Audio Education TechnologyPreSonus Audio – Electronics SphereComputer Audio HardwareRupert Neve Designs – MBC: Dual Path A-D Converter & LimiterDJ Production Technology (Hardware/Software)PreSonus Audio Electronics – ATOM SQHeadphone/Earpiece TechnologyAustrian Audio – Hi-X65 Professional Open-Back Over-Ear HeadphonesLarge Format Console TechnologyNeve –  8424Microphone PreamplifiersAudient – iD4 MKIIMicrophones – RecordingTELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik – TF11 FET Microphones – Sound ReinforcementsE Electronics – V7 VEMusical Instrument Amplification & EffectsUniversal Audio – UAFX Golden ReverberatorMusical Instrument HardwareSequential – Prophet-5Musical Instrument SoftwareEastWest Sounds – Hollywood Orchestra Opus EditionProduction EssentialsGenelec – Loudspeaker Manager – GLM V4.0Signal Processing HardwareRupert Neve Designs – 5254 Dual Diode Bridge CompressorSignal Processing Software (Dynamics/EQ/Utilities)iZotope – RX 8Signal Processing Software (Effects)FabFilter – Timeless 3Small Format Console TechnologySolid State Logic – UF8 Advanced DAW ControllerSound Reinforcement LoudspeakersMeyer Sound – ULTRA-X20 Compact Wide Coverage Loudspeaker

Studio MonitorsEVE Audio – SC4070Wireless TechnologySennheiser – Evolution Wireless DigitalWorkstation Technology/Recording DevicesUniversal Audio – LUNA Recording System v1.1.8Film/Sound ProductionSoul, Disney+Interactive Entertainment Sound ProductionAssassin’s Creed Valhalla, UbisoftRemote Production – Recording or BroadcastThe Late Show With Stephen Colbert, CBSRecord Production – AlbumMcCartney III, Paul McCartney, CapitolRecord Production – Single or TrackLost Cause, Billie Eilish, Darkroom/InterscopeTelevision Sound ProductionThe Mandalorian, Season 2 – Disney+Studio Design ProjectGenelec Immersive Experience Center, Natick, MA FM Design

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