Frankfurt Music Fair 2018: High-tech meets handmade
Gaby Reucher db
April 13, 2018
Guitars, pianos, drum sets, DJ mixers and more that combine vintage appeal with cutting edge innovation are showcased at this year's Frankfurt Music Fair. Near 2000 exhibitors are presenting their wares over three days.
Image: DW/G. Reucher
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Analogue and digital make beautiful music in Frankfurt
As the music world comes together in Frankfurt am Main, the world's leading musical instrument trade fair will showcase a vast array of the best analogue and digital music trends in 2018.
Image: DW/G. Reucher
Vintage or artfully aged?
These brand new Fender electric guitars made to look road-worn are symbolic of the trend to combine old and new. But the Frankfurt Music Fair is not only about trying to return to rock'n'roll roots. The vast music trade show is also showcasing the ways by which the latest digital technologies can open up new possibilities for analogue instruments.
Image: DW/G. Reucher
State of the art
Bösendorfer and Yamaha joined forces to create this new high definition self-playing grand piano. Players can sit at the piano and tinkle the ivories; or, using a tablet, instruct the instrument to independently perform a recorded piece. With this high-tech invention, favorite tunes are accurately and faithfully played to a private audience.
Image: DW/G. Reucher
Clever concept
Looks can be deceiving. This small Yamaha TransAcoustic guitar may not look like much, but it's the first acoustic guitar that needs no amplification or special effects to recreate a rich sound only usually achieved in superior sounding rooms. It is perfect for beginners who want to wow their friends when sitting around the camp fire.
Image: DW/G. Reucher
Sonic wood
Custom drum maker John Good went all the way to Tasmania to select the wood for the above bass drum. Known as the "wood whisperer," Good travels the world for unique timbers — from Italian cottonwood to Australian evergreen sassafras. The Tasmanian wood has a special grain and a particularly warm sound. A set of Good's drums costs €10,000 ($12,360).
Image: DW/G. Reucher
Mega 'e-drum' kit
The above Yamaha electronic drum kit features 50 electronic cymbals and drums and promises endless percussive options. The pads are particularly noise-absorbing to allow drummers to practice at home. They're also rather rubbery, which makes the rebound more natural. It's almost like playing a traditional acoustic drum kit.
Image: DW/G. Reucher
Heavy metal
A world premiere: "Metal Drum Power" presented its first drum kit made completely of stainless steel forged in Frankfurt. The inventor, Martin Irut, runs a steel processing firm. The hobby drummer covered the steel with a ceramic shell normally used to seal machines, which makes for a uniquely tight sound. A set costs up to €15,000.
Image: DW/G. Reucher
Ready to go
The latest version of the state-of-the-art Reloop DJ Performance Controller is a hybrid that fuses two acclaimed DJ software programs with diverse platforms, including online music streaming services. The Mixon 4 integrates Spotify, for example, to give DJs instant access to more than 30 million tracks, while the controller is compatible with almost any laptop or tablet.
Image: DW/G. Reucher
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The Frankfurt Music Fair is Europe's biggest music and entertainment fair, and has meanwhile even branched out to China and Russia.
The 2018 edition sees 1,803 exhibitors from 56 countries present their products from April 11 to 14. The program includes concerts, presentations, conferences, award ceremonies and exhibitions.
Visitors roaming the fair grounds at the Frankfurt Messe can delight in the abundance of instruments as music drifts in the air from piano concerts at the salon where traditional European piano makers present their keyboard instruments; or from celebrity drummers and guitarists holding fort at the various drum and guitar camp stages.
Events and performances have been taking on greater importance at the trade show in recent years, according to fair director Michael Biwer. While the show is focused on exhibitors and their products, the actual music adds "an emotional experience" to proceedings, he said.
