The Spirit of Pro Audio Innovations Celebrated at the 36th Annual NAMM TEC Awards

Winners of the NAMM Technical Excellence and Creativity (TEC Awards), honoring the best in professional audio and sound production, have been announced in a virtual event on the final day of NAMM’s Believe in Music week, a global online gathering to unify and support people who bring music to the world.

Presented by NAMM on Believe TV, the annual event recognized the highest achievements in the pro audio and sound worlds of music making, live performances, video games, television and films.

Universal Audio picked up the day’s biggest collection of prizes in the Technical category for its Apollo x 4 (Computer Audio Hardware); Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ Plug-In (Signal Processing Software-Dynamics/EQ/Utilities), and the company’s LUNA Recording System (Workstation Technology/Recording Devices). Two pro audio brands who each have a long history of sound gear innovations took two awards a piece, also in the Technical category. They are JBL, and AKG both recognized for professional gear in several categories including Amplification Hardware-Studio & Sound Reinforcement, Headphone/Earpiece Technology, and respectively, as well as additional categories listed below.

“Despite the global pandemic, the industry continued to innovate, creating one of the largest collectives of product Nominees in the 35-year history of the awards. And given the world engaged in virtual interaction on an unprecedented level, the products honored helped connect us all by delivering music and sound across the world,” shared Eric Geer, TEC Entries & Nominations Supervisor.

Many projects in Creative categories were recognized as well, including the Disney+ show featuring the evergreen Star Wars-theme: “The Mandalorian, Season One” (Television Sound Production). A salute to the posthumous legacy of Prince won out in Remote Production/Recording or Broadcast for “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince, CBS.” A full list of winners in Creative Excellence is below.

For the first time, award content, including category and a 35-year retrospective videos, were streamed live to Believe in Music attendees for free. Viewers enjoyed companies and experts who were feted in 22 Technical Achievement categories and seven Creative Achievement categories.

Recently, the TEC Awards also announced the induction of five historical audio products into the TECnology Hall of Fame. The honorees were selected by a panel of audio experts, including authors, educators, engineers, and other professionals. The TECnology Hall of Fame honors audio products and innovations that have made a significant contribution to the advancement of audio technology and production. The inductees included the Western Electric 639A Ribbon Microphone (1938); RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer (1957); 3M M56 16-Track Recorder (1968); Constant Directivity Horn, Don Keele (1975), and the Near Field Monitoring, Ed Long (1977).

If you missed the event premiere, parts of the program are still watchable online after registering online http://attend.believeinmusic.tv

Sponsors for today’s event supporters included The Les Paul Foundation, Antelope Audio, C.F. Martin & Co., EastWest Sounds, Electro-Voice, Retro Instruments, sE Electronics, Allen&Heath, Apogee, Austrian Audio, Broadjam, d&b audiotechnik, Genelec, Harman, Leapwing Audio, Mackie, McDSP, Meyer Sound, OWC, Pioneer DJ, Sessionwire, Shure, Tracktion, Universal Audio, WonderWonder Sound, Cinema Audio Society, EIPMA (Entertainment Industry Professionals Mentoring Alliance), G.A.N.G. (Game Audio Network Guild), GeerFab Audio, Grace Design, IsoAcoustics, iZotope, L-Acoustics, MPSE (Motion Picture Sound Editors), Shenzen Maono Technology, Softube, Sonic Scoop, Strymon, Studio Expresso, ThumbStopper, WSDG and Hotone Audio.

Congratulations to the winners of the 36th Annual NAMM TEC Awards:

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Amplification Hardware - Studio & Sound Reinforcement

JBL - DSi 2.0

Audio Apps & Hardware/Peripherals for Smartphones & Tablets

Eventide - Blackhole

Computer Audio Hardware

Universal Audio - Apollo x4

DJ Production Technology

Native Instruments - TRAKTOR KONTROL S3

Headphone/Earpiece Technology

AKG - K300 Series

Large Format Console Technology

Solid State Logic - ORIGIN

Microphone Preamplifiers

Neve - 1073OPX

Microphones - Recording

AKG - Lyra

Microphones - Sound Reinforcements

sE Electronics - V Series for Drums

Musical Instrument Amplification & Effects

Ampeg - Heritage 50th Anniversary SVT

Musical Instrument Hardware

Moog - Matriarch

Musical Instrument Software

Celemony - Melodyne 5

Production Essentials

Audinate Dante AVIO Adapters

Signal Processing Hardware

API - 2500+ Stereo Bus Compressor

Signal Processing Hardware - 500 Series Modules

AMS Neve - RMX16

Signal Processing Software - Dynamics/EQ/Utilities

Universal Audio - Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ Plug-In

Signal Processing Software - Effects

Waves - Abbey Road Saturator

Small Format Console Technology

Allen & Heath - Avantis

Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers

JBL - EON ONE Compact

Studio Monitors

Genelec - W371A Adaptive Woofer System

Wireless Technology

Shure - Axient Digital AD3 plug-on wireless transmitter

Workstation Technology/Recording Devices

Universal Audio - LUNA Recording System

CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT

Studio Design Project

Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU-FM Design

Film Sound Production

“1917,” Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures/Entertainment One

Interactive Entertainment Sound Production

“Star Wars Jedi - Fallen Order,” Respawn Entertainment

Record Production/Album

Hyperspace, Beck, Capitol Records

Record Production/Single or Track

Fear Inoculum, Tool, Tool Dissectional and Volcano and RCA

Remote Production/Recording or Broadcast

“Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince,” CBS

Television Sound Production

“The Mandalorian (Season 1),” Disney+

ABOUT THE TEC AWARDS

Presented annually by NAMM during The NAMM Show, The TEC Awards recognizes the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, films, television, video games and other media in 22 Technical and 7 Creative Achievement Categories. The Les Paul Innovation Award is given at the event in tribute to musical artists and others whose work has exemplified the creative application of audio technology. Through its Hall of Fame, The TEC Awards also honors the pioneers of audio technology and the music industry’s most accomplished producers and audio technicians. The NAMM Foundation’s TECnology Hall of Fame celebrates innovations and ground breaking technical achievements of the past. For more information, visit www.tecawards.org.